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Grid Drawing - Copying Pictures Using a Grid Squares

By Helen South, About.com

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Drawing Your Grids

a gridded picture ready to draw

a gridded picture ready to draw

Measure up your grid, drawing the lines with a fine black pen. Dark grayscale photographs may need a white gel pen to show up. You can also use a computer to add a grid to your picture, as in this example - using the 'grids and rulers' in your graphics program as a guide, and drawing horizontal and vertical lines in a contrasting color.

Copy the grid onto your drawing paper, using a sharp, B pencil (medium hardness) and a light touch, so that you can erase it easily. Beginners should draw it the same size as the grid on the original picture. Once you're comfortable with the process, you can use larger grids to scale up drawings.

The best way to learn this process is to try it - why not print this picture out and have a go?

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