Trying Out The Grid Method

In this post, I've decided to try out the grid method.

​Okay to do the grid method, first you draw a grid over your reference photo. I’m using a ruler so I can make sure all the lines are straight and evenly spaced. I’ve chosen to make each square a half inch squared.

​Then you draw an identical grid over the paper you’re going to be drawing on. Now I’m making my grid lines really dark on purpose because I want you to be able to see them, but if you were doing this in real life, you’ll want to make those lines super light, because no one wants to see a bunch of grid lines on your paper.

​After I had both of my grids drawn, I went to the grid on my reference photo and along the outside edge, Io put A, B, C, etc, and I did  the same thing on the grid on my drawing paper.

​​Now the idea with the grid method is that I look and see what squares my subject’s features fall into on my reference photo and try to put them in the same places on my drawing. That’s where these letter marked squares come in, so for example, the left eye was two squares across from square C.

Well, this is as far as I got with my grid method drawing. I really wanted to finish the face, but I got too tired and frustrated at this point. I could already tell it wasn't working out.

As I drew, I found myself having to mentally add squares because the grids on both pieces of paper weren't the same and that's not how the grid method is supposed to work.

​The grid method has never personally appealed to me. I always thought of it as stiff and time consuming, but you know what they say, don’t knock it ‘till you try it, so I did. I think you can guess how much of a role it's going to play in my drawing. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't make the squares line the grid identical on my drawing paper to the way I made it on my reference photo and these squares are clearly not the same size and that's having used a ruler.

I'm sure someone's going to say, "You just need more practice". Maybe, but I just don't feel like being bothered. 

While I don't like using the grid method, I do like using guidelines, such as drawing a line from one eye to show me where to draw the other eye and drawing horizontal lines to help me keep the eyes and mouth straight.

I'm not going to tell you not to use the grid method. You might have much better luck with it than I have. After all, it's very popular. A lot of artists use it and love it.

So I thought the grid method wasn't for me and now I know.