I’ve seen so many people placing judgement on others for using tools that help improve their art.

When I taught high school students, one of the curriculums/exams we used even requested students NOT use the grid method.

This kind of dialogue leads many of us to wonder:

Is measuring your art cheating? 

Even in the last workshop I ran someone privately asked me if it was appropriate or cheating to use a light board to start her art. 

So let’s be clear here: Renaissance artists invented measuring tools to help them be more accurate with their measurements. In fact, Renaissance artists invented the grid method!!! When paid artists today (as well as during the Renaissance) can literally hire other people to make their art and still call it their own, it distresses me that this mindset is still so pervasive.

Yes, I understand a desire to create and achieve certain skills “all by your own hand,” but even then we use measuring. We look at proportions, relationships between features of the face, for example…and more. 

But then, could using measuring tools also be a crutch? Can this limit our ability?

Now it’s your turn: share your biggest aha in the comments below.

And if you feel feedback like this from my program Self-Taught to Self-Confident could help you or that you have gaps in your art foundations, take my free quiz, “Which of these beginner drawings mistakes are you making?” here: https://quiz.artiststrong.com/sf/d74b29e6