How to Transfer a Drawing From a Photo to Canvas With a Grid
Some artists use a grid method to transfer photographs to drawings or onto a canvas for painting. Gridding is an ideal method for accurately reproducing an image because it allows you to work in smaller segments, which are often easier to digest visually than an overall image. Using a grid to transfer a photo to a drawing, whether onto standard sketch paper or a large canvas, is simple enough that even a beginner can master the technique and use it to reproduce almost any photograph accurately.
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Things You'll Need
- Photograph
- Tape
- Ruler
- Black marker
- Transparency sheet
- Canvas
- Pencil
- Eraser
Instructions
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Tape the photograph you want to reproduce to a solid, steady surface. Place a transparent sheet over the photograph and tape it down. Lighter photographs work best because it's easier to see the details, but any photograph you want to reproduce will work.
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Draw vertical and horizontal lines over the photograph using a ruler and a thin black marker. You want the final grid squares to be about the same size. One-inch squares typically work well, but size doesn't matter. Regardless of the size of the squares, you will have a smaller area to reproduce at once. You're essentially just using the grid to break a larger piece of work into manageable chunks. Try to ensure that each square is large enough to accommodate a distinguishable portion of the image you're transferring.
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Transfer your photograph to your canvas, whatever it is, one square at a time. Be sure you have the same number of squares on your canvas as on your photo. For a beginner, it may be best to make your canvas drawing the same size as your photographic grid. As you become more experienced, you will get better at judging scale size and adjusting your transferred image accordingly. Use a B pencil for the transfer, and don't press too hard. Keep the lines light so you will be able to paint over them.
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Tips & Warnings
Try covering up all but a couple of squares of your photo grid drawing when you transfer. Seeing only a couple of squares at a time can be easier to transfer than taking in the whole of the work.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
