STEAM Academy students create life-like portraits using grid method in art class

Students in Eric Chambers’ art classes at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy are taking the first steps to becoming professional artists – line by line and tile by tile. They recently completed portraits using the grid method, which allows artists to piece their work together in manageable portions. It also trains them to strictly follow measurements and proportions.

They started with a simple cartoon drawing to learn how to use the method before moving onto portraits of celebrities including Drake, Keanu Reeves and Sade. 

“I let them know: If you can't get a cartoon character right, when it comes time to do a human being, the eyes are going to be off, the nose is going to be too big," said Mr. Chambers. “So, you have to take the practice seriously.”

Every time Mr. Chambers gets a new art class – a subject he has taught from fourth grade to the collegiate level – he starts them with this project. While it is one of the most difficult projects, it teaches students to pay attention to detail and gives them an opportunity to earn money creating art. 

Learning how to do high-quality portraits empowers students to offer paid portrait drawings to people they know or create beautiful gifts for their family, something Mr. Chambers did when he was younger. 

“I would do it like that with the grid method and just erase the lines,” said Mr. Chambers.

The project also raises students' self-esteem by showing them what they can accomplish if they stay committed.

“Now your self-esteem is raised, and the next project I give you is easier,” Mr. Chambers explained. 

Even when students don’t have experience in drawing, they are able to use the grid method to break the work up into segments that are simpler to draw on their own. 

“The Mona Lisa's easy to draw if you cover up the whole picture and say, just do the nose,” said Mr. Chambers.

While the art is taken seriously, students do their work in a more relaxed environment than their typical math and science classes. Art is a form of expression, and when students are allowed to express themselves, they are able direct their creative energy into their work. 

To get the most out of his students, Mr. Chambers plays music and jokes with them to loosen them up. All while making sure that their main focus is on the artwork at hand. Students have responded well to that approach.

“If you're able to connect with the teacher and connect with the students and everything is really cohesive in the classroom, it really helps to get ideas flowing and to really make the best type of work that you can,” said Daniel Santiago, an 11th-grade student at STEAM.

Daniel also credits Mr. Chambers as one of the first inspirations he had as an artist when he taught him at Pennington School. Now, art is a career path he wants to pursue professionally. 

“He got my hands wet in doing art because in eighth grade, when I got to Pennington, I always enjoyed doing art, but I never saw it, even though I wanted to, as a career that I could actually do,” said Daniel. “But when I met him and started talking to him, he helped me realize the different opportunities I have. So, it really helped boost self-esteem artistically.”

Daniel’s art piece, which could almost double as a photograph, now sits on the wall of Mr. Chambers’ classroom alongside pieces by other students and classes. Daniel is excited to explore how to make collages this year and expand his artistic repertoire to doing more original work.