Egyptians in Art
Egyptian art was not meant to represent people and objects as they appear in reality, but rather in their most perfect state. Multiple perspectives were used to create a composite person or object: the head is shown from the side; the torso from the front; and the legs from the side.
For much of Egyptian history, consistency in art was achieved by artists drawing grids, and using them as a guide to lay out key parts of the body. So, for example, in the 12th Dynasty, a standing figure is typically 18 squares from the soles of his feet to his hairline. His neck and shoulders would fall at square 16.
Egyptians in art were almost always shown in an ideologically perfect way: youthful and fit, with red skin for men and yellow for women. Sometimes, different hues of skin were shown, or a person's age emphasised.