I always asked new students what they hoped to learn in my class, and the typical response was, “I want to learn to draw better.” Learning to use the grid method to transfer information from a reference image to their drawing paper or canvas often helped students to achieve that goal, while boosting their artistic confidence. This is how I introduced this technique:
Students practiced matching values in pencil/graphite, and copying random shapes. They were asked to blend their values, and I encouraged them to turn their paper to look at the shapes from all directions in order to recreate them as accurately as possible. This is one of the sheets I used to help teach these techniques:
Once they had practiced these skills, I gave them 1/2-inch squares that seemed to have similarly random, non-objective shapes and values printed on them. I then gave them 2-inch squares of white drawing paper, and I asked them to enlarge and copy the shape, and shade and blend all the values. The students used the same size and brand of mechanical pencil to help keep their values consistent.
The squares were coded on the back, and when students complete all of the 2″ squares, they glued them onto the correct square of a large gridded sheet of paper that had letters on the top and numbers on the side.
The kids didn’t know what they were drawing
until all of the squares were put together!
Students in my classes also worked from “life” and from imagination (of course), but this technique quickly improved their ability to capture details and draw realistically.