Grid Tool for Digital Artists Perfect Proportions in Any Digital Medium

Export your grid as a transparent PNG. In most digital art software, use File → Import or simply drag the PNG file onto your canvas. It will appear as a new layer. Reduce opacity to see your painting underneath, and hide or delete the layer when you're done.

Export at the same dimensions as your canvas. If your canvas is 3000×4000 pixels, enter those dimensions in the tool. The grid will align perfectly when imported. For smaller reference overlays, you can export at a lower resolution and scale up—but matching dimensions gives the cleanest results.

Yes. The grid method works for any subject—character design, environments, creatures, vehicles. It's especially useful when scaling up rough sketches to final resolution, or when you need accurate proportions from reference photos.

For most digital work, an 8×8 or 10×10 grid provides enough reference without cluttering the image. Use finer grids (12×12 or more) for highly detailed work like portraits or intricate patterns. Coarser grids (4×4 or 6×6) work well for loose, painterly styles where exact proportions matter less.