Today, I’m revisiting an old subject—drawing a digital grid on a reference photo—but with a fresh project. I have made some changes in the process since publishing the first step-by-step in 2016, so a revisit seemed like a good idea. Especially given the changes in technology since 2016.
I used a professional photo editor for the demo I’m about to show you. Affinity Photo by Serif. Affinity Photo is a very versatile and in-depth photo editor. I use it for preparing illustrations for this blog, all of my newsletters, and CP Magic magazine. But it’s also very good for simpler projects like putting grids on digital reference photos.
In the past, Iused GIMP (a free photo editor) and various versions of Photoshop. There are also many online photo editors that are also capable of this sort of work.
So if you don’t already have a favorite photo editor, take a bit of time to explore the possibilities.
Now let’s get to the step-by-step!
Drawing a Digital Grid on a Reference Photo
I’m starting with a digital photo. These days, that’s probably where most of you will also begin.
But if you have a print image you want to work with, the first thing you need to do is scan it into your computer. You can do this with a printer/scanner if you have one. Many copy shops can also produce digital images from either print images or negatives. Negatives are best because they provide a clearer image.
Step 1
The first step is opening your digital reference photo and making sure it’s the right size and shape for the artwork you want to draw. That may mean cropping the image to the right proportions. It could also involve resizing the image. I prefer working with a reference photo that’s the same size and shape as my final artwork will be. You can read more about this process here.
TIP: Save your image at 300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution. This gives you lots of detail even if you enlarge your reference while drawing. It’s best NOT to increase the resolution on a low resolution image, but with some of the better photo editors, that can improve the image a little bit.
When the image is the way you want it, save it as a new file. Rename it in a way that makes sense to you. For example, my original reference photo is called Original Reference.jpg. The prepared image is saved as New Reference.jpg, or Scanned Reference.jpg or something similar.
Why should you do this?
It’s a safety precaution. If something goes wrong with the image you’re working on and you can’t undo it, then you can go back to that original image and start over. That’s why I like to save every step of the process with a new name, usually numbered so they are in chronological order in the folder.
Step 2
Next, add a new layer to the image. It should be a blank layer. You won’t be able to see it because it won’t change the look of the image at all.
But you want to draw the grid on this new layer. I’ll show you why in a moment.
Step 3
On the new layer, start by drawing vertical lines across the image. I general draw these lines one inch apart and measure them according to the rulers in Affinity Photo. You can use whatever measurement works best for the image you want to draw.
TIP: If there are no rulers showing in your photo editor, look for the VIEW menu and select them. You can also change the measurements (inches, picas, pixels, etc.).
I used black lines for my grid, but you can select a different color if black doesn’t show up very well. I have used white on dark images, or red or even blue.
Draw horizontal lines the same way.
I used the same measurement so my squares were all 1 inch by 1 inch. But you don’t have to do that.
For example, if you have an oddly shaped image, you could begin by dividing it in half vertically and horizontally. Then continue dividing each section until you have enough squares.
It’s worth noting here that you need to think about the size and number of squares you make. I like 1-inch squares because they’re small enough to be useful, but not so small that they’re confusing. I have worked with half-inch and even quarter-inch grids in the past, but quickly discovered that the sheer number of squares was confusing.
It may take some time to discover for yourself what size and number of squares works best for you. Grids can be extremely helpful. But it’s not helpful if you end up with so many squares in your grid that you lose your way!
That’s why I like the next step so much.
Step 4
Number the squares along to the top of your grid. Number the bottom row the same way.
Then number each square along the left and right sides.
Numbering the squares provides some guidance without having to count squares every time. On a small, simple drawing like this, numbering the outside edges is sufficient.
For larger pieces, I number a column and row at the center of the image.
A Few Notes on This Grid Drawing Method
As I mentioned before, I used Affinity Photo for this process, but you can use many basic photo editors to do pretty much the same thing. There are also many online apps capable of doing what I did here with Affinity.
The most important thing to remember is to draw the grid on a layer separate from the image layer. This allows you to print the gridded image if you wish, and to print a blank grid. I will use the blank grid on the image above to start the drawing process.
The second thing to remember is to save your photo frequently with a different name. That way, you have several backup versions to use if something goes wrong with the finished file. I named the files for this project with the same name, but with a number at the end to keep them separate. For example, Artwork Name 1 and Artwork Name 2 and so on.
The Bottom Line
I enjoy beginning my drawing projects by creating a line drawing using a grid. Drawing a digital grid with a photo editor makes setting up the grid painless!
Of course, you don’t need to make grids on the computer. It is still perfectly acceptable to draw them by hand on a printed image, and on blank paper. You need a steady hand and accurate measurements for this, however. That’s the main reason I’m so enjoy drawing a digital grid. I like making grids on the computer, and then printing the grid to draw on!
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Carrie, your readers might still be looking for a free and easier way to do this. Try downloading any number of free “drawing grid” apps to your phone or iPad or whatever device.
Once you save the photo, after digitally adding the grid on it, you can print from the device, email it to yourself to a device that prints, etc.
Personally, I go straight from my phone to paper.