{"id":1522800,"date":"2024-01-30T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T00:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=1522800"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:02:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:02:38","slug":"using-the-grid-method-for-painting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/30\/using-the-grid-method-for-painting\/","title":{"rendered":"Using the Grid Method for Painting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Painting People and Places: Capturing Everyday Life in Oils<\/em> is a new book by Adebanji Alade that details his unique painting and drawing methods, and builds on his argument for the importance of strong sketching foundations. The book teaches readers to paint vibrant urban spaces and crowds, intimate portraits of individuals, green spaces, seascapes, and interiors. The following is an excerpt from the book on using the grid method for painting. <\/p>\n

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Painting People and Places: Capturing Everyday Life in Oils<\/a><\/em> by Adebanji Alade
Search Press<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/center><\/p>\n

Using the Grid Method for Painting<\/h2>\n

Getting an Image onto the Surface<\/h2>\n

I bring my love of sketching into every aspect of my painting \u2013 in fact, I don\u2019t make any distinction between the two. The work flows naturally from pencil and pen to paint, and each stage is important. With my reference close to hand, I will usually use coloured pencils to get the shapes in place and in proportion, and then switch over to using brush markers.<\/p>\n

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I don\u2019t want to have to consider tone or line once I\u2019m painting: that\u2019s when I want to concentrate on colour. The underlying tonal drawing therefore needs to be just right \u2013 essentially, it\u2019s a textureless painting. If you get this stage right, the painting is enjoyable and the process will flow smoothly.<\/p>\n

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Adding a Grid<\/h2>\n

With a printed photograph, you can draw a grid freehand with a ruler and pencil. If you\u2019re working from a screen, there are lots of free apps or websites that will let you add a grid, such as:<\/p>\n

Add Grid To Image<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n