For educators · Free · Privacy-safe
Lesson plans, ready for Monday.
Fifty self-contained units for art teachers, photography instructors, and design educators. Each one carries learning objectives, a student handout, a paced session breakdown, and an assessment rubric — built around the free Grid Maker Pro tool.
No student accounts. No uploads. Nothing leaves the device. Use a plan as-is or adapt it to your curriculum.
- Plans
- 50
- Levels
- 3
- Cost
- Free
- Accounts
- None
Beginner
- 2 sessionsIntro to grid-method portrait drawingDraw a photo reference cell-by-cell, then meet the Loomis Head in session two.
- 2 sessionsThe grid method for still lifeTransfer a still-life photograph cell by cell, then take first steps toward sight-measurement.
- 1 sessionRule of thirds for beginning photographersTake ten photos, then re-frame them on the rule-of-thirds overlay.
- 1 session · repeatableGesture drawing warm-upsA timed line-of-action warm-up to open any figure class.
- 1 sessionSymmetry and centered compositionExplore bilateral and radial symmetry with the center-cross overlay.
- 1 sessionFill the frame and find the focal pointMove in close and set the focal point on a thirds line.
- 2 sessionsObservational still life with a grid viewfinderBuild a gridded viewfinder and draw a real still life from life, cell by cell.
- 2 sessionsBuilding a value scale and shading formMake a five-step value scale, then shade a sphere and cube into solid form.
- 2 sessionsThe color wheel and complementary colorsMix a twelve-color wheel from three primaries and use complements to make a focal point pop.
- 2 sessionsThe golden ratio in nature and artFind Fibonacci spirals in plants and test golden-ratio claims in artworks.
- 2 sessionsMandalas and radial symmetryBuild a radial grid and repeat one motif around the center into a mandala.
Intermediate
- 3 sessionsLoomis head constructionBuild the head as a rotatable 3D form using the ball-and-plane method.
- 2 sessionsThe eight-head figure canonLearn the proportional canon, then test it against real reference.
- 2 sessionsValue studies and the five-value grisailleLearn to see and render value, then complete a gridded grisaille study.
- 3 sessionsIntro to 1-point and 2-point perspectiveGuided construction, then matching perspective to a photograph in the tool.
- 2 sessionsGolden ratio and the phi grid in compositionRead compositions through the phi grid, then compose on a phi intersection.
- 1 sessionLeading lines and the diagonal methodAim real lines at a focal point using the diagonal-method overlay.
- 1 sessionSeeing and using negative spaceTreat the empty area as a shape and balance it against a small subject.
- 2 sessionsOne-point perspective: drawing a roomFind the single vanishing point, then construct a furnished interior in depth.
- 2 sessionsIsometric drawing basicsDraw cubes on the 30-degree grid with no vanishing point, then build an object.
- 2 sessionsEllipses and cylinders in perspectiveControl the minor axis and ellipse degree to draw a still life of round forms.
- 2 sessionsAtmospheric perspective in landscapeBuild depth without lines using value and contrast over a rule-of-thirds composition.
- 2 sessionsFront-view facial proportionsLearn the proportion canon and build a balanced front-view face on the portrait overlay.
- 2 sessionsProfile facial proportionsLearn the square of the head and ear placement to draw a believable profile.
- 2 sessionsGrid-assisted self-portraitTransfer a selfie with the square grid, then verify it against the face canon.
- 2 sessionsScaling a sketch to a wall: the mural grid methodGrid a small design, find the scale factor, and enlarge it to mural size.
- 2 sessionsCross-contour lines and three-dimensional formWrap a grid around solid forms so flat shapes read as volume.
- 2 sessionsFraming with foreground elementsUse natural frames and layered depth to make a photograph feel deep instead of flat.
- 2 sessionsHorizon placement in landscape photographyPlace the horizon high or low with the rule of thirds and rabatment.
- 2 sessionsComic page panel layoutLay out a one-page comic with panels and gutters to control pacing and reading flow.
- 2 sessionsConstructing the Flower of LifeBuild the Flower of Life with a compass from the seed of life outward.
- 2 sessionsTessellations and repeating patternsLearn which shapes tile and build an interlocking repeat with the slide-and-tile method.
- 2 sessionsCharting an image to a grid for cross-stitchChart an image onto a square grid and write a color legend.
Advanced
- 1 sessionGolden triangle compositionPlace a subject on the golden-triangle armature to build diagonal energy and tension.
- 1 sessionCropping for impactRe-crop one image three ways and defend the strongest choice.
- 2 sessionsTwo-point perspective: drawing buildingsDraw a building at its corner with two vanishing points on one horizon.
- 2 sessionsThree-point perspective: dramatic anglesAdd a third vanishing point for towering worm's-eye and bird's-eye views.
- 2 sessionsConstructing hands and feetBuild hands and feet from boxes, wedges, and arcs, sized against the figure.
- 2 sessionsFrom gesture to structure in the figureMove from the line of action to a constructed figure checked against the eight-head canon.
- 2 sessionsMaster copy: studying a drawing through the gridMake an accurate gridded copy of a master drawing to reverse-engineer its decisions.
- 2 sessionsMonochrome painting studyPaint in a single hue plus white to master value relationships before color enters.
- 2 sessionsLimited-palette landscape paintingPaint a landscape from three colors, placing the horizon on a thirds line.
- 2 sessionsGolden hour and the direction of lightStudy golden-hour light and the direction of light, then shoot and frame with the thirds grid.
- 2 sessionsDepth of field and visual storytellingControl depth of field to isolate a subject and tell a two-image story.
- 2 sessionsPhotographic portrait compositionCompose portraits with eye line, headroom, and lead room, cropping without cutting at joints.
- 2 sessionsLayout grids for a posterUse a column grid with margins and gutters to design a clear, aligned event poster.
- 2 sessionsConstructing a logo on a gridBuild a logo mark from circles and guides, then apply optical corrections.
- 2 sessionsBaseline grids and vertical rhythmSet type to a baseline grid and an 8-point spacing system.
- 2 sessionsStoryboard frame compositionStoryboard a scene using shot sizes, the rule of thirds, and camera moves.
- 2 sessionsConstructing an Islamic eight-point starConstruct an eight-point star with compass and grid, then tessellate it into a pattern.
By discipline
Drawing & figure
Painting & value
Photography
Perspective & space
Design & layout
Composition & geometry
How to use these
One unit, ready to run
Each plan is self-contained. Use it as-is or adapt it. Skill level and grade-band suggestions are guidance, not gospel — adjust to your students.
The shared template
Every plan follows the same arc: learning objectives → materials → a 5-minute warm-up → a 30-minute main activity → a 10-minute reflection → an assessment rubric. Open any plan to see the format in detail.
Bulk & custom curriculum
For 5–10 plans tailored to your curriculum — an atelier portrait progression, an intro photo course, design fundamentals — email partners@gridmakerpro.com. Free for educational institutions.
Submit your own
Adapted Grid Maker Pro for your classroom? Share the plan and we publish accepted submissions with attribution. Email lessons@gridmakerpro.com.
Need atelier-level depth for a multi-week unit? The pillar guides at Learn — for example dynamic symmetry and the perspective systems — stage cleanly into a unit.
Standards & privacy
Standards alignment
Where applicable, each plan notes alignment with:
- National Core Arts Standards (US) — most often VA:Cr2.1, VA:Re7.2, VA:Re8.1
- AP Art & Design — Sustained Investigation, Selected Works
- UK National Curriculum Art & Design — KS3, KS4
Plans are art-focused and don't typically map to ELA or math standards; cross-disciplinary links (e.g. golden ratio + Fibonacci) are flagged where relevant.
Privacy for school use
Grid Maker Pro is FERPA / GDPR / COPPA-safe by design — no accounts, no upload, no student data collected. See trust & security for the technical detail your IT department will want.
Free forever
Open the tool, pick a plan, teach.
No signup, no installs, nothing to upload. The whole library is yours.