The GRID METHOD's amazing benefits - and ADVANCED "NO-GRID" gridding

[@elizabethbrown8833]

No maatter go w masterful a drawing or pInting, whoever created th grid 2:10 truly was a wonderful artist.

[@viajedeldragonresplandeciente]

Thanks for the explanation Mike. 😊 I learned a new word in English: Grid. Even when I knew the method, I used to think that it was another way of copying, but thanks to your video I now appreciate the value of the grid method: "the grid trains your eye to see what is really there, rather than what you think you see". Greetings. Until next video. 😃 P.S. The graphics are amazing, as always.

[@drawwithmike]

Thanks! I think the grid has bad press. But it's a much more useful tool, and teacher, than most people give it credit for. And thanks for the graphics thanks too. I'm enjoying creating the videos as much as I did drawing. I love learning, and the videos fulfil my creative needs. And they're fun to make too :) I was especially pleased when the final demo faded seamlessly into the drawing. It was a very involved process that stood every chance of failing... so you can imagine how I whooped! when it all went to plan :)

[@viajedeldragonresplandeciente]

@@drawwithmike 😄 Congratulations on that final demo faded! 😍It was really worth it. 🤩

[@CJBradley]

I have struggled with proprtions for years, sometimes I get it right and other times I don't. I alway felt it was necessary to be able to draw from life and get it right, but watching this has made me think perhaps I'm being a bit too demanding of myself for no good reason, it also felt like I was cheating. Thank's.!

[@drawwithmike]

I understand the "cheating" thing... but then I realised all gridding, or projection does is speed up the process. Even if you draw by eye, you still have only a set of guidelines on your paper. Now the DRAWING begins. It''s what you do inside those guidelines that counts, not HOW you achieved them.

[@kathym6603]

What professional coverage and excellent teaching. Thank you for what you are doing.

[@drawwithmike]

Wow! Thanks, Kathy! It's comments like that that keep me going. Although, to be honest, I enjoy teaching, and will probably keep uploading all the stuff in my head even if nobody watched it. :)

[@Alonesoullllllllll]

I'm always waiting for the video ❤️

[@aengus1948]

I learned a ton. thanks for taking much of the mystery out of the grid technique. I especially liked your intro on what represents art and artistry. I hope you continue your excellent videos. thank you

[@drawwithmike]

You can be certain I will continue. I've got a HUGE list of subjects to work through. :) There are 3 more videos on this subject - but not available here. Sorry! Only at www.DrawWithMike.net.

[@mikedameron602]

I also enjoyed the point you made about the end product justifies the method to get there, my paraphrasing Sickert's quote.

[@drawwithmike]

I completely agree with Sickert. I've used everything from drawing by eye to tracing, and projection to gridding. But the end result is simply a set of guidelines. It is NOT a drawing. So, yes, the end does justify the means.

[@Dantick09]

You sir are devious, I am definitely using the grid over the source image from now

[@drawwithmike]

Glad to help. And it works... as do all the methods I mentioned. I've tried and used them all over the years.

[@lvbailey1]

Thank You❣️

[@lyaoninlyu7167]

I like multimedia in your videos.

[@TheMockatiel]

I’ve decided you’re my Art Dad! 🎉

[@davidshowers7508]

Love your work just discovered your channel it gave me a lot of insight as it should. My question is being I am tracing my drawings by making my own subject matter of illustration. And then using a artograph projector to blow it up on a bigger sheet of paper. Would I still need to use a grid because I feel like it would still look as identifiable and in position as if I didn't use a grid?

[@drawwithmike]

No, I can't see any logical reason to grid it, David. What you do is what I do: draw it out about 10" x 8" (Artograph copy board size) and then use my Artograph DB300 to enlarge it to trace onto my drawing paper. The only difference might be that I trace the setting and content separately. One drawing contains the setting, with placeholders for the subjects - dogs in my case. Then I have a separate drawing for each dog. That's because the Artograph can distort towards the outer edges. This way, I avoid that. This blog post of mine might help explain: sibleyfineart.com/_blog/2011/02/choosing-a-graphics-projector/ And these: sibleyfineart.com/tutorial--computer-art-composition.htm sibleyfineart.com/tutorial--computer-art-composition-2.htm They're old tutorials but still relevant. Although, I use Affinity Photo these days and not Photoshop.

[@EKS49]

Mike, how do you know the Egyptians used the grid method? I always thought you drew by eye.

[@drawwithmike]

Well, I have to accept the honesty of whoever dug up that sketch on stone in Egypt that had a grid of lines on it. I haven't actually been to Egypt to verify it. 😄 Or are you implying that I'm so old that it was me that drew that head sketch in Egypt, and gridded it rather than drawing by eye? 😉 As for drawing by eye… I can and have. But it takes so much longer than the methods used in this video, or any in the two companion videos. Ultimately, the result is the same set of guidelines, but one way is faster than the other.

[@EKS49]

@@drawwithmike lol, I thought you had noted some new research that I had missed on the Egyptians. I would never imply you are that old Mike, I have met you. I agree with faster methods. I am just about to finish a drawing on my last piece of melotex. Hung on to it for ages as it is nice to work on. Now to find some new paper. Best to Jenny, Amy et al.

[@newfoundland042961]

Plan to start painting pet portraits. Can I draw the animal free hand? Yes. Will I use your grid method to save time drawing the image so I can concentrate my efforts on accurately painting the image? Absolutely! As wise men once said. Pick your battles and no need to reinvent the wheel. Thank you, this method will enable me to make my painting profitable by saving time.

[@drawwithmike]

I'm really pleased I could help you. I drew 52 dog head-studies in the first 12 years. The first few were planned by eye. Most of the others by gridding. And the final few by projection. The same result from each, but faster. And if I can be any help during your venture, just ask... 🙂

[@newfoundland042961]

@drawwithmike Thank you so much! I've drawn for many years but have only recently started painting. I of course am learning so very much from online artists such as yourself and your method will be a great help. Thanks again. Gail

[@jamesmcdowell8441]

And if I may add , turning the picture upside down and drawing it will help with drawing what we see ,instead of what we think we know

[@drawwithmike]

True, James. I agree, and thanks for bringing that to our attention. However, in my opinion, you should only do that when absolutely necessary. Only during the guideline stage. And NEVER while you're working on the actual drawing. While I agree that "turning it upside down" does permit you to see what's really there, it's also NO LONGER THE SUBJECT YOU WERE DRAWING, and it becomes a drawing exercise. I want it to feel real while I recreate the living subject. So I NEVER turn my drawings upside down at any time.

[@CarlWinter-oy8uf]

Cant beat a detailed grid - over image -dead accurate --without it you will create a crooked lop-sided nightmare -----!

[@drawwithmike]

True! Although I do consider STAGE 2 - where you incorporate changes to turn the image into YOUR image - to be essential. Ultimately, if your guideline drawing is inaccurate, you simply waste time creating the subsequent drawing. That was particularly true in my case, because I drew dogs for people who know absolutely everything about their chosen breed.

[@jimmygarcia3068]

Wouldn't it be easier to Amazon carbon paper instead of wasting pencils

[@drawwithmike]

Possibly. Try it - it might be a solution that suits you. But bear in mind that I've been drawing professionally for over 40 years, and graphite "carbon paper" wasn't available until fairly recently. And it's essential you test the erasing quality of whichever carbon paper you choose. At least I can guarantee complete removal of my 100% graphite home-made sheet. As for wasting pencils, I always saved my short stubs of 6B and 4B that were no longer useful for drawing, and using those to make my carbon paper. So, the reverse of waste.

[@CarlWinter-oy8uf]

First you grid the image --then you dont? please make some sense?

[@CarlWinter-oy8uf]

Give me your email --I will send u pics of my oil paintings and why they need to be dead accurate with grid method ---50 yrs !

[@drawwithmike]

Use the Contact page on my website. You'll find it there: SibleyFineArt.com