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How to Make a Gridded Button Portrait

comments (7) March 6th, 2009     

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leethal Lee Meredith, contributor
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Use assorted vintage buttons for a truly one-of-a-kind work of art!
Like Chuck Close paintings, the image shows up better as you step farther away from it.
You can use any colors, as long as they are divided into light and dark shades.
Use assorted vintage buttons for a truly one-of-a-kind work of art!

Use assorted vintage buttons for a truly one-of-a-kind work of art!

Photo: Lee Meredith
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If you work like me, then switch up your button colors as you need or choose to...


 Once my blues and greens ran out, I moved on to yellow/orange/pink/red/brown.

One other option to consider for your button choices is to match up button sizes with the shades for higher density in the darker shades. You can see how I used that idea with markers in this drawing, by adding one circle for each shade darker.  Your image will show up even better if you are able to choose large blacks, small whites, and light shades, and medium-sized dark shades. I only used that concept a little with my large blacks, since I didn't have enough buttons to choose from to be able to discriminate based on sizes.


 You can see in the eye how my black buttons were a little larger than most of the others.

So that's it—if you want to perfect it when it's done, you can use a moldable eraser to take out the pencil lines, but I find that you don't notice them unless you're really looking for them. The buttons pop so much that the grid is nearly invisible.


 Tah-dah! My cat, Garbanzo, as a Chuck Close-inspired button portrait!
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posted in: , buttons, art, glue, wall, picture, portrait, mosaic
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Comments (7)

paperrain writes: I'm doing this! I'm going to also buy stock in buttons. I've got about a dozen projects for them now!
Posted: 5:08 pm on March 21st
oldjack writes: What a great idea for a portrait. Can not wait to try this.
Thanks Lee.
Posted: 12:17 pm on March 14th
gabriellek writes: This is absolutely FANTASTIC! Thank you for sharing! We can't wait to make a few and put our mosaics on canvas'

Love it!
Posted: 12:04 am on March 10th
sALTYGAL writes: Awesome idea and great instructions!
Posted: 1:57 pm on March 7th
eyesaflame writes: Ok, this is really cool . . .are you sure you've been sick? Or have you just been letting your body be taken over by some kind of alien snot-monster craft genius? 'Cause this is BRILLIANT!!
Posted: 3:59 pm on March 6th
Sister_Diane writes: Wow, Lee - this is so amazing. And your instructions are so clear, I totally feel like I could make one. Thanks so much!
Posted: 10:00 am on March 6th
Jen_W writes: This is splendid and so original! I love Chuck Close too, and this is such a great twist.
Posted: 12:21 am on March 6th
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