Grid MethodArt Technique in AccuracyScale Up and Scale Down

Grid MethodA method for enlarging a small

design (a "bozzetto") to a full size cartoon for a large mosaic. It involves drawing a grid of squares over the small picture.

Also called Grid Technique or Squaring Up

A Brief HistoryIn Egypt, they made use of a Canon of Proportion (a precise measurement of a body) that allows little individuality. The forehead is measured on the 18th box and the belly button is at the 11th box.

A Brief HistoryThe Canon is a theoretical work that discusses ideal mathematical proportions for the parts of the human body and proposes for sculpture of the human figure a dynamic counterbalance—between the relaxed and tensed body parts and between the directions in which the parts move. ("Polykleitos")Polykleitos created his method around 450 BCE and called it “The Canon” coming from the Greek word kanon meaning measure, rule, or law.

Technique and Execution1 Pick your image. The image this article will be using as an example is this image from a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon.

Technique and Execution2 Choose your drawing paper. It should be scaled to the size of your original print.

For example, if you have an image that's 8.5" x 11" (21.4cm x 28cm), then scale the drawing paper size accordingly (i.e. 17" X 22" (43cm x 56cm) (two times), 4.25" x 5.5" (10.7cm x 14cm) (0.5x)). In this article, you will be making a 1:1 scale drawing (8.5" x 11"/21.4cm x 28cm) for the sake of side-by-side comparison.

In the picture on the right, you can see the two pieces of 8.5" x 11" paper. The top is your reference image, and the bottom is your drawing paper.

Technique and Execution3 Mark the edges of the reference picture at equal intervals. For this How-To, you will be using one-inch (2.5cm) intervals. In the end, you should have equally spaced marks along the edges of your paper.

If you were using one-inch markings, there will be a half-inch (1.27cm) marking at either the upper or lower half of the drawing, since the length (or height, if flipped in the example) is only 8.5"/21.4 centimeter (8.4 in).

Technique and Execution4 Connect the opposing marks with a ruler. These connected lines will form a grid pattern, hence the name "Grid method".

5 Make the same exact grid pattern on your drawing paper. In the end, you should have something similar to the image provided.

Technique and Execution6 Once this is complete, number each box for both your reference picture and drawing paper, starting with the top left corner. If done correctly, you should have 99 separate boxes. The product should look like a long calendar.7 Now it is time to begin drawing. Begin wherever you want. In this image, you'll see the original artist started in Hobbes's armpit (Box 23).

Technique and Execution8 So draw...

9 And draw...

10 Complete the drawing. It may as exact as you would like. For pictures that are the same size (1:1), you can use a light box. However, if you are making a poster, try making smaller boxes.For example, if you're taking this image and making it twice the original size (2:1), you could have 1" (2.5cm) boxes on the original image, and 2" (5cm) boxes on the big poster. You could also make 0.5" boxes on the original image, and then have 1" (2.5cm) boxes on your big poster. The important thing is to keep everything scaled.

Uses Scale-Up Scale-Down Select Image 1:1 Scale

Plates 13-15 Plate 13 Scale-Up (measure up to 6 x 9

in) HB, H, B Ruler, Eraser Plate 14 Scale-Down (3 x 4.5 in)

HB, H, B Ruler, Eraser Plate 15 1:1 Scale (measure picture and

copy as it is)HB, H, B Ruler, Eraser

Sources:http://www.wikihow.com/Scale-Drawings-Using-the-Grid-Method