How to Use the Grid Method for Drawing (Step-by-Step Guide)

Quick answer: the grid method is a drawing technique where you overlay a grid of equal squares on a reference photo, draw the same grid on your paper or canvas, then copy what you see in each square — one square at a time. Because each small square is easy to get right, the whole drawing comes out with accurate proportions. It has been used by artists from Albrecht Dürer to modern portrait painters, and it is one of the fastest ways for beginners to get satisfying, accurate results.

Here is the complete process, step by step.

What you need

• A reference photo (printed or on screen)
• Your drawing paper or canvas
• A pencil and a ruler
• Optionally: a free online tool to grid your photo (more on this below)

Step 1: Put a grid on your reference photo

Decide how many squares you want. A good starting point is 8×8 — enough detail without overwhelming you. The grid must be made of perfect squares (not rectangles), and the grid must cover the whole photo evenly.

The easiest way to do this is with a free online tool: GridMaker lets you upload any photo, choose your rows and columns, adjust line color and thickness, and download the gridded image — no signup, and your photo never leaves your device.

Step 2: Draw the same grid on your paper

This is where most beginners go wrong, so read carefully: the number of squares must match, but the physical size does not. If your photo has an 8×8 grid and your canvas is 16×20 inches, you draw 8 columns and 8 rows on the canvas — each square just becomes 2 inches wide instead.

To get the numbers right for your exact canvas size, use a grid drawing calculator: enter your photo size, your canvas size, and how big you want each square on the canvas (1 inch or 2 cm is the classic choice), and it computes the exact grid divisions for you.

Draw the grid lightly with a pencil — you will erase it later. If you want to skip the ruler work entirely, you can print ready-made grid paper in any square size with our printable grid paper generator.

Step 3: Copy square by square

Now the drawing begins. Three habits make this step dramatically easier:

Label your squares

Write letters across the top (A, B, C…) and numbers down the side (1, 2, 3…) on both the photo and your paper. When you look up from your drawing, you will always know exactly where you were. GridMaker has a built-in cell labels option that does this on the photo automatically.

Start with big shapes, not details

In each square, sketch where lines cross the square borders first, then the main shapes inside. Details like eyelashes and highlights come much later.

Use negative space

When a shape is hard to see, look at the empty space around it instead. Your brain is less biased about empty shapes than it is about faces.

Step 4: Erase the grid and refine

Once the outlines are in, gently erase your grid lines (a kneaded eraser works well). Then shade, blend, and add detail — the accurate framework you built makes this final stage much more forgiving.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Rectangular grids — squares must be square, or proportions break.
• Different grid counts on photo vs. paper — the number of rows and columns must be identical.
• Different aspect ratios — if your photo and canvas have different proportions, squares will stretch. Check with the calculator first.
• Pressing too hard on the grid lines — they should be faint.

FAQ

Is the grid method cheating?

No — Dürer literally built machines for this. We cover the full argument (and what art teachers say) in this article.

What size grid should I use?

Start with 8×8 or 10×10; use 12×12 or finer for portraits. We break it down by subject in what size grid should you use.