Final answer:
Scale drawings alter the size of an original figure without changing its shape, maintaining the figure's proportions by using a consistent scale factor.
Step-by-step explanation:
When creating a scale drawing, the size of the original figure is changed to a smaller or larger scale through a consistent scale factor, but the shape of the figure does not change. For example, if a scale factor for a scale drawing is 1/200, it means that the actual size is 200 times larger than that of the drawing. Scaling maintains the proportions of the original figure, ensuring that the scaled drawing is a true representation of the shape in a different size.
Scale and proportion are crucial in various fields, including art and mathematics. They are used to represent objects or figures in a manageable size without altering the shape. Artists like Michelangelo and Claes Oldenburg manipulated scale to create different visual and psychological effects, highlighting the importance of the shape and proportions in their works.