A 2-session unit for middle school or intro high school. Students learn the grid method by drawing a portrait photograph one cell at a time — proving that accuracy comes from breaking a hard image into easy pieces — then meet Loomis head construction as a contrasting way to solve the same problem of proportion.
Grid the reference, rule the same grid on paper, and copy one cell at a time. Proportion takes care of itself.
Level
Beginner
Grade band
MS–intro HS
Sessions
2 × 45 min
Total time
90 minutes
Overlay
Square grid · Loomis head
Learning objectives
By the end of the unit, students will:
Use the grid method to transfer a two-dimensional image to a drawing surface
Distinguish observational copying from tracing
Recognize the Loomis Head as a construction method (introduction only — full study deferred to a later unit)
Articulate one strength and one weakness of grid-method drawing
Compare the grid method and Loomis construction as two routes to accurate proportion
Standards alignment
VA:Cr2.1.6aDemonstrate openness in trying new ideas, materials, methods, and approaches in making works of art and design.
VA:Cr3.1.6aReflect on whether personal artwork conveys the intended meaning and revise accordingly.
VA:Re7.2.6aAnalyze ways that visual components and cultural associations suggested by images influence ideas, emotions, and actions.
Materials
Internet-connected device per student (Chromebook, iPad, laptop — a phone works in a pinch)
Printer access for the grid-on-reference, plus pencil (HB or 2B) and eraser per student
Sketchbook or printer paper (8.5×11 in or A4) and a ruler for the paper grid
One portrait reference photograph per student — their own choice, or a curated set of 8–10 royalty-free portraits
Lesson sequence
1
The grid method
45 minutes
Warm-up · 5 min
Show a famous portrait you will later reveal used a grid — Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, or a Chuck Close portrait, the modern grid-method exemplar. Do not reveal the method yet. Ask "How do you think the artist nailed the proportions so accurately?" Collect theories before the trick is shown.
(3 min) They set the grid to 4×4 or 6×6 density — their choice; denser means more accurate but slower — and print the grid-on-reference at A4 with the toolbar's print button.
(5 min) On a blank sheet, students rule the same grid in light pencil, matching the count exactly.
(15 min) They draw cell by cell, translating only what they see in each individual cell rather than trying to draw "the whole face." Each cell is a small, solvable puzzle.
(3 min) Students lightly erase the grid lines from the drawing and compare it to the original.
One cell at a time. Mark where each edge enters and leaves the cell, then connect the dots — the likeness assembles itself.
Reflection · 10 min
How did this compare to your usual drawing experience? What was easier, and what was harder?
Did the grid help you see things you usually miss?
Was this "real drawing" or "cheating"? There is no single correct answer — explore why both views exist.
2
Loomis Head introduction
45 minutes
Warm-up · 5 min
Show Andrew Loomis's sphere-and-jaw diagram from Drawing the Head and Hands (1956). Reveal that this is a different approach to the same problem the grid solved — getting proportions right — but it builds the head from the inside out instead of copying from the outside in.
Main activity · 30 min
(2 min) Students load a head reference — the same one as session 1 is fine; a three-quarter view works best.
(5 min) They open the Loomis Head overlay and align it to the reference, moving, scaling, and rotating it to match the actual head's position.
(3 min) Class discussion: what does the construction reveal? The forehead is bigger than students usually draw, the eyes sit lower than they assume, and the jaw is shorter than they think.
(20 min) On a new sheet, students draw the head freehand — but using the Loomis construction as their initial sketch (sphere, side plane, jaw landmark) before adding features.
The Loomis head: a sphere for the cranium, a flat side plane, and a jaw built down to the chin. The brow, nose base, and chin fall at predictable levels.
Reflection · 10 min
Compare the grid method to the Loomis construction. Which felt more like "drawing"?
Which method would you reach for in a quick sketch, and which for a careful portrait?
What surprised you about the Loomis construction's proportions?
Grid density is a dial: a 3×3 grid is fast and forgiving, a 12×12 grid captures fine detail but asks for patience.
Differentiation: Advanced students try a 12×12 grid in session 1; students who need support use a 3×3 grid.
Cross-disciplinary (history): Research the grid method in art history — Albrecht Dürer's gridded perspective frames, the Renaissance "veil" device, and Chuck Close's grid paintings.
Homework: Students try both methods on a second portrait at home and bring the results to compare next session.
