This is my favorite project from my Art 108 class. We had to make a photocopy of a photo of a person (approx. 5X7 inches) and cover it with a 1/4-inch grid. Then we created a 1/2-inch grid with the same number of rows and columns. Both grids were identically marked with letters one direction and numbers the other direction.

Looking at the details in each individual square of the photocopy, we would duplicate those details in the same individual square of the larger grid. Once we had enlarged our image, we turned the paper over, and, using a window or light table, traced over our lines using a very soft (4B) lead pencil. This allowed us to trace lightly over our original lines and transfer the image to out 11X14 sheet of bristol board. From there, we used our photograph as our reference and drew our subject in graphite.

I used three different pencils on this drawing: 4H (hard), HB (medium), & 4B (soft). This allowed me to get a full range of values from pure white to pure black. This particular project took a total of 15 hours to complete.

This drawing is from a photo of my grandaughter I took about three months ago. She found a stick (a favorite plaything of hers) and was lost in her own imagination. She was totally oblivious to Grandpa and his camera. "Little Bit" is one of our nicknames for her.