If you’ve never used a traceable before, here is a step by step tutorial on how to transfer your printed image onto the canvas before painting.
TIPS and TRICKS for using tracing paper to transfer your image onto the canvas for painting:
1. Paint your background first! Before transferring your image to the canvas paint the background. This way you don’t have to paint around your sketch and worry about painting over the lines.
2. Make sure your transfer paper is shiny side down and the dull side is facing up towards YOU. I can’t tell you how many times I accidentally had it flipped the wrong way and ended up transferring the image on to the back of my traceable and not on the canvas!
3. Use a dull tipped pencil. If you use a sharp pencil and press down too hard you may push through the paper/ stretch canvas. On that note, you only need to press down with normal drawing pressure, don’t press too hard! Also try not to rest your hand on the paper as you trace because this may also transfer “smudges” onto the canvas.
4. Tape your image down to the table surface so that it doesn’t shift as you work on tracing over the image. I used regular masking tape. 5. When finished sketching make sure to keep one side of the image taped to the table and lift up the opposite side to see if the entire image was copied onto the canvas. If not you can lay it back down and finish the sketch without having to worry about it not lining up correctly.
6. If you are using larger sized traceables, don’t forget to tape them together like a puzzle. There will be multiple sheets of paper with pieces of the image. The images will overlap slightly to make sure you line them up properly.
7. SAVE your transfer paper! I don’t think I have ever had to buy new transfer paper after I bought I pack of 200 sheets…I didn’t realize you can reuse the same piece of paper over many times until needing to use a new one!
8. I know traceables are great for beginners just learning to paint. They are also great for teachers doing step by step classes and have the opportunity to trace the painting picture out ahead of time! That being said, I highly suggest also learning how to free hand. I always show how to free hand the paintings I teach because I think this allows for more creativity and the ability to make it your own. Do whatever is most comfortable for YOU!
Are you ready? The traceables for this pumpkin painting and the video tutorial are available here
Happy Painting!