Using the Durer Grid

Here is an example for the first submission category for the Fall Festival of the Arts. I took the target image and drew a grid on top of it. I chose my line spacing to be 1/2 inch but you can choose whatever is appropriate for your picture. Something with lots of detail will need smaller line spacing than something with less detail.

Next I drew a grid on my drawing paper with larger line spacing. I chose 1 inch spacing for this. Again, you should chose spacing that is appropriate for your paper. You do not have to size your picture up. You can keep it the same size or make it smaller but don't forget the size limitations, 10 inch by 10 inch is as large as you can go.

One important thing to remember is that you MUST have the same number of squares across and down on both the target image and the drawing paper. I numbered the columns and rows but this is not necessary, albeit helpful.

The next step is simply to reproduce one square at a time. I start with the outline. Us the lines of the grid a reference points to reproduce your copy proportionally.

You can practice by playing around with simple shapes and simple line drawings until you get the feel for the technique.

For a fun twist on the theme you can skew the grid on your drawing paper to creat a morphed effect. A sample of that is coming up next...