Seward High School Art » 2013

February 25, 2013

Grid Enlargement Portraits

Seward Highs 2-D class is really filled with talent this semester. For their first big project they did a portrait of a person of their choice using the technique of grid enlargement. This is a common art technique, utilized as far back as the middle ages. We studied the art of Chuck Close, which has always been based on a grid, although the style changed from photorealism to looser, more abstract styles like his self portrait below after he became partially paralized.

Students first chose a photo, folded a grid on it, and then folded a grid of equal proportions on a much larger piece of paper. Then they drew the photo box by box, paying attention to the angles and placement of lines as they intersected the lines of the grid. Its a pretty mathematical process. They looked at values too, shading their drawing to show shadows and depth. After they finished the value drawing, students could lightly trace it onto a new paper, and do a final draft in any medium they chose. Both the grid drawing and final products turned out really cool, here they are: