Grid Drawing
Using The Grid Drawing Method to Create Super Realistic Drawings
(above) The hyper-realistic pop art oil paintings of Doug Bloodworth
Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another medium.
We are going to look at techniques artists use to create photo realistic drawings.
Grid drawing is a technique that will help improve your accuracy without compromising the development of your freehand drawing in the long-term. It basically involves placing a grid over your reference photo and canvas, then using that grid to assist with the placement of your drawing. It is a tool used by artists to help them isolate shapes of subjects, thus making it easier to define and draw accurately. Artists use the grid system to transfer scale drawings that look natural and without distortion. This technique is a great way to create photorealistic drawings. Michelangelo gridded the Sistine Chapel, in fact he got his students to do it for him!
5 Benefits of Using Grid Drawing
Grid drawing can be a helpful tool for learning drawing for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the benefits:
Grids can help you learn to draw accurately: By dividing the subject matter into smaller, more manageable sections, you can focus on drawing each part of the image accurately without becoming overwhelmed by the overall complexity of the subject.
Grids can help you develop your observation skills: In order to draw each section of the grid accurately, you must pay close attention to the details of the subject matter and observe its features carefully.
Grids can help you develop spatial awareness: By drawing each section of the grid to scale, you can learn to think about the relationships between objects in the image and how they fit together in space.
Grids can be used to draw a wide range of subjects: From still lifes to landscapes to portraits, grids can be used to draw almost any subject, making them a versatile and flexible tool for drawing.
Lesson 1--Grid Drawing Practice
Today you will try your hand at grid drawing. There are three separate grid activity sheets below.
Step 1:
Watch the videos.
Step 2:
Complete the following:
--Practice #1 is a 1 to 1 ratio drawing. That means you will exactly redraw the image on the grid the exact same size as the original contour line image.
--Practice #2 is a 1 to 2 ratio grid drawing. This means you will enlarge the original contour line drawing onto a grid twice the size of the original image.
--Practice #3 is using a photo to enlarge with shading added.
Lesson 2--Pop Art Cereal Box Drawings
What you will need:
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Drawing paper
- Markers
- Image of a Cereal box (print one from the file in the button below)
Instructions:
1. Read the article on Burton Morris. Discuss the article. (15 minutes)
2. Look at examples of Burton Morris’ art. If they have access to a computer you can research for a few minutes on your own.
3. Introduce project to students. Demonstrate to them how to use the “Cropper Tool” to grid their drawing, then give them time to do so.
4. Once both the color cereal box print-out and the 9x12 white paper are gridded, students will use a pencil to sketch the original design onto the white paper.
5. Once the design is sketched onto the white paper in pencil, students will begin coloring in their design with marker*. Erase the pencil marks as you color.
BurtonMorrisReadingArticle.pdf