Composition Overlay Tool, 9 Guides, All Free

Every overlay, on your photo

• Rule of Thirds, Two horizontals + two verticals at one third / two thirds. Strong points at the four intersections.
• Golden Ratio (φ), Two horizontals + two verticals at 1/φ and 1-1/φ. The φ counterpart to the rule of thirds.
• Golden Spiral, Logarithmic spiral inscribed in nested golden rectangles. Lead the eye into the focal point.
• Dynamic √2, Diagonal-of-the-rectangle plus reciprocals from each corner (root-2 dynamic symmetry).
• Dynamic √3, Triple-root harmonic armature: two diagonals plus the four "occult" reciprocals.
• Loomis Horizon, Centre eye-line plus brow / nose / mouth construction guides for portraits.
• Centre Cross, Single vertical + horizontal through the canvas centre, for a focal-point check.
• Bilateral Symmetry, Centre vertical + mirrored half-frame edges. For symmetrical subjects (faces, vases).
• Radial Symmetry, Eight spokes from canvas centre, for mandalas, rosettes and kaleidoscope studies.

Pick by looking, not by guessing

The overlays render live on your image, switch between them with one click and see which structure your photo actually follows. The golden spiral is freely movable, so you anchor it on your focal point instead of hoping the photo fits the default corner. Which structure to try first, and what each one actually decides, is set out in the rule of thirds and when to break it and in the golden ratio in art and the claims that do not hold, worth reading before you build a picture on the spiral.

When you export, PNG, PDF or a multi-page poster, the overlay is drawn into the file at print resolution, so your printed reference carries the same guides you saw on screen. For a reference wider than one sheet that export is the poster print grid, and the guides are tiled with the picture.

What each guide decides, where it comes from, and which of the claims made for it hold up, is in Learn: start at the composition overview. The step-by-step version on a photo of your own is how to use composition overlays on a photo, and diagonals get a page of their own in leading lines and diagonals.

What to use it with

The overlay decides where the subject sits, and three other pages act on that decision. If the frame is wrong rather than the placement, crop first so that picture and sheet share a shape: how to crop a photo to your canvas ratio. Once the framing is settled, the free online grid maker puts the cells over the same file, grid and overlay being independent layers. And for work built cell by cell, where the framing has to hold at wall size, the thinking is on the grid art page.

Frequently asked questions

Are the overlays included in the exported file?

Yes. PNG, PDF and poster exports draw the active overlay into the image at print resolution, what you see is what you print.

Can I combine an overlay with a drawing grid?

Yes. The grid and the composition overlay are independent layers, many artists use the overlay to place the subject, then the grid to transfer it.

Which overlay should I start with?

The rule of thirds for general framing; the Loomis guides for portraits; dynamic symmetry when diagonals dominate the subject. Switching costs one click, so try them against your photo.