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…
Method 1: Transfer a Drawing using Tracing 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.
Instructions
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 Using a Pencil
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.
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!
I could not find the free printable stencil for the “How to Paint a Sunflower – The Easy way !” tutorial. Please provide it.
Hi Manisha, the stencil is at the bottom of the “How to Paint a Sunflower” post. Cheers!
Thank you so much for sharing your talents! Your directions are easy to follow and clear. I am going to give this a try! I love happy sunflowers!
Hi Ann,
Glad you’re enjoying them! I can understand the worry about filling in the background after the flower is painted. To ensure a crisp and clean edges you can use a 1 ( or less) inch flat brush ( a brush where the bristles are straight across). This type of brush will really help especially when you’re near the edges of the flower petals.
And take you’re time and don’t rush it. If you don’t have a straight brush, just use any small brush to outline around the petals- then you can use a larger brush to fill in the rest.
Another thing to keep is, as long as the paint on the petals are dry, if you overlap the background paint on-top of your dried petals, you can just wipe it clean while paint is wet ( just keep a wet/damp paper towel close by , or even a wet q-tip). Hope that helps! Let me know how it goes!
Cheers,
Jasmine
I can’t find the printable either! I have looked and looked! Can you send it to my email address please!!? I really went to make this!
[email protected]
Please make attention: sunflower stencil.
Hi Indy,
I just sent the sunflower printable to the email you provided above. Keep an eye out on your inbox. and let me know if you didn’t receive it or if you have any other questions.
Cheers,
Jasmine
I’m unable to find the printable as well….I’ve looked and looked to no avail. I would love you to sent it to my e-mail as well…Please and Thank you!!
[email protected]
Loved your tutorial!
Jodi
Hi Jodi, I just emailed you the stencil. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi there! Thank you for the wonderful tutorial! May I please have the stencil emailed to me?
[email protected]
Hi there,
Please keep an eye on your inbox as I’ve emailed you the sunflower stencil.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Cheers,
Jasmine
Hi Jasmine, I accidentally found your site tonight and I am glad I have. I have always wanted to try acrylic painting but I either didn’t have the time or the mindset to stop being scared of trying to just give it ago. I have Parkinson’s Disease and I am 69 years old, now retired and I can’t draw a stick man truely but now I want to give painting a try. I have looked at Acrylic Pouring and it looks easy but I don’t just want to do that. I want to try and create a proper painting. With your wonderfull, easy to understand and follow instructions, I think I will be able to give it ago. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Looking forward to following you and learning from you.
That’s so wonderful to hear Lyn!! Super glad you are giving painting a go, and that you’re filled with inspiration, it’s a great feeling and one that opens up many doors :). Wishing you a joyful and exciting journey into painting, so excited for you!!😄 Don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever have any questions on the tutorials.
Cheers,
Jasmine
Thank You Jasmine, I am just greatfull that I have somewhere to go for help. I am glad I found you. I am working on my very first acrylic painting on a canvas. A monsteria leaf taken from my garden. I have this vision in my head of what I want. Having some little problems but I am learning about colours and colour combinations. For a total begginer would you advise to paint on a canvas or one of those smaller canvas boards? I may be going too big too soon. Lyn.
That’s a good question! You can go straight to canvas if you already have one and don’t want to buy the boards. The nice thing with acrylic paints- they are very forgiving. If you don’t like something, just wait for the paint to dry and go over it with another layer (or you can start from scratch again by covering it with a layer of white gesso). That said, if you want to practice the first draft of your composition before going to canvas, then using the canvas board, as you mentioned, is a great idea. I do this for some of my paintings also, just so I can get a feel for the composition before moving to canvas. I personally use this mixed media paper because its cheaper than the boards. Since it’s a book, it also chronicles my paintings at the same time and can go look back at an of them quickly for reference. Enjoy painting your monsteria, it’s a very pretty leaf I love them!
Cheers,
Jasmine
Thank you Jasmine for your advice. I worked on my big green monsteria leaf painting today and I think it is coming together. Hopefully anyway. Thank you again.
Thats so good to hear Lyn!! If you’re comfortable to share you work, I would love to see it when you are done. You can either email it to [email protected] or feel free to share it on my Facebook page.
Dear Jasmine,
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm. I love that you are willing to share your knowledge. Art is the best part of life.
Lee Barnett
Thank you Lee 🙂 It makes me happy to share my love of art with others – And 100% agree art is the best!
Cheers,
Jasmine