How To Draw A Portrait From A Photo Using A Grid

Sometimes you have the perfect image to draw or paint but information technology'southward likewise pocket-sized. An easy way to transfer the image to your cartoon paper or sheet and increase it'due south size to what you want, you can use a grid. In this tutorial, I'grand going to show you two like shooting fish in a barrel ways to blow up an image and get it ready for the final art making process.

What You Will Need

Paper or canvas
Ruler
Pencil
Pen
Eraser

1. How to Make a Grid Traditionally

Stride 1

Print out your photo at a reasonable size. It doesn't have to exist gigantic but y'all need to exist able to encounter the details so you lot can copy them. I prefer to impress it out in black and white and then that information technology's easier to see the edges. My portrait is 5" x 7".

Step 2

Effigy out an appropriate size of the grid spacing. For most images, I prefer 1/2" between each line but sometimes 1/4" or 3/4" works best. Here I'grand going to use one/two".

Step iii

Depict the filigree out on your printed photo. I prefer to utilise pen here so that it's easier to see on tiptop of the photograph.

Footstep four

Label the boxes on the sides of the grid. I prefer to go A, B, C, etc. on the left and correct sides and i, 2, 3 on the height and bottom. Labeling the boxes makes it much easier when you lot become into the middle of the grid and you first getting lost.

two. How to Make a Grid Digitally

Step ane

Place your photograph in Adobe Illustrator at a reasonable size. Information technology doesn't have to be gigantic but you need to be able to see the details so yous tin re-create them. I prefer to use a blackness and white photo so that information technology's easier to encounter the edges.

Footstep 2

Click and concord the Line Segment Tool. Choose the Grid Tool. Here you lot tin can meet the grid tool as the fourth image down on the left toolbar under the pen tool. Then describe a box over the image.

Pace iii

Holding down the mouse, use the arrow keys to create as many grid boxes as you want. I used the ruler guides to make one/ii" boxes.

Pace 4

At present you can either print out this image or leave it up on your figurer screen.

Step 5

If you print out the picture, label it according to the same manner in the steps higher up. If you get out it on your screen, use the text tool to label the filigree. I prefer to go A, B, C, etc. on the left and right sides and 1, 2, iii on the elevation and lesser. Labeling the boxes makes it much easier when you lot become into the centre of the grid and you kickoff getting lost.

3. Ready Your Drawing Newspaper (or Sheet)

Step one

Determine the last size of your drawing. Here you'll accept to exercise some quick calculations. Are you doubling the photograph? Quadrupling? One and a half?

Step ii

Measure and draw out the outer rectangle/foursquare of your concluding drawing. Here I'm making the final cartoon twice as large every bit my original v" x 7" photograph and then my outer box is x" x xiv".

Step iii

Utilise your ruler to determine the new size of the filigree. If you're doubling the size of the photo and your grid squares are 1/iv" by 1/4", then your new grid squares will exist ane/2" by ane/2". Since my original filigree was 1/ii" boxes, my final grid will be 1" boxes.

Stride 4

Draw out your terminal grid on your drawing newspaper.

Step 5

Characterization your new grid identical to the smaller filigree on the photo.

4. Brainstorm Cartoon

Step 1

Pick where to start. I like to offset at a recognizable point. Maybe it's the bottom of a chin or the part in someone's pilus. Here I'm starting at the bottom left of the chin.

Stride ii

Look at the box that contains your starting point and detect the corresponding box on the bigger paper. For me, that's box J4. Copy the outline line in that box. I drew in the curve of the chin in box J4.

Step 3

Follow the outline from box to box, using the grid labels to help you lot know where you are. I usually work left to right and slowly make my way around the head outset. A skilful tip is to look at where the outline starts and ends in each box. Is it touching the center of the outer grid box line or the corner? It becomes a bit more mathematical when you do it this way merely you won't get lost and you'll be closer to the bodily image.

five. Draw All the Large Shapes

Pace 1

Continue drawing until y'all have all of the big shapes penciled in. If your lines don't meet upwards in the end, go back to the labels on the boxes and double-check yourself box by box. Past large shapes I hateful the outlines of the people or mural or fauna that you lot're drawing.

vi. Begin Calculation the Details

Step 1

Now that yous accept all the big shapes drawn in, begin to pencil in the smaller details similar hair lines, eyes, ears, etc.

Step ii

Keep looking at the grid labels to cheque that y'all're making the details in the right boxes. Generally if you're going to get lost, you'll exercise it here.

vii. Check Box By Box

Step 1

Now that your drawing is finished, check over the cartoon box past box. This is the tiresome office but y'all want to catch any mistakes now and not in one case y'all start painting or inking.