# CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method — An ancient tool made digital. > Digital grid drawing tool for copying, enlarging, and reducing reference images. (iPhone/iPad app by Nigel Green.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/copyit-the-grid-drawing-method/id377185812 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Nigel Green](https://appshunter.io/developer/348808504) - Category: Productivity, Education - Price: $9.99 with in-app purchases (on sale, was $19.99) - Rating: 4.70/5 from 297 App Store ratings · 138 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.6 · 31 MB - Languages: Australian English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, Russian, Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan) - Released: 2010-06-17 - Data updated: 2026-08-24 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/copyit-the-grid-drawing-method/id377185812/reviews.md ## What is CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method? First released in 2010, CopyIt is the original and most feature‑rich grid drawing app. Trusted by artists, teachers, and students worldwide, CopyIt brings the centuries‑old grid drawing technique into the digital age, making it easier than ever to copy, enlarge, or reduce reference images with precision. Why CopyIt? The grid method, used by masters like Leonardo da Vinci, breaks images into manageable sections so you can focus on lines and shapes square by square. CopyIt eliminates the need to print and mark up photos, offering zoom, filters, and digital tools that enhance accuracy and detail. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced artist, CopyIt helps you achieve results with confidence. Key Features • Universal App: Works on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Macs • Flexible Grids: 6 grid types, customisable rows/columns, adjustable colors, transparency, and guidelines • Smart Tools: SmartMove zoom, Target mode, digital ruler, perspective lines, Crosshair, MixMap and TubeMatch™ for colour matching • Filters & Effects: Pencil Sketch, Onion Skin overlay, flips, rotations, and multiple image aspects • Import & Export: Capture with front/back cameras, load projects or albums, save and share via AirDrop, email, or social platforms • Customization: Portrait/landscape orientation, fullscreen mode, adjustable zoom (x1–x20), media sizes in imperial/metric • Support: In‑app help and a new tutorial Designed for Success CopyIt transforms the traditional grid method into a modern workflow tool. By working square by square, you can scale images accurately, refine details, and build confidence in your drawing skills. Connect with us: • Facebook: facebook.com/CopyItTheGridDrawingMethod Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ## Key features - 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 ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $9.99. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | CopyIt Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month | | CopyIt Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year | **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | CopyIt Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Helpful for artists and painters - 🚀 Accurate grid placement and sizing - 💡 Variety of grid and image manipulation features - 👍 User-friendly interface - 👍 Saves projects for later use **Cons** - 🐛 Bugs and glitches, especially when switching between projects - 🔒 Limited customization options for grid size and layout - 🔒 Difficulty resizing and positioning the image within the grid **Commonly reported bugs** - Grid lines not aligning properly when rotating the image - App locking up or crashing when switching between projects - Inconsistent behavior when resizing the grid or image **Most requested features** - Ability to save multiple projects at once - More grid size and layout options - Improved image resizing and positioning tools - Onion skin mode improvements - Faster performance and reduced crashes ## Recent user reviews (10 of 138) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/copyit-the-grid-drawing-method/id377185812/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Media size *2026-08-05, version 8.3* It would be great if there were watercolour sheets sizes to choose from ie full sheet, half sheet and quarter sheet sizes ### 5/5 — Original owner of CopyIt, the grid drawing method. *2026-07-28, version 8.3* CopyIt has saved me a lot of time with the grid method. I love the color selector. In some of my paintings, the little crevices make it difficult to see the dark colors in the shadows. The movement of the shadows helps me select the dark colors and the depth of the shades. I’m enjoying the CopyIt app! ### 5/5 — Great app *2025-11-25, version 7.0* Good app with many very usual features. The new ruler is particularly needed for detailed work. A screen lock function would also be useful for tracing details. ### 5/5 — CopyIt *2025-10-04, version 6.4.2* 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. ?? ### 2/5 — Buggy *2025-09-14, version 6.4.2* This is a good idea, but has a number of bugs that make it difficult to use ### 5/5 — Fantastic product for oil painting *2025-07-16* 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! ### 5/5 — Mrs *2025-06-21, version 6.4.2* 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. ### 5/5 — This app is so clever and can be used in different ways ! *2025-03-02, version 6.4.2* 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 ! ### 5/5 — amazing *2024-12-26, version 6.4.2* amazing thank you ### 5/5 — Awesome *2024-09-10, version 6.4.2* Love this app so far. Lots of options and so far working like a charm. Love that it has an instruction guide and things are clearly written. User friendly too. Thank you so much. ## Frequently asked questions about CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method ### 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. ## Version history (last 5 of 5) ### 8.3 — 2026-04-28 - 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. ### 8.2 — 2026-03-25 Customise CopyIt your way with new toolbar customisation options, including support for custom toolbar textures, colour controls, and live appearance previews. This update also adds: - Value Map, a new overlay for analysing tonal/value structure - Improved Onion Skin controls and effects - CopyIt Project Library Import/Export. You can now export all of your CopyIt Projects for safe keeping or importing into another iPad/iPhone. - General UI refinements and stability improvements ### 8.1 — 2026-02-17 Introducing MixMap, a paint‑mixing assistant built into CopyIt on the top toolbar. - You tap your reference image to sample colours from any spot. - MixMap then suggests real‑world paint mixes (using selectable palettes of pigments) that best match the sampled colour. - Each sample is marked on the image with a numbered pin, and MixMap shows you a swatch sheet of your sampled colours and the recommended mixes. - You can choose which paints/colours are included for each palette to match the paints you actually own. New Crosshair tool on the right toolbar: - Position a movable vertical and horizontal guide anywhere on your reference image for quick proportion checks, alignment, and precision study. (A CopyIt User Request) - Bug fixes and performance improvements. ### 8.0 — 2026-02-12 CopyIt has grown so much over the last 15 years, and it’s all thanks to this amazing community of artists, students, and creators who use the app every day. To support ongoing updates, new tools, and bigger features, CopyIt has moved to a new pricing model for new users. If you’ve already purchased CopyIt, you keep full access forever. No subscriptions. No changes. Just our way of saying thank you for being an early supporter. For new users, CopyIt becomes a subscription app with a 7‑day free trial so you can explore everything the app offers before committing. This helps us continue building the features you’ve been asking for — faster updates, smarter tools, and an even better drawing experience. Your support has shaped CopyIt into what it is today, and this change helps ensure it keeps growing for years to come. More exciting updates are already in the works! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out — I’m always here to help. Thank you for being part of the CopyIt journey! --- Introducing MixMap, a paint‑mixing assistant built into CopyIt on the top toolbar. - You tap your reference image to sample colours from any spot. - MixMap then suggests real‑world paint mixes (using selectable palettes of pigments) that best match the sampled colour. - Each sample is marked on the image with a numbered pin, and MixMap shows you a swatch sheet of your sampled colours and the recommended mixes. - You can choose which paints/colours are included for each palette to match the paints you actually own. New Crosshair tool on the right toolbar: - Position a movable vertical and horizontal guide anywhere on your reference image for quick proportion checks, alignment, and precision study. (A CopyIt User Request) - Bug fixes and performance improvements. ### 7.1 — 2025-12-02 - New Feature: Perspective Grid. Toggle a perspective grid using a new button on the right toolbar. Choose between one, two or three-point perspective modes with adjustable vanishing points. Long-press the button to switch modes and access advanced controls via the Settings button (left toolbar). - Ruler Updates: The ruler introduced in v7.0 has been improved. The imperial/metric measurement system is now selectable in the Settings button (left toolbar). The ruler now displays either Inches or MM, not both. This frees up space for additional helpful guides like the current ruler angle, its complement, current length and coordinates for the top left and right edges within the current grid system (Left, Top, Bottom, Right). Long-press the ruler to reset its rotation/position, enable/disable 15-degree snap and reset its size. A toggle option for ruler labels has also been added. If the ruler is resized too narrow to fit all the labels, the location labels will automatically hide. - New Feature: A Tutorial button has been added to the right toolbar. - Pencil Sketch Improvements: Temporarily auto-selects grid colour during Pencil Sketch, keeping the grid visible if it’s on. - Tonal Strip Improvements: You can now choose from 6-13 tonal steps via the Settings Button (left toolbar). Each tonal step now also shows the percentage grayscale value. - General Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements. ## Apps similar to CopyIt The Grid Drawing Method | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Drawing Pad procreate Sketch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-pad-procreate-sketch/id1327427213) | 4.1 (64,005) | Free | Productivity | | [AR Drawing Sketch Paint, Trace](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-drawing-sketch-paint-trace/id6473955648) | 4.0 (311) | Free | Productivity | | [Drawing Pad: Draw & Paint Art](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-pad-draw-and-paint-art/id1118239443) | 4.3 (2,102) | Free | Productivity | | [AR Grid Art : Grid Drawing Art](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-grid-art-grid-drawing-art/id6502700929) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Productivity | | [Craft: Notes, Documents, AI](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/craft-notes-documents-ai/id1487937127) | 4.8 (6,595) | Free | Productivity | | [Real Color Mixer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-color-mixer/id1517758900) | 3.9 (34) | Free | Productivity | ## More apps by Nigel Green - [AusTaxCalc](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/austaxcalc/id360424310) - [Callistemon, Bottlebrush](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/callistemon-bottlebrush/id368411988) - [TeachMe Colors 1](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teachme-colors-1/id395216660) - [CookCalc](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cookcalc/id407757391) - [One Way Out](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-way-out/id507320526) All apps by Nigel Green: https://appshunter.io/developer/348808504 ## Related topics [copyit the grid drawing method](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/copyit-the-grid-drawing-method) · [drawing grid method](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/drawing-grid-method) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*