How to Make a Picture Using a Coordinating Grid
The method used to transfer a picture with a grid to another piece of paper or painting is known as the grid method. The grid method uses two grids. One grid is drawn over the picture with a second grid of equal ratio drawn on another work surface such as paper, canvas or wood. The work surface may be smaller, larger or the same size as the picture as long as the same number of gridded boxes are on both. The picture is transferred by drawing one square at a time until the image is complete.
Things You'll Need
- 4 by 5-inch copy of original picture
- Ruler
- Pencil
- 8 by 10-inch paper
- Gum eraser
Instructions
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1
Draw a 1/2-inch grid over the surface of a 4 by 5-inch copy of the original picture. Place the ruler along the left edge of the picture. Place a small mark, also known as a hatch mark, at 1/2-inch intervals. Repeat the process along the top, right side and bottom. Line up the long edge of the ruler with hatch marks directly across from one another on the left and right side of the paper. Connect the hatch marks by pulling the pencil along the long edge of the ruler. Repeat the process with all hatch marks until the picture is covered with an even 1/2-inch grid.
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2
Draw a 1-inch grid over the surface of an 8 by 10-inch piece of paper using the same process used to grid the picture. Lightly draw the lines so they are easy to erase when the drawing is complete.
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3
Place a small number in the top left hand corner of the grid boxes on the picture. The top left hand box on the gridded picture is numbered one. The second box along the top is two and so forth. Repeat the process going down the left hand side of the picture. The top left hand corner box is still one. The box directly underneath is two and so forth. Repeat the process with the 8 by 10-inch grid.
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4
Transfer the picture by drawing the objects and lines in each corresponding square. Concentrate on one box at a time. Begin with row 1, column 1. This is the box in the upper left hand corner. Move to row 1, column 2. Repeat the process until each box is transferred to the work surface.
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5
Erase the grid lines. Finish the drawing by adding the shade or coloring to the drawing.
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Tips & Warnings
Grid on a copy of the original photograph. This prevents the original photo from being ruined.
References
- Photo Credit steel ruler image by dwags from Fotolia.com
