CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method

CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method

An ancient tool made digital.

297 ratings
129 reviews
#198 in paid Productivity
📚 Education
📊 Productivity
$19.99 $9.99
In-App Purchases

Lowest price: Free 5 months ago (-100%)


Price history


Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • June 17, 2010
  • April 28, 2026

Features

CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method screenshot #1 for iPhone
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CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method screenshot #10 for iPhone
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About

This app digitizes the centuries-old grid drawing technique, allowing artists to easily copy, enlarge, or reduce reference images. It offers flexible grids, smart tools, and various filters to enhance accuracy and detail, making it accessible for beginners and experienced artists alike.

Flexible grid types and customization
Smart zoom and digital ruler
Pencil sketch and onion skin filters
Import/export via camera and sharing
Universal app for iPhone, iPad, Mac
Adjustable zoom and media sizes
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What users say

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What's New in CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method

8.3

April 28, 2026

- A second reference layer with opacity control can now be used as an overlay to the original reference image. You can load a second image and/or add annotations (text, lines, rect, ellipses, freehand/Apple Pencil, colours). This allows for endless combinations. For example, you can load the same image again and using the opacity control combined with CopyIt features like Pencil Sketch, Mosaic, Filters, ValueMap etc., it provides another level of insight into studying your subject. You could also load in a photo of your work-in-progress as the second reference and fade between the two to check accuracy. - Mosaic now works with Greyscale and Negative Greyscale Filters (turn on the filter first, then Mosaic) so you can use Tonal Strip for block value studies. - Added preset toolbar colour schemes: Classic Grey, Slate Contrast, Ivory Draft, Blueprint, Forest Studio, Oxford Plum, Sandstone, Harbor Teal, Merlot, Mist and Custom. - Grid Size presets are now always available and automatically best suit the current Media Size. Old presets become custom columns/rows. - Create your own MixMap custom colours with your own label using RGB or HEX format. - SmartMove movement buttons have been added (Previous/Next) to quickly navigate the grid cells. The button panel can be dragged and repositioned when active. - Free Art Teacher resources have been added to the CopyIt webpage (lesson plans and student handouts). Visit https://www.nigelgreensapps.com/copyit - Improved visibility of some interface controls. - General bug fixes.

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Subscription plans

CopyIt Monthly Subscription

Provides monthly access to all features in CopyIt.

$3.991 Month
7 Days trial
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In-App Purchases

$29.99

CopyIt Lifetime

One‑time purchase that unlocks all features in CopyIt.

Charts

Top Paid

📉 198-7

Productivity

This app dropped -7 positions in Productivity chart.

Last updated on July 21, 2026.

User reviews

CopyIt

I'm a professional painter and work mostly from my own photos. I have found this app great so far and think it is well worth the investment. My recommendations would be for different ratios to be made available or a grid option of standard canvas sizes to use in cropping and then creating a grid for an image. Being able to enlarge each section of an image is great! Also, more detailed instructions would be helpful. So far I have not figured out how to choose a specific number of columns that vary from the standard settings. ??
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Buggy

This is a good idea, but has a number of bugs that make it difficult to use

Fantastic product for oil painting

There’s a learning period when you start using this app. I still don’t understand everything this app can do. I use it with most of my oil paintings that are done inside my studio. I use this app with a smaller iPad, with Velcro attached to the back of the iPad . I can place the iPad on top of the easel with the other side of velcro. I can move to different sections of the photo to see details. I think it’s one of the best apps for artists!

Update: I’ve been using this app for several years ago! I get my perspective, color values, etc. I share this app to my artist friends. It doesn’t matter where your skill level is, this app can help you. I tell them to play with the app and get familiar with the different ways you can use for your art. Buy it, work with it until you comprehend the tools available for you!
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Mrs

This app is brilliant. Well worth the money and really easy to use. I have lots of photos on my iPad and this app has enabled me to make accurate enlarged drawings of them. I like how you can save multiple projects ,so that I can have more than one drawing on the go . Lots of other useful features like grayscale, onion skin etc.... Very clever little app that any budding artist can make good use of. Thankyou.
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This app is so clever and can be used in different ways !

I use it for the grid method for drawing and for tracing but I also use it to turn my iPad into a light box for colouring vellum !
There’s an onion skin mode and you can can posterize the image which I then put through a projector to break down the image for creating under paintings either in mono or original colour ! If there would be one thing that I could say to improve would be to be powered by metal for faster speed and give more photo shop like posterize to give further definition with the different colour groups but very good app ! Fully recommend !
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Developer apps

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

3 issues

Grid lines not aligning properly when rotating the image

Bug

App locking up or crashing when switching between projects

Bug

Inconsistent behavior when resizing the grid or image

Bug

Requested Features

5 requests

Ability to save multiple projects at once

Feature

More grid size and layout options

Feature

Improved image resizing and positioning tools

Feature

Onion skin mode improvements

Feature

Faster performance and reduced crashes

Feature

FAQ

What is CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method?

CopyIt is a digital application that brings the traditional grid drawing technique into the modern age. It allows users to copy, enlarge, or reduce reference images with precision by breaking them down into manageable sections, similar to how masters like Leonardo da Vinci worked.

What are the key features of CopyIt?

Key features include flexible grid types with customizable rows, columns, and colors, smart tools like zoom and a digital ruler, various filters such as pencil sketch and onion skin overlay, and robust import/export options via cameras and sharing platforms. It also offers extensive customization for orientation, fullscreen mode, and media sizes.

Is CopyIt free to use?

The application is free to download and use, offering a range of features. However, it does have in-app purchases, suggesting that some advanced features or content might require an additional purchase.

What devices is CopyIt compatible with?

CopyIt is a universal app, meaning it works seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Macs. This allows users to work on their drawing projects across multiple Apple devices.

How does the grid method help with drawing?

The grid method breaks down a complex image into smaller, simpler squares. By focusing on drawing the content within each individual square, artists can more easily replicate proportions, lines, and shapes accurately, making it easier to scale images up or down without distortion.