Creative Mark Davinci Artist Viewfinder, 3"x4" Perspective Tool - 8-Block Grid, Lightweight ABS Plastic, Ideal for Plein Aire Painting, Landscape Sketching

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I like this. It's a small size, easy to carry, and does an excellent job of assisting in viewing perspective. Yes, it's as simple as dirt, and those are usually the best tools (consider hammer and screwdriver). It works. And the price makes it virtually free for a tool that will last a lifetime.

This will be handy when you are plein air or any kind of painting, where the view is large, you can zero in on just one view or use the grid to break down your painting

Great for seeing how to fill the page and seeing relative proportions. Helps you keep real spacial relationships in your drawing. I highly recommend it. Small and feather weight.

The DaVinchi Viewfinder I received was clear plastic painted black, rather than the cardboard mentioned in a previous review. It's a very nice divided viewfinder. The only issues are that the clear plastic (divided window area) has a problem with glare in some light situations, and it also scratches easily, so I can't just throw it in a supply bag without wrapping it in a paper towel or some other soft material. Even with these problems I would buy it again.

I'm not an artist, just a dilettante learning how to draw. I do understand the purported functions of the little grid for view finding and scaling. The picture of this device, on the included instructions, shows a linear division of 16 squares. The actual grid has eight rectangles measuring 3/4" x 1". That works fine for selecting a view, but not so simple for scaling up. A grid of squares can be simply enlarged to any size and drawn. A grid of rectangle actually has to be measured and drawn with a ruler. I may be missing something, but it would have been so simple to print a grid of 4x4 or 3x4 squares.The view finder is clear and sturdy. The design is disappointing.

I bought this grid for my advanced projects in drawing class. My professor suggested we use one for a particular assignment. I will use this tool over and over again.

Son said "Woks, but I could have cut one from cardboard or the like material." so know there are options.

This viewfinder will do what it was designed to do. It is not paper or cardboard but a piece of clear plastic with a matt black vinyl ink screened or in some way applied very precisely to the surface. It seems durable enough, but I would keep it in the plastic wrapper it came in, to transport.