Grid & proportion
Two ways to get proportions right before you commit to tone and detail: the grid method, which transfers a reference square by square, and comparative measuring, which checks every length and angle against one unit taken from the subject itself.
The methods
The grid is a transfer technique for working from a flat reference. Measuring is an observational discipline that works from life or from a reference. Both replace guessing with comparison.
- Grid methodRule the same number of square cells over the reference and the paper, then copy one cell at a time. Because every cell scales by the same factor, the whole image enlarges without distortion.
- Diagonals and labelsDiagonals split each cell into triangles, giving extra reference lines where contours turn sharply. Lettered columns and numbered rows let you find your place again at once.
- Sight-sizeSet the drawing beside the subject and stand where both appear the same size. Measurements then transfer at 1 : 1, and you compare drawing and subject from the same spot.
- Comparative measuringChoose one unit from the subject, such as a head height, and express every other length as a multiple of it. Proportion is about ratios, so the unit matters more than any absolute size.
- Plumb and level linesA truly vertical (plumb) or horizontal (level) sight line shows what sits directly above, below or beside what: the pit of the neck over the standing ankle, or which shoulder is higher.
- AnglesLay the pencil along an edge at arm's length, keep its tilt and bring it to the paper. Judge it against vertical or horizontal, never against the edge of the drawing board.
Step by step
Follow the grid transfer or the measuring sequence. Each step draws itself. Press Next to go on, or Play all to watch the whole sequence.
Grid tool
Load a reference (it stays on this device; nothing is uploaded), choose the paper you will draw on, and set the grid. The image is cropped to the paper's proportions: drag it, or use the arrow keys, to choose the crop. Then print the gridded reference and a blank grid to rule from.
Reference image
Target paper
Image on the paper
Grid
Options
Line colour
Measuring tools
The same checks you make with a pencil at arm's length, on the reference loaded above. Pick a tool, then click on the image. Every measurement is listed; remove any you no longer need.
Tool
Measurements
None yet.
Keyboard: focus the image, move the cross-hair with the arrow keys (Shift for bigger steps), press Enter to place a point and Escape to cancel.
Enlargement calculator
Scaling multiplies every length by the same factor k; area grows by k². A point measured from the top-left corner of the original lands at k times those distances on the target. The diagram overlays both at the same corner: the shared diagonal is why a proportional enlargement never distorts.