Portrait Drawing The Smart Way: Grid Drawing - Part 1

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Lesson Description

A look at setting up a grid and drawing the contours observed in the reference. Portrait drawing using a grid - Part 1.

Lesson Materials

"HB" graphite pencil, ruler, toned gray drawing paper, kneaded eraser.

Lesson Resources

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Reference Image

Course Curriculum

Lesson 1: Introduction and Materials (4:35)Lesson 2: The Skull - Frontal View (20:31)Lesson 3: The Skull - Profile View (13:40)Lesson 4: Basic Facial Proportions (14:31)Lesson 5: The Planes of the Face (30:08)Lesson 6: The Eye - Frontal View (31:45)Lesson 7: The Eye - Profile View (20:35)Lesson 8: The Nose - Frontal View (15:00)Lesson 9: The Nose - Profile View (13:12)Lesson 10: The Mouth and Teeth (19:56)Lesson 11: The Ear (15:12)Lesson 12: Hair (14:50)Lesson 13: Grid Drawing - Part 1 (10:39)Lesson 14: Grid Drawing - Part 2 (15:56)Lesson 15: Grid Drawing - Part 3 (14:34)Lesson 16: Triangular Grid - Part 1 (8:38)Lesson 17: Triangular Grid - Part 2 (15:36)Lesson 18: Triangular Grid - Part 3 (13:19)Lesson 19: Conclusion (3:42)

Lesson Discussion

  1. I am new to your site but I have been working recently on developing a grid system. I would like to know if you or anyone foresee any problems with my approach.

    What I am doing is first printing the grid on a transparency. I am placing this transparent grid under the selected support, e.g. Stonehenge and placing the support and the transparent grid on a light box. In this way, I do not have to draw onto or erase the grid off the support.

    Next I print another grid on Dura-Lar matte finished film. Then I print the reference photo on the same piece of Dura-Lar film with the grid already printed on it. In doing so, it makes both the reference photo and grid transparent. I then juxtapose the reference photo on the light box along side the support with its grid underneath and draw using the light box.

    I haven’t actually used this systematic approach yet b/c my light box is not large enough. I have ordered a larger light box but have not received it. Again I was wondering if you or anyone have experienced any problems with this proposed approach to using grids.

    Thanks,

    • Hi Forrest,

      What an inventive approach! I’m wondering if you are using a light board, why not just trace the contours lightly and throw out the grid completely?

  2. I’m a newbie, Matt, but what I’ve seen so far in your instructions is fantastic! I have been using the grid system for several months and found it very helpful. In Photoshop I can toggle any grid I want over an image I am trying to draw. It’s ridiculously easy and saves a lot of time. This is what I do after opening the grid in Photoshop:
    1.Edit > Preferences > Guides, Grids and Slices
    2.In the Gridline box I enter 1 for 1″, 2 for 2″ squares(or whatever size I want), Then go back to image
    3.View > Extras will toggle the grid over the image or remove it..

  3. Hi,

    wish I had seen this tutorial before I started the portrait!!

    I was using a 2H to do the contour lines and I, invariably, did damage the surface. Now I’m using the HB and the result is much better, clearer lines and no damage to the surface – Thanks!

  5. There are also several apps and freely available software to create grids on images. For example, Proportion Grid Maker, allows making grids on any image.

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