Designing with Grids

Graphic designers often use grids to help with placement of elements in their layouts. As painters, we can use the same idea for our compositions. We can place elements and/or the center of focus on (or near) where these lines intersect. This simple technique can help when deciding where to place elements and often create a better composition than simply "guessing" where to put them.

3rds Division Grid
One of the most common page divisions (or grids) is dividing the picture plane into thirds. Many artists find this the easiest grid to use for placement of focal area and main lines/elements.

3rds Division
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5ths Division Grid
Another grid is the 5ths Division grid, dividing the picture into fifths both horizontally and vertically.

5ths Division
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3:5 Division Grid
By putting the two above grids together, you can create a 3:5 Division.

3:5 Division
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Squared-Third Division Grid
Then there is the simple grid that I call the Squared-Third. It is a variation on the Golden Rectangle. The picture is divided in thirds one way and the other by a square starting at any corner.

Squared-3rd Division
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Right Angle Division
Irving Shapiro taught me this simple method for placement of a focal area while I attending the American Academy of Art. It's created by diagonally dividing the picture in half, and then drawing a line from an opposite corner to meet the diagonal line at a right angle.

Right Angle
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There are endless possibilities of grids. In fact, the next post will be about creating an informal free-form grid I learned from Andrew Loomis' book Creative Illustration. Try some of these out and let me know what you think.

Images in order:
Alberto Pasini, A Market Scene
Richard Schmid, Spring Thaw
Kenn Backhaus, Beach Cliffs
Mark vanderVinne, Left Standing
Scott Christensen, Evening Popo Agie