This weekend I’ve created something I used to enjoy way back when I was a teen. Puzzle magazines used to have grid puzzles where the grid squares were all rearranged. It was the solver’s job to put them back in order by redrawing each square carefully in the right place according to a letter-number combination.
I’m about to cover the elements and principles of design in my graphic design class. I think that grid puzzles might be the most engaging way for students not only to understand line and shape better, but to become more observant and better artists. Some of my students claim they cannot draw at all and I hope to demonstrate to them that they can.
Here are the puzzles with instructions. I hope others can use them too – they took a long time to make!
Gridding Puzzle: Lines
Transfer the puzzle pieces from the puzzle sheet to the grid. An image will appear.
- Each puzzle piece on the puzzle sheet has a letter/number code under it.
- Find the corresponding letter/number square in the grid.
- Transfer the image on each puzzle piece into its corresponding square on the grid.
- Draw lines at the edges between black and white.
- Fill in any black shapes that occur.
- A dull pencil will work best to create these thick lines.
- Visually measure where lines are placed within a square.
- Try to line up edges of lines as they flow from one square into another.
- Work slowly and craefully. Be as neat and detailed as you can.
- Mark off puzzle pieces on the puzzle sheet as you go.
- Do not trace!
Click on the images below to download and print the puzzle sheet and grid.
Image by Richard Sheppard
Gridding Puzzle: Shapes
Transfer the puzzle pieces from the puzzle sheet to the grid. An image will appear.
- Each puzzle piece on the puzzle sheet has a letter/number code under it.
- Find the corresponding letter/number square in the grid.
- Transfer the image on each puzzle piece into its corresponding square on the grid.
- Draw lines at the edges between black and white.
- Fill in the black shapes.
- Pencil works fastest. It also allows you fix mistakes.
- Leave white squares blank.
- Fill black squares in completely.
- Visually measure where shapes are placed within a square.
- Try to line up edges of shapes as they flow from one square into another.
- Be as neat and detailed as you can.
- Mark off puzzle pieces on the puzzle sheet as you go.
- Do not trace!
Click on the images below to download and print the puzzle sheet and grid.
12 replies on “Gridding Puzzles”
I think this will be fun, it was always one of my favorites.
The students will really love this image when they’re finished. Thanks for being so generous.
Dawn,
How did you create these gridded pics? I need to do one for an open house…
It’s 9/30, and I need it for 10/2!!
Thanks so much!
Jeanne in Ohio 🙂
You just made my day! These are great! I may have my students create their own drawing, cut it up then make another student try to re-draw it! I teach middle school graphic art (12 computers with the Paint program and about 28 kids in each class!) We do a lot of paper projects too obviously.
Thank you. These are wonderful. My students love them.
B
Thanks you so much for these. I teach high school studio art and this is just what I was looking for.
Love these, and had a hard time finding anything similar after an hour of online searching. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks . My students love these. I am inspired to make my own. If I do this summer I will send them to you.
I know this post was from a long time ago, but I love these puzzles and they’re really difficult to find! If you could make more that would be so awesome!! PLEASE!
I will give it some thought, Tammy!
I loved these puzzles too!! What happened to them. I think they’re a great way to train your eye, and I’m having my 3-5 grade students make their own. Does anybody remember what they used to be called? I thought they were called Pict-o-Gram or something, but when you google that, nothing of the kind shows up. Any other ideas?
go to http://www.artistic puzzles.com…….they are called DRAW BY GRID ifound a bookof them through amazon.com ordered one. 64 pages of grid drawings,i love it cant put it down.ADVISE though. use a mechanical pencil and put tissue or paper between pages,so that the previous pencil marks don’t rub off on page