4 Tracing Hacks Every Watercolor Artist Needs to Know
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Published 2024-05-25
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Every way you need to know to transfer a drawing onto watercolor paper, a watercolor block, stretched paper, a sketchbook, or paper that’s already painted. Learn how to use a light box and three other ways to transfer a drawing when a light box won’t work. The best way to avoid visible pencil lines in your finished painting is to start with a clean line drawing. These tracing methods will help you transfer a sketch or line drawing to watercolor paper.
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SUPPLIES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
• LED Light Box: amzn.to/40NDKNy
• Saral Graphite Transfer Paper: amzn.to/4au0vth
• Mars Lumograph Pencil Set: amzn.to/3Kepne5
• 2H Pencil: amzn.to/46D8eU7
• Kneaded Eraser: amzn.to/49Ua06d
• Strathmore Tracing Paper: amzn.to/3WLx2rN
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All Comments (21)
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As a young child back in the sixties, I actually taught myself how to draw by tracing pictures. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was actually developing ‘muscle memory’ by doing the tracing and also learning how to observe and therefore develop an ‘artists eye’.
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I often use a watercolour pencil to draw the design on the paper because then when you paint it the drawn lines blend in nicely with your painting without having to rub the lines back with the kneaded rubber.
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At a watercolour class yesterday, they suggested using watercolour pencils to draw the pictures using the pictures' colours. This way, they blend into the picture when wet and no use of eraser.
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Lightly wiping a new sheet of Saral with a paper towel or soft cloth will brush off the surface powder and prevent smudging - and it will still be good for many transfers.
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When I was a kid I used my window for tracing or my café table glass top, with lamp underneath. That was my first "lightbox" I think. We can be very creative if we want something to be done 😂
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MyArtScape graphite paper leaves no mess at all behind and you can use either side. And it’s eraseable so any mistakes can be easily corrected. Not affiliated, just love the product!
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Couldn’t ask for better explanations of these techniques, good job
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I never thought about tracing a picture to paint. I thought you had to know how to draw.😮 Thank you for thecideas.
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You were absolutely right about tip #4 being an awesome way to trace! I wasn't even aware that there is an "artist" tracing paper! Great video, Jackie! 👏👏
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Even though I have a light box, I always trace image onto regular copy paper first and then put that tracing onto light box and trace onto watercolor paper. I keep all my tracings onto copy paper and file it away just in case I need that tracing again.
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The 2H pencil is a good idea. However, I accidentally used my silver metallic pencil one day for a transfer, and it vanished... after the painting was done, I could hardly see the silver lines, much less have to erase them. I use the silver pencil routinely now. Great video. Thank you for posting! 🎉
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I learnt these methods many years ago at school. 1960s and 70s. Glad some things are still the same.
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Saral tracing paper also comes in several colors - white, yellow, blue, and red. Yellow will show up on white watercolor paper without the messiness of graphite. Any smudges in an area you need to stay pure white can easily be erased, but the colored Saral doesn't smudge as easily as the graphite.
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Your delivery is excellent; you speak and teach so very well. Your viewers may find it helpful that one must use wax free graphite transfer paper, so the wax residue does not repel the watercolor. I have not found the transfer paper to be messy, as I do not handle it much. I have been using the same sheet for years! The pencil scribbling on the back of the drawing I find to be more likely to transfer graphite and be messy. These are all excellent ideas. Thank you so much!
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I loved this video. You were so calm and didn't repeat yourself over and over like some instructors do. Thanks for this info! I just subscribed.
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I wasn't aware that there was an artist tracing paper either! Great tips, thanks so much for sharing! 🌻
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A lint roller works much better than a kneaded eraser for removing excess graphite from the paper, especially if you are tracing a larger drawing. The more you use the lint roller over your paper, the more the tracing lines fade and leaves your paper free of graphite smudges.
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I’ve also used chalk or soft pastels in place of covering the back with pencil. Especially if it’s a larger piece, chalk/pastel goes much faster.
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I've done that for years with children in art class as a former art teacher. I also use it in my current community education class.
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Thanks for these ideas, they all work! There is a graphite paper that isn't the carbon type so you stay cleaner and don't smudge.
