How to Enlarge a Drawing Using a Grid

You don't need to be an artist to copy or enlarge any picture with great results.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rulers
• Butcher Papers
• Notebook Papers
• Comic Books
• Pencils And Erasers
• Yardsticks
• Coloring Books

1. Select the picture you want to enlarge.

2. Place a ruler along the top edge of the picture.

3. Make a small mark with a pencil at every 1/2 inch.

4. Mark the bottom edge of the picture the same way. Make sure you have the same number of marks at the top and bottom of the picture.

5. Connect each pencil mark at the top of the picture with a corresponding mark at the bottom using a ruler. This will make parallel lines over the picture.

6. Measure and mark every 1/2 inch along the side edges of the picture.

7. Connect the marks on each side. Your picture is now covered with squares called a grid.

8. Calculate how much larger you need to make your picture and how large you need to make squares on a second grid. For example, if you are doubling the picture size, squares in the second grid will be 1 inch.

9. Draw a second grid on a larger sheet of blank paper. Use a yardstick to make this larger grid if necessary.

10. Copy the picture from the first grid, square by square, by drawing it on the new, larger grid.

Tips & Warnings

• Reduce a picture by decreasing the size of the squares on the second grid using the same technique. If the size of the original grid is 1/2 inch and you want to make the picture half the size, make 1/4-inch squares on the second grid.
• Use this technique to enlarge or copy cartoon characters, coloring book pictures and lettering for signs.

[Colonna]

on 1/30/2009 this is a really thorough article! I've been doing this assignment with my students for about 10 years, and it really incorporates a sense of balance, math and measuring/estimating skills into "higher order" thinking. this is very good. pix would have been cool, but, no big deal. 5 stars!!!!!

on 6/30/2006 Put a see-through grid on the copy of a picture (or your own). Instead of drawing grids on your paper, look at the shapes in each square and draw that shape. Look at your drawing and see if the shapes are accurate. Look at the next square and again make it on your paper. You'll be drawing in no time.