How to Enlarge a Photo by Doing a Grid Drawing
If you want to make a drawing or painting based on a photograph, one of the more accurate ways of copying the image is by using the grid method. A smaller grid is traced onto the original photo and a larger one is produced onto a blank paper. Grid lines are then used to help keep the drawn image as close to the photo image as possible. This method can be used as the base for colored pencil drawings, outlines for oils or watercolors or background sketches for fabric arts projects such as cross stitch and pictorial quilting.
Instructions
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Measure the width of the photograph. Divide the photograph into a logical number of sections depending on the width. If your photo is 10 inches wide, divide it into 10 or 20 equal sections. Draw vertical lines down the entire length of the photo to divide these sections. You now have a photo divided into strips.
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Measure the height of the photograph. Divide the photo into a similarly logical number of sections for its height. An eight-inch tall photo could be divided into eight or 16 sections. Draw horizontal lines across the entire width of the photo to divide these sections. You now have a photograph divided into squares or rectangles.
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Measure the width and height of your drawing paper surface. Take the number of sections that you drew for the width of the photo and divide it into the width of the paper. This will tell you the width of each section of paper. Draw lines to divide the paper in strips of this width. You now have a paper divided into the same number of strips as the photo in the first step.
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Divide the number of sections used to divide the height of the photo into the height of the paper, and separate the paper into sections of this size. Draw lines to create these sections. You now have a paper divided into squares or rectangles, the same number of sections as the photograph.
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Number the sections across the top from one through 15, or however many sections you have. Mark the strips on the horizontal plane from A through H, or as many as it takes to fill the sections. You will now have a numerical and alphabetical designation for every section on the photo and paper.
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Look at section A1 on the photograph. Pick out the most prominent lines and features in this section. Copy these lines and features onto the paper in section A1. Keep the placement of the lines as close as possible to those in the photo. Work only on one section, and don't pay any attention at this point to the entire photo.
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Work on section B1, or section A2 next, whichever you prefer. Every time you finish a section, move on to the next one. You will be making a series of small drawings, as opposed to making one large copy of the photo.
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Smooth out the connections between each section after all of the smaller sections have been drawn. Lines that continue from one section into another can be made to look more continuous, for instance.
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Add any color with pastels, paint or fabric after all of the basic photo outlines have been transferred to the drawing.
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