Why did artists in Ancient Egypt always show people from the side?

All artists in Ancient Egypt used a similar style to make their images. They learned how to draw following a set of rules. Artists didn’t necessarily create a picture to make a beautiful scene. Instead, they used their art to make a record of a person, place, or thing.
When Ancient Egyptian artists painted or carved pictures of people, they combined side and front views. They felt this style showed people in the best way. Here’s how to draw a person like an Ancient Egyptian artist did:

draw the head in profile (from the side)
• add an eye as if it were on the front of the person’s face
• draw the shoulders and chest as if you were looking at the front of the person
• draw the waist, hips, and legs from the side.

The artists would often add other things to the image, such as personal belongings. Things higher up in the image were farther away than those lower down. The size of the person in the picture also told a story. Kings, or pharaohs, were drawn the same size as gods, but much larger than other Egyptians.