* Painting with a Grid *

One of my favorite ways to make a small picture into a large one is by using a grid. I've done several paintings this way. Last year I painted Stevie Wonder for my boyfriend's birthday.

This year I did another one of Bill Withers for him.

I started with a picture found on google.

I photoshopped out the mic stand to simplify it.

I traced the image and drew a 1/2 inch grid over it.

I multiplied the grid by 5 and penciled it on the larger paper. I drew over the grid, following the smaller grid as a guide. This way you can look at the shapes in each square instead of being stuck on what it's supposed to look like. When it was done, I inked in the lines, added some color, and erased the grid.

You can use this system on just about anything. It just takes a little patience and some math.

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