How to Transfer a Drawing from Paper to Canvas

Learn 2 easy ways to transfer your drawings/letters from paper onto canvas for a painting.

Looking for an easy way how to transfer your drawing onto canvas?

In this post I will show you 2 ways to transfer them! These methods also applies to the FREE printable stencils I provide in my painting tutorials.

Why Transfer Your Drawing?

Having a traced design of your drawing (on canvas) before you start painting serves as a guideline of where your colors should go and what your shapes should look like.

That way you can focus on the painting part- without worrying if your proportions of your subject are too big or too small.

This makes painting process less stressful and more enjoyable – especially for beginners.

And you won’t be any less of an artist- even experienced artist use these methods!

Let’s look at the most popular and fastest method first…

Full Length Step-by Step Video Tutorial on YouTube

Click the image below for the full video tutorial

Method 1: Transfer a Drawing using Transfer Paper / Carbon paper

You can get an inexpensive pack of transfer paper and use a sheet between your paper sketch and canvas (or wood) to etch in your design.

This is the quickest method, that doesn’t require prepping your paper. It also provides the sharpest transfer. This works well for simple drawings like the sunflower below or more complex ones like a portrait.

I used this method for my how to paint a portrait tutorial of Beyonce.

Instructions

(You can watch the full length YouTube tutorial here)

1.Place the transfer paper onto canvas (or wood)

2. Put your paper sketch (or printable stencil) on top of the transfer paper

3. Using sharpened pencil (or mechanical pencil) trace over your paper design.

4.Lift away the tracing paper and printable stencil and yours canvas should now have an outline of your drawing

5. Paint / color / fill in as desired.

Method 2: Transfer A Drawing Without Transfer Paper (pencil method)

This method requires a simple unleaded pencil (which you probably have at home). This method works similarly to the tracing paper method above, but it requires prepping your paper before hand.

Check out the step by step instructions below.

Also, if you’d prefer to watch this tutorial via a video, check out the full length video tutorial here.

Step 1

Take your paper sketch or printable stencil and lay it down on the table with design side down

Step 2

Take your pencil and color over top the drawing (on the back side of the paper)

Step 3

Flip the paper, design side up now and place it onto your canvas or wood panel.

Step 4

Now taking a sharp pencil (or mechanical pencil) trace over your design. This will etch it onto the canvas

Step 5

Lift off the paper design and your traced pencil design will be transferred onto your canvas or wood panel. Paint or fill in as desired!

FREE Sunflower Stencil Printable

If you’d like to try to transfer over the sunflower photo, you can use the free printable below. You can also follow the step by step painting instructions in how to paint a sunflower tutorial.

How to print: Right click on image below, save as jpg to your computer and print out on your printer.

Hope you enjoyed these 2 simple ways how to transfer drawing onto canvas.

Now, have some fun filling in your newly traced design! Get your creative on!

xoxo

Jasmine

If you want some fun beginner step by step painting tutorials, check them out here!

If you like this tutorial, put a pin on it!