Gridy: AR Drawing & Grid Maker

Gridy combines a drawing grid maker, value-study tools, and an AR camera overlay to help artists transfer a reference photo to paper or canvas with more confident proportions.

Prepare a reference with square, rectangular, diagonal, circular, or radial guides. Match it to your real drawing surface, study one section at a time, or open AR Drawing to view the prepared image over your paper through the camera.

DRAWING GRID WITH REAL MEASUREMENTS

Enter your paper or canvas size in centimeters or inches, or start with an A5, A4, or A3 preset. Gridy fits the crop to that proportion and can label grid lines with their measured positions.

For example, divide a 50 cm canvas into five columns and the ruler shows 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 cm. Mark the same points on your surface without calculating every grid cell yourself.

LOCAL SUB-GRID FOR FINE DETAILS

Keep a simple main grid across the reference, then add a denser movable sub-grid only where you need it. Study eyes, facial features, hands, or another complex area without covering the whole photo in extra lines.

SHADING GUIDE AND VALUE STUDIES

See the light-and-shadow structure before you draw:

• Convert the reference to grayscale

• Adjust contrast and simplify distracting detail

• Group values into 2-10 adaptive tone steps

• Use a movable numbered strip showing the tones actually present

HATCHING REFERENCE

Explore how tonal areas can translate into pencil or ink marks. Adjust hatch density and tone balance to prepare a clearer shading reference.

AR DRAWING CAMERA OVERLAY

Called Paper Tracking in the app, AR Drawing shows your edited reference as a camera lucida-style guide on paper:

• Position the device and draw five circular dots on paper

• Place search regions over five hand drawn marker dots

• Tap the paper to focus, or use manual focus on supported cameras

• Scan the markers to establish the base position

• Adjust reference opacity and size over the live camera view

• Scan again to recalibrate the overlay after the camera or surface moves

A stable phone holder and a well-lit drawing surface provide the clearest view. AR Drawing is downloaded when requested, so the main install stays focused on the grid editor.

FLEXIBLE TOOLS FOR ARTISTS

• Link rows and columns for square cells

• Set rows and columns independently for rectangular grids

• Add diagonals to judge angles, centers, and intersections

• Use concentric circles and radial lines for curves and symmetry

• Choose grid alignment, color, thickness, and opacity

• Crop, rotate, or mirror the reference non-destructively

• Pinch to zoom and pan for close observation

• Double-tap for a distraction-free fullscreen reference

• Save the prepared JPEG to your device while keeping the original unchanged

• Save projects to Sketchbook and resume later

• Share a photo from your gallery straight into Gridy

HOW TO USE GRIDY

1. Choose a reference photo from your gallery.

2. Enter a paper or canvas size, or select a preset.

3. Crop and orient the image to match your surface.

4. Choose the grid type, rows, columns, and line style.

5. Add rulers, a local sub-grid, tone steps, or hatching as needed.

6. Use the fullscreen reference, save it, or continue into AR Drawing.

MADE FOR DRAWING PRACTICE

Gridy supports beginners learning the grid method, art students studying proportion and value, portrait artists placing features, painters planning light and shadow, and muralists scaling references to larger surfaces.

Some advanced exports and AR access require an in-app purchase or a rewarded-ad option. The available choices are shown before saving or opening AR Drawing. Camera features depend on compatible device hardware.

Choose a photo, build a practical drawing reference, and spend less time measuring before the first mark.