I love the Grid Drawing technique! Okay, just had to get that out there. These printable worksheets are ideal for extension tasks, homework, cover or sub lessons and my students love doing them. I use them pretty much weekly!
Grid drawing is, I think, fundamental to improving confidence and skills in art. Used correctly, the grid method is fantastic for helping students to concentrate, analyse and problem-solve what is essentially a very challenging task.
I often hand out grid method worksheets for art sub / cover lessons or extension tasks if students finish early, so I have made a huge printable presentation full of different pictures and themes, all gridded up with simple instructions for students to follow.
Grid Drawing Worksheet: Sweets
The full Grid Drawing Presentation is available on TES here and on TPT here – enjoy!
Historically, the grid method was used mainly for changing the scale of artworks – enlarging and reducing images based on different ratios, so these grid drawing worksheets could easily be used to show students how to change the scale of images.
I’m really more interested in using the grid method to show students how to really LOOK at and image and analyse it carefully in order to capture as much detail in their drawing as possible. The grid gives students reference points for every part of the image and allows them to judge each element in relation to the boxes. One of the amazing things about using the grid method is that students can be super precise (measuring within each square using a ruler) if they choose to.
The grid method is also very useful for art cover or sub lessons – there are written instructions on each worksheet so your students can just get on with it! I have had some wonderful results:
I think that grid drawing is really an essential method to improve student’s accuracy and fine motor skills. Ask your students to complete the drawing upside down so they really have to look!
Grid Drawing Printable Worksheets
The grid drawing printable worksheets I have made are all together in a huge presentation – there are over 100 slides with 50+ different pictures for students to choose from, with themes including: Sweets, Cakes, Fruit & Vegetables, Flowers, Architecture, Tools, Cutlery, Facial Features like Eyes, Mouths and Ears. There are Hands, Fists along with Animals, Animal Textures, Reptiles, Fish, Lego and Toys.
For each picture I have created an ‘easy’ and a ‘hard’ version – the easier version has a very faint copy of the original image for the students to draw directly onto, rather than drawing onto a blank grid:
The full Grid Drawing Presentation is available on TES here and on TPT here – enjoy!
‘Easy’ Cupcake Grid Drawing Worksheet
I have also shared a list of artists inspired by food – enjoy!
Each slide from the presentation can be printed to give out as a grid drawing worksheet, ideal for an easy and simple art cover / sub lesson or extension task. The images are all high res so each slide can easily be printed to A4, then blown up on the copier (if needed).
Grid Method Worksheet – Flowers
Grid Drawing Worksheet – Cutlery
I have included a range of images to draw, some more complex and some more simple, to make it as easy as possible for students who are less confident. I have also included some images which have a full range of tones if you want to stretch students in their shading work.
I have also tried to include as many student interests as possible (sweets usually work 😂 ) with lots of images to engage boys. I usually use the worksheets at the end of a project or as homework alongside a project – for example Portraits – so students can improve their drawing skills at home.
The full Grid Drawing Presentation is available on TES here and on TPT here – enjoy!
Grid Method Worksheet – Animals
Grid Drawing Worksheet – Lego
In total there are over 100 slides on the Grid Drawing Presentation for students to choose from!
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The Art Teacher 