How to Draw from Photographs

Using a Grid as a Guide

Portraits, whether of people or of pets, pose a special challenge. No one is going to notice if you draw a raccoon and its eyes are a bit closer together than the original’s, but if you change the shape of Sparky’s nose . . . The grid method is a useful technique for drawing exactly what you see, getting all the proportions and details precisely correct. With this approach, you simply draw a grid on your photo and the same size grid (or a proportionately larger or smaller one) on your drawing paper. The grid breaks up your subject into smaller, more manageable parts while providing a guide for placement and sizing. I’ll show you how it works using a friendly Labrador Retriever.

Photographing a Pet I like to take pet photos ...