Discover the Potential of Line chapter 8
Construct a Grid.
This section provides the instructions for constructing your own grid. You can also purchase a
wooden picture frame or artist’s canvas stretchers for this purpose if you don’t have the tools to
build the frame.1 To make the grid pictured on the previous page, construct a
simple 28" x 20" wooden frame from a 1" x 2" piece of wood
cut to length. Be sure that the corners are perfectly square when
joining these pieces together.
2 Drill^1 ⁄ 8 " holes every 4" on all four sides of the frame. You’ll need
to be accurate in your measurements because otherwise, the
lines of the grid will be off.
3 Run string or heavy thread through all of the vertical holes to
form the horizontal lines, and then run a separate thread or
string through all of the horizontal holes to form the vertical
lines. It’s essential that the string be pulled taut to accurately
create 4" squares.
4 To use the grid, you can clamp it to the table in front of the still
life, making sure that the frame is vertical from both the front
and the side.
Note:Before you attempt to clamp the grid to the table, make sure that the tabletop
is level; this makes it much easier to place the grid level and vertical in front of your
still life.
TIP
Alternatively, you can draw the 4" grid of squares on a
transparent piece of acetate with a black marker and
then staple it to the wooden frame. This might be eas-
ier to construct, but the drawback is that the glare of
light on the acetate might be distracting while observ-
ing the still life through it.