Notes on grids, overlays & the craft of composition — from the studio behind Grid Maker Pro.
Five ways in.
Technique
Studio-tested methods you can take straight to the canvas — construction adjustments, overlay stacking, and the craft behind a confident composition.
View all 4 →Case studies
Overlays reverse-engineered from finished work — logos, paintings, and photographs taken apart to show the grid underneath.
View all 1 →Q & A
Direct answers to the questions artists actually ask — which overlay, when, and why one beats another for the job in front of you.
View all 4 →Overlay of the month
One overlay, examined in depth — its history, the maths, where it earns its keep, and where it quietly misleads.
View all 3 →Release notes
What shipped, what changed, and what it means for your workflow — the running record of how the tool grows.
View all 1 →The overlays behind every note.
Every technique here is something you can switch on in the tool — all 82 overlays, across 11 families. Tap any one to read its guide.
Everything from the studio, newest first.
Why the rule of thirds is a guideline, not a law
The most-tested grid in photography is also the most misunderstood. Where it works, where it fails, and why I keep it on every viewfinder anyway.
25 May 2026 · 2 min readPhi vs Thirds — the 4.9-point compositional difference
Thirds divides at 33.3% and 66.6%. Phi divides at 38.2% and 61.8%. The 4.9-point shift sounds tiny — until you see it in a fine-art print.
25 May 2026 · 2 min readThe Loomis sphere in five overlays
Andrew Loomis published the head-construction method in 1942. Eight decades later, every atelier still teaches it. A five-overlay walkthrough — front, three-quarter, near-profile, profile, tilted-up.
25 May 2026 · 2 min readHow I prove a composition: the four-grid stack
A single overlay tells you one thing. Four overlays stacked tell you whether the composition holds up across every system or works for one accidental reason.
25 May 2026 · 2 min readMay 2026 release notes — 82-overlay catalogue, 12 pillars, audit suite
The May 2026 Grid Maker Pro release: 286 new SEO landing pages, 12 long-form pillars, full audit infrastructure, 120 printable PDFs, and E-E-A-T anchors.
16 May 2026 · 4 min readHow to use the Loomis Head construction for tilted-angle reference photos
The Loomis sphere construction works at any angle — but tilted-angle references are where most self-taught artists fall apart. Three adjustments that fix it.
15 May 2026 · 5 min readQ&A — rule of thirds vs golden ratio for landscape photography
Reader question — for landscape photography, when does golden ratio beat rule of thirds? Three scene types where φ wins consistently and three where it doesn't.
20 March 2026 · 4 min readLoomis Head — overlay of the month (March)
Andrew Loomis's sphere-and-jaw construction — why it became the default head-drawing method, what it does well, and three known failure cases.
1 March 2026 · 4 min readQ&A — when should I switch from Loomis to Reilly?
Reader question — when does the Loomis Head method stop working and Reilly's rhythmic-line approach start? Three signs you've outgrown Loomis.
20 February 2026 · 3 min readGolden ratio — overlay of the month (February)
The golden ratio in art — what's real, what's myth, and how to actually use it as a working composition tool instead of mystical decoration.
1 February 2026 · 4 min readQ&A — should I use the grid method or a projector?
Reader question — grid method vs projector vs tracing. Honest comparison of skill-building, accuracy, speed, and what each technique actually does for you.
20 January 2026 · 4 min readRule of thirds — overlay of the month (January)
The rule of thirds is the most-taught composition rule and the most-misunderstood. Origin, when to use it, when it actively hurts your composition.
1 January 2026 · 3 min readOne brief every other Tuesday.
One overlay, one historical reference, one workflow note. Studio notes from working artists, photographers, and designers. No spam, unsubscribe in two clicks.
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