15 ways how to trace or transfer a photo, image, or drawing ■ Tracing Masterpieces

Learn the best way how to trace an image or photo, or transfer a drawing easily. You can use tracing paper, graphite paper, a lightbox, a projector, and various other methods and techniques to copy an image. The best way to trace is using a projector. You can position the projector closer or further away to resize the picture and is very easy and simple.
The most basic way to trace is by simply placing a sheet of paper over the image you want to copy. The image will barely show through, but it might be sufficient enough to work. You can also place it over a computer monitor or other screen and the light will shine through making it more visible and easier to trace.
Another way is by taping the image to a window and place a piece of paper over that. The light from outside will shine through allowing you to easily draw over and trace it. You can even use an artist's lightbox or light pad which is a box with a light inside that shines through a translucent surface where you place your image and draw your artwork. If you don't have an artist's lightbox you can create your own using any box and placing a lamp or other light source inside it and a pieces of plexiglass or other translucent surface on-top of it.
You can use Tracing paper because it is translucent and allows you to see the image below. There are many ways you can use tracing paper with your art. You can simply place it over the image and draw the details, then flip it over and redraw the lines. The graphite from the surface will transfer onto the paper beneath. It will be a reverse image, but you can also just scribble graphite on one side and then use pressure to transfer it by drawing on the other side.
They make graphite paper specifically for this case, but if you don't have graphite paper, you can just scribble all over the back of a piece of paper and then place an image over it and trace it- the graphite will transfer onto the page below. You can also use charcoal instead since that is darker.
Another way to trace is to print out an image that is very light and then draw over the shapes and details, or you can even press down on an image with a hard tool to create an imprint into the paper below, and then draw over that.
Another way is to flip an image up and down over your paper or canvas, and visualize where the details lay on the paper. You can do this with tracing paper to make it even easier since you can see through that.
You can even use a grid to help track where everything is positioned. Otherwise, you can just use your observation and visualization skills and measure the proportions and interpret it that way.

Music credit:

[PRAKASH-cmvo]

What a wonderful tutorial!
No unnecessary talking. Nice background music!
Great work !

[leonaandreea]

16 - for those who use a canvas: trace it however you want to (using a sheet/window, etc) on a paper and then use the transfer paper to trace it onto canvas (I hope that makes sense). Thank you for this video, very helpful!

[jonaeflure]

Thank you so much for making this video. Some of the method's took me back to elementary school (I'm 62...) but definitely helped seeing them again. Plus added bonus..All the other methods I never knew. Why don't you have more subscribers??? 🙄 One more today...🥰

[guitarfliud]

Thank you soooo much! I'm working on a project that requires I transfer an image made on my computer to a foamboard. Your suggestions were soo helpful! Thank you!

[dakotaanderson]

I’m trying to quit smoking weed so I need new hobbies to take my mind off of things❤️

[bampidraws]

Great video and came across as very confident, thank you. I'm 63 and still I learn something new every day. I'm trying to convert from drawing digitally to traditionally and I use AI image generators to create my references so I need to transfer my images from PC/Tablet to paper. This helps thank you, so much. New sub from me

[gerarddmello]

I was told in my Uni that to create a Graphite Sheet. First begin by gently drawing with a soft 6B Pencil all over the sheet of paper. And then go over the sheet again with a hard 2H Pencil. This will avoid the smudgy fingerprints or hand prints as you press on the tracing sheet, to get transferred on to the original sheet.

[TAILNUPE]

Great job, just here to give you some confidence man. Keep teaching!

[greedog]

Appreciate your video, just straight to the point and a great tutorial!

[valeriefedele]

This was really to the point . Thank you for that. This was a great tutorial and gave me some new ideas that I could really use.

[christineagnew]

Going from a tracing to transferring onto a black wooden background (don't have a projector) so I'm going with the pushing lines through to the wood method! ty for quick n easy vid, much appreciated!

[LynnePriceStudio]

Great video. Another way to trace is to tape your image printed on copy paper or a sketch on a window with the image facing the glass. Trace your lines on the back with a charcoal pencil. Place the photo/sketch onto your paper/canvas, correct side up. Use the end of a ruler or other hard flat object and scrape and pull across to transfer the image.

[lauras]

Why did I not think of the Computer option before :D Awesome, thank you so much!

[NINJUTSUguy]

I enjoyed watching this video as I have used all of these methods at some stage. Years ago I started using slide photos that I had taken, I had a macro lens that could also be used as a normal lens so I often took pictures from books from the library got the slide film developed, and put it into a slide projector, this would be considered expensive these days. I then started using a VHS video cam recorder that I would put the material in front of it and use clear plastic taped to the TV screen and trace using fine markers for detail and normal markers for not so detailed works and then I would use an overhead projector to project the transparency to a large size I also used a lens configuration of my own so that I could project an image onto an A4 size paper, nowadays I use photocopies printed onto transparencies and an overhead projector as well as a projector that can hook up to the PC, TV, etc I also made my own opaque projector using a metal garbage bin cut in half (so that it can slide inside each other)with a powerful 500-watt Halogen bulb (to illuminate whatever is to be projected, a fan to keep everything cool, the image is projected straight up to a lens and a mirror is used to project the image at a 90-degree angle usually onto a wall or canvas. I also like to project onto the back of a surface if I can, that way the light from a projector acts more like a lightbox.

[WhatNotandWhatHaveYou]

This really helped out a lot. Thank you very much!

[BevBourdages]

Thank-you so much, I can start painting again

[simonel-alam]

Thank you so much for your help i used the tracing paper method for my assigment. Thank you man

[artistparis]

Excellant Explaination and demonstration, thank you

[claireonlinex]

The window is so genius!! Thank you so much

[shaylahlah]

Friend…what is this music that I’ve fallen madly in love?? Who is the musical talent? Thank you for teaching me new things🏴‍☠️