Problems with the Grid Method - A Couple of Issues You Could Encounter When Drawing with the Grid Method

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Problems with the Grid Method - A Couple of Issues You Could Encounter When Drawing with the Grid Method
If you happen to be reading this, I could assume that you comprehend what the grid method is. You simply set up a grid over the top of your reference material after which you can place a grid over your paper. Then you transfer what you see in the boxes on your photo reference, to the corresponding boxes on your drawing paper.

The grid method is a powerful way to keep your illustration is in proportion and it certainly makes it easier to make sure you really are drawing all of your lines in the appropriate place. The grid method is not without its problems however. One of the problems with the grid method is that it is extremely time-consuming and also laborious. To make a grid on top of your photo reference and put a grid on top of your drawing paper every time you would like to do a drawing uses a considerable amount of time and is not a lot of fun.

If you are putting a grid on top of your drawing paper, you will also have to get rid of all of those grid lines to have a decent , finished drawing. Getting rid of the grid lines takes time but it can present a number of problems on top of that. One concern is that no matter how hard you try, you may not be able to fully get rid of the grid lines by simply erasing them. There may be a little bit of graphite and a bit of a line that remains.

Another situation is after you erase your grid lines, even if you are able to remove all of the graphite, from time to time the portion of the paper that you erased will no longer be able to hold graphite as effectively as the part of the paper you did not erase. This leaves behind what I call a ghost grid once you start shading your drawing. When you start shading your drawing, you will sometimes be able to find lines where you erased your grid lines. Because the part of the paper you erased won't hold graphite as well as the part of the paper you didn't erase, it makes it tough to get a nice consistent tone because the lines that you erased may be slightly lighter than the shading around those lines.

The great thing is that I have come up with several solutions to each of the various problems that the grid method might present. I don't have time to talk about all of those techniques right now but I have created a video where I demonstrate everything in depth. My approaches make it possible for you to get all of the benefits of using the grid method without all of the difficulties and frustration.