What are grid drawing puzzles, benefits and how to solve them
Grid drawing puzzles are great drawing exercises for anyone who would like to bring variety to own drawing practise or for people who believe they can’t draw either at all or not very well.
Essentially, puzzles are based on two grids. One is empty, usually with some numbers in each grid section and second one has some lines in squares. Some squares can be empty. Second grid tends to look weird and very chaotic and that is OK.
So, what you need to do is to cut into pieces the second weird ish looking grid and transfer all lines you can see as precisely as possible to the empty grid. Once you have transferred all squares, you will end up with lovely looking picture. You can play with further and add some colour and put it on your fridge to cheer you up.
Benefits
Puzzles are amazing confidence builder for anyone, and the main aim is to switch off your analytical brain. Your analytical brain likes assumptions. In general, it is great thing however when it comes to drawing, not so much.
You may have heard artists saying, “You need to see what is in front of you and not to draw what you think is in front of you.”
When we try to draw something, our assumptions are changing our perception of reality. Betty Edwards wrote a whole book on the subject called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. The right side is the creative and fun-loving one.
When I started to learn how to draw, I came across some random drawing puzzles. Not knowing what they are at that time, I was genuinely amazed by my drawings. I was able to produce drawings I would not be able to do in a million years. All came down to blocking out my analytical thinking.
It takes some practice but when you master it, you will be able to be in “a zone” whenever you decide to draw something.
Did you know that when you are drawing and you start thinking that your artwork looks like a proper rubbish, it is apparently coming from your overly analytical side of your brain? Another reason for trying to quiet it down.
A simple thing, like listening to a podcast in the background, will keep your thinking side occupied and you can have fun with creativity and imagination without distractions and self-judgement.
How to solve them step by step
1. Pop over to the Resources page
2. Print out puzzle of your choice
3. Cut along the lines of the top weird looking grid marked as “cut the squares”
4. You should have 36 individual squares now
5. Pick up one square in random
6. Notice the number on the square and find the same number on empty grid marked “fill the grid”
7. Draw the same lines as you can see on the cut-out square to the empty grid
8. Pay attention to where the line starts, where it ends, what is the shape, is the line straight or curved
9. When you are done with the square, put it aside
10. Repeat steps 5-9 until the whole grid is filled in
11. Enjoy your creation!
A little challenge for you
If you think, or know for sure, that you can’t draw at all, I would like to challenge you to complete at least three different drawing puzzles and let me know in the comment section below if your opinion has changed or not.
