Introduction: Gridding a Picture... Make Any Image Bigger, Smaller, or Copy It.

By Bellinghammakerspace
About: I have always like building... now I have the skills and equipment to do some really cool stuff.

Gridding an image has been around for hundreds of years. You can use gridding to make an image bigger, smaller or the same size (copy it). Gridding is a mathmatical process but don't let that scare you... it's easy.

I am going to give you the basics and with some practice you can do some amazing drawings.


Below is an image one of my middle school students did of me.  

Step 1: Getting Started

There are lots of ways to do this... but the basic idea is to draw what is in one square... in another square.

Here is what you will need:
Picture or printed image. (For this we will use an 8"x10" printed image)
Pencil
Eraser
Big piece of paper (for this it's 18"x24")
Ruler
Straight edge (long ruler or stick or yard stick)

Start by gridding you 8"x10" image.
1. Starting in the corner of the image and moving across the top, side, bottom and other side make a mark every 1".
2. Your marks on the top and bottom of the image should line up. Same with the sides 

Step 2: Drawing the Grid

Using your ruler draw a line connecting the top and bottom marks.. one at a time. They should be parallel.

Do the same thing from side to side.  

This will create a 1" grid over your image

Step 3: Letters and Numbers

Now you are going to add letters, across the top of your image.

And numbers down the side.

Note: that "1" & "A" are the same square! 

Step 4: Grid the Big Paper...

Now you are going to do the same thing you just did... only bigger.

On your big piece of paper, starting in the corner, make a mark every 2" across the top, down the side, across the bottom and up the last side.

Using the straight edge, stick or yard stick to connect the makrs from the top and bottom.

Connect the marks from the sides with the ruler.

All your lines should be parallel.

*(It's the same as the little paper.... your just doing 2" grid rather than 1" grid)

ABC's & 123's... Across the top of your big paper put a letter in each box...

Down the side put a number in each box. "1" & "A" are in the same box.

When you are done you will have a big paper with a 2" grid.

Step 5: One Square at a Time...

Now you are going to draw one square at a time.. that's the trick. Anyone can do this and it turns out really cool.

Start in square 1A.. whatever is in that square draw it in square 1A on the big paper...

Then move to square 1B... 1C... one square at a time.

The trick is to draw in the big square... whatever is in the same little square... one at a time.

I am currently working on this drawing and will post the images when I am done.

*(I have included some presentations that I have made that might help)

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