tools for art teachers

Looking for a great photo reference grid tool? No sign in. No software downloads. 100% free.

Free online photo grid tool

Features

  • Automatically attempts a perfect grid for you. No more fiddling around with column and row numbers!
  • You can drag and drop your grid for a perfect fit, making sure the most important elements have a grid overlay.
  • Adjust the grid line color and the line thickness for the best visibilty.
  • Switch to black-and-white mode when you need help seeing tonal values.
  • Instant download of your gridded photo.
  • No sign in. No tracking. 100% free to use.

More free tools for art teachers. Bookmark this page & share the link!

Reference Photos Tool

Color Scheme Picker

tools for art teachers

Try our color theme generator. Upload a photo to match colors, choose a base color with our color picker or generate a completely random color scheme.

Art Bellringer Tool

tools for art teachers

Looking for an easy bellringers? Try our bellringer tool! Use this tool to create your own art-themed bellringers with countdown timers, images, prompts & video.

A Safe Choice for All

tools for art teachers

Ipevo V4K

This is the document camera that I have used in my own art classroom for more than three years now. It is completely plastic (not the best build quality), but the image is crisp. It’s a little short when displaying large paper, but this a plug-and-play camera that works dependably. It folds up into a compact little package. I took mine from school to school when I worked as an itinerant elementary art teacher.

Runner-Up

tools for art teachers

Inswan INS-1

I purchased this document camera back in 2022. The image quality is really nice, but this document camera is even more compact and “plasticky” than the Ipevo V4K. Where this document camera shines is its’ software…by far the best software of any document camera I’ve used. I didn’t keep mine because it was far too short for the bigger paper I use in class. If you don’t mind the short height, this is a good one.

My Current Camera

tools for art teachers

Ipevo VZ-R

This is the document camera that I am currently using in my classroom. It is twice the price of my other recommendations, but you don’t have to use a computer to make it work. It can plug directly into a projector, TV or monitor using an HDMI cable. It is also significantly taller and beefier than the smaller Ipevo V4K. I purchased this document camera for the 2025-26 school year so that I could easily display larger paper.

Tools I Use for Teaching Online

My Favorite Tools

I am asked pretty often about my recording setup and how I make my tutorials and videos. Below is a list of the equipment that I use:

For Recording & Livestreaming:

  • Sony ZVE-10 Mirrorless Camera
  • Sony a6000 Mirrorless Camera
  • Sony 16-50mm kit lens
  • Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens
  • Rode NTG 1 Shotgun Microphone
  • Rode Rodecaster Pro II
  • Blackmagic ATEM Mini
  • Apple M2 Pro Mac Mini
  • Final Cut Pro X
  • OBS Software

For Creating Digital Art & Animation:

  • Wacom Graphire2 digital tablet (this is 2001 era..very old but still quality)
  • Apple iPad (9th generation)
  • Apple Pencil (1st generation)
  • Adobe Fresco
  • ToonSquid
tools for art teachers