Transferring drawing to canvas

[Steven Sweeney]

It should be obvious that the tranfer method I just described works only if the drawing is the same size as the intended painting. Otherwise, you simply have to scale it up or down first, whether using a graphing method, projector (try to avoid), or some other means.

[Richard Budig]

I use the "square up" method a lot.

I will often lay acetate over my source material, tape the acetate overlay in place, and then draw squares over my source material. I then draw the same grid, but lager, over my canvas and lightly sketch in my source. When this is done, I re-draw my subject in raw umber, or some other dark color, on canvas in acrylic paint, which dries very fast. Then, I erase what few lines may remain on my canvas. I do my square up and initial sketch with a 9H pencil, so there is very little to erase.

Of course, you can also lay out and sketch your subject in soft vine charcoal, and when you're satisfied that you have the basics, use a soft cloth to erase as much as possible. Don't worry -- you'll leave a ghost image, over which you can draw in paint.

A raw umber (or other dark color) drawing will easily withstand the first few washes of a lay in, and will slowly disappear as the painting progresses.

If I'm sure I'm going to be painting mostly in a "wishy-washy" way, I will use a much lighter paint in which to draw. Maybe like raw sienna. If I'm going to start painting immediately, I'll do my drawing in raw sienna oil, and then start painting in oil which quickly "absorbs" that small amount of raw sienna.

There must be other good ways of doing this. These are just some of the ways I use.