Grid drawing tool
Copy any picture square by square.
Drop files here
or click to choose from your deviceAccepted: JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, AVIF, GIF, BMP, HEIC, HEIF
Up to 3 files per runUp to 20 MB per file10 runs per dayRemove limits with Pro✓ Works offline
Your files stay on your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and you can even turn off your internet connection before you start.
How it works
- Add the photo you want to draw from.
- Set how many squares go across; the rows follow, square.
- Rule the same number of squares on your paper, bigger or smaller as you like.
- Draw what is in each square, one square at a time.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the grid method work?
- The picture and the paper get the same grid. You copy one square at a time, looking only at the shapes inside it and where lines cross its edges, so proportions come out right without measuring. Artists have enlarged pictures this way for centuries.
- How many squares should I use?
- Fewer squares for a simple subject and more for a portrait: six to eight across is a good start, twelve or more when there is fine detail. Diagonals help inside a square with a lot going on.
- How big should the squares on my paper be?
- Any size, as long as they are all square and there are as many of them. Squares twice as big give a drawing twice as big.
- Why greyscale?
- Without colour, it is much easier to see how light or dark each area is, which is what makes a drawing look solid.
- Is my photo uploaded?
- No. The grid is drawn in your browser and the photo never leaves your device.
Related tools
✎ Photo to line drawing Flat areas go white and only the lines stay — as pencil or as clean ink. ◧ Posterize an image Flat bands of colour, like a screen print. ▦ Split image into a grid One picture in, a grid of equal tiles out, ready to post or print. ◲ PDF tools Poster printing One page, several sheets, taped into a poster.