*Note to viewers about the sound.* You may have noticed that the audio levels on this video are off and the music is too loud. This video was recorded a year ago when I was first starting out on UA-cam. As a new filmmaker, I made the rookie mistake of editing and mixing the audio levels incorrectly. With each video, I look to improve upon the last one that was made. Hopefully you won't judge the content of my channel based on content that was produced at the beginning of my journey. We all start somewhere in our creative process and gradually improve our skills along the way. My UA-cam journey I consider to be the same. Thanks for your patience!
It was certainly up to you to make such a clarification, if you so chose to, & you did choose to, but the harassing you were subjected to about the sound by a few individuals & that put pressure on you about this matter was not right, Pointebrush, & I would strongly suggest you not worry about it any further, my friend. It may be necessary to exercise your right do what another benevolent UA-camr advised you to do, & it is a thing I have had to do before during my many years here on UA-cam, & that is to block the accounts of those who are antagonistic & bent on trying to bring your spirit down. And I am telling you right now, some of these persons who go on particular channels go on with no other intent than to be malevolent trolls, but you cannot let them bring you down. There is a thing called "constructive criticism," & some of the malevolent try to come across as if that is what they are offering, them putting hearts, etc, emojis to make it seem like it is all in good faith, when in fact it is all an act, for what they are doing is not "constructive criticism." Their intent is to diminish you, & you have to be intent in your mind to not let them do so. One of them who was saying about how she/he changed her/his mind to subscribe to your channel because you agreed with those of us who have been defending you & your totally alright choices for your video, & because you did acknowledge that such haranguing from some viewers has been really getting to you? That person is a total fraud! Among other glaring problems with that person that shows them up as being disingenuous, a fraud, etc, is that the person's page about other channels says, "This channel doesn't feature any other channels." But yet he/she wants to make you feel bad by saying he/she is not subscribing to your channel! Total fraud. Don't let such bother you, friend. You can do without such subscribers anyway. As far as under "Playlists"? A singular playlist! And what is it? "Video game soundtracks." Yep, you read that right! And I could go on about this particular unfriendly channel mentioned above & its questionable & contradictory nature, but I'll leave it at this. I wish you the best in your good endeavors. Be blessed! 🙏🏼
Thanks! A quick tip: use a graphite stick (some are even water soluble, by Lyra or ArtGraf) and use it on its long side to cover a big area very very quickly. Lyra also has water soluble sticks in several strengths (2B to 6B) and the lines dissolve when you paint on them, which does not happen with normal graphite. Art Graf sticks are always water soluble I clean the transfer with a kneaded eraser so the lines are not so strong on the watercolour paper. Sometimes I paint with light yellows and it hekps when the graphite is very light. Thanks for this reminder. I haven't done this in a while.
You can also use plain graphite sticks or even pencils by shaving powder off with a razor or craft knife. Use a soft brush to distribute a fine layer that will work like carbon paper, but not messy. I use conte pencils for tracing too. I can vary the colour so it won't show up if some residue remains.
Well done. I'm in my late 60s and foolishly thought everyone knew how to trace images just like I did long ago at school. But I forgot about all the tec that has washed over us all and made us forget the simple things.
With respect, it would be nice that the music could not be playing. You have a great voice , and you explain very well , which I need. Have a bless day
I use an overhead projector pointing down onto my desk, photoshop to rotate my image 180 degrees and resize it, and any image I can get on my computer-has worked amazingly well for years.
I'm delighted that you're sharing this incredibly useful and clean method for transferring drawings onto watercolor paper, avoiding any mess or damage from erasing unwanted lines. Your generosity in sharing your knowledge and experience as an artist is truly appreciated. Have a fantastic day!
I tell my students if they don’t have painters tape to take the masking tape and stick it to something else first and then peel it off and use it and this takes some of the stickiness away so it doesn’t tear their paper. It works pretty well in the absence of artist tape.
I've used Sanford Design Ebony pencils to 'carbonize' the back of prints to transfer, then use a RED ball point pen as a stylus. Must admit that tending to tape all sides for secure transfer is not as efficient as taping only opposite edges and frequently checking progress by lifting. Thanks for showing an improved process.
Hi~I didn't think that anyone else used this technique! I've done the faux-carbon transfer method for years, and you're right, it works like a charm. Thanks for sharing.
Just found you and finished my first video. My gosh, girl, You. Are. Fantastic! My friend suffered the loss of a longtime much-loved pet, and I’ve been trying to find a way to give him a personal drawing/painting of his beloved Sydney. Thank you so much for helping me do that for him. New sub for sure!
Honey, THANK YOU!!!! This is exactly what I needed to see! I’m 66 and getting ready to start water coloring and have bad arthritis so I have no drawing skills at all! ❤
This is going to be extremely helpful for me because I'm not an artist. My mom passed away recently and I would like to incorporate artwork from her old Christmas cards in photo albums for my siblings and our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, et al. Thanks for sharing! Blessings of love and light to all!🙏🏼💜🙏🏼💙🙏🏼🧡🙏🏼💛🙏🏼💚🙏🏼
Well done! You are an excellent teacher ( and Im a retired teacher of 33 yrs!) . You explained everything very clearly and precisely. Thank you for this great video. New subscriber now!👏👏👏👏❤️
Thank you for the reminder about this. I've done it before, but forgot about this technique. Another tip for sketches from sketchbooks, etc: Use your phone and take a picture of the sketch. Then if you need to, you can manipulate the size. Then print it out and then trace as usual.
@kimatlastlooks I was going to comment on that same useful tip but thought I'll check the other comments first. Good one, I find it a useful method to fit into designs.
Thank you Margot , sometimes if I print off a photo from my computer I flip the photo so that it’s back to front when I trace it and then when I turn the tracing paper over the picture is the right way and you only trace once . I shall most definitely try your method
It’s cool that you’re sharing this “technique” (not a hack, not cheating) with newcomers. :). I learned this technique in high school as a Commercial Art major in the ‘70s. One thing we did was to take tracing paper and completely cover it in graphic. We kept it to use many times over. You can actually buy graphite paper in art stores now. But yes, this is a quick way to do it. :)
In fact it's not cheating. Imagine drawing that piece in a paper sheet as expensive as an Arches or Canson Heritage - just the scratches of erasing and pencil pressure over and over render the sheet useless for watercolouring. I learned that technique a long time ago as I draw first on a spare piece of paper - of which I don't care about the paper quality, then pass it over to the quality paper to paint with watercolours. It's about saving money (and effort, as you have spare copies if something happens).
Graphite paper? Oh! You mean carbon paper! Offices used to run on carbon paper and mimeographs before the invention of the xerox machine. Which is nearly obsolete.
@@plopezcopettiI also noticed the inconvenience ,quality paper is expensive so I sketch in a small sketch book then print it out to fit the watercolor paper size and trace ..plus I can still experiment with the same sketch
Hi Margo just tuned in to this. And thank you very much for it. It's very useful. Don't worry about the music etc. I was too engrossed on what you were saying and doing to let anything else bother me. And as you said you have to start somewhere. It's trial and error. You have to go through these things to know what works for you and what doesn't. Everybody has to go through that. And no matter what you, no mstter what you do you're never going to please everybody. Do what's best for you. Those that appreciate you and your work will stay with you. For those you lose, you gain more people that will stay and make up for them. Take care. God bless. Susan ❤❤❤
Have done quite a number of paintings using tracing techniques shown and also using black carbon or yellow carbon paper and various size stylus. These are great techniques for creating or composing a new painting of your own. One can create their own village, town square, island beach or dock, sport competion etc. Thank you for the video.❤🎉🎉🎉
I’m a beginner, can’t draw. Tracing twice is genius. Never heard that tip before. Thank you. I have subscribed to your channel. Look forward to more tips!❤
@sparkleme1237 You’re being rude. This is a warning. I keep this community positive and collaborative. If you have input, please do so in a respectful manner to myself and other members of my community. Otherwise I will have to moderate you. Thank you for your cooperation.
It's my firm belief that drawing is a learned skill and anyone can do it given persistence and some good lessons. There are plenty of instruction books and videos around, much of it free. If I can learn to do it well anyone can!
Thank you so much. I didn't mind the music at all and after all it's your channel and you are sharing your expertise! I would certainly notice of this person's complaint; after all, no one has to watch. Bravo to you. I have subscribed. Loved your video and I look forward to watching your others. Xxxx ❤ Beautiful presentation and incredibly helpful.
Hello Margot - Thanks for the great tip for those of us who cannot draw. I switched to use old fashioned carbon paper. I had to order carbon paper online, much cheaper than transfer paper and quicker than pencil.
Carbon paper is so messy gets all over your paper and hard to remove, graphite from a pencil or graphite paper, can be erased and made lighter with a kneaded eraser, if you buy it by the roll, it looks like wax paper in a box and you do not need to rip it off, just pull out what you need, use it… then roll it back up less messy and keeps pieces from getting lost or smeared on something else.😊
Lyrical quality of human voice, notably yours, obviates the need for ANY added music. Glad you have sorted....especially for those of us of a certain age that need ear trumpets. Best wishes. Aubrey
That will be very helpful for my art buddy who struggles with even the most simple drawing. And for me it will cut my time down on more complicated images like that house you used as an example.
Love this, we used to draw the basics with a 3B pencil on a picture then flip it over to blank paper & scribble hard over the lines we had drawn with an HB when I was a kid! I had forgotten all about it! Thank you so much.
Great technique. As we grow as artists, being flexible with our work matters more... and using tracing paper to plan out illustration placement is one of those things I'm considering to add immediately to my process.
Very helpful tutorial. I learned these techniques long ago in art classes, but then forget if I'm not using them. Your video set up and presentation is so elegant. I couldn't stop looking at the silver trays. I also love using trays for my art supplies. :)
Hello, The best compliment I can provide is that I was nervous and unsure how to begin. Now at 70 I simply wanted to sketch my own note cards. Sketched often as a youngster but not since. You've provided me the direction and confidence to get going. Thank you. Gregg
I feel the music level is just right! The level is called 'classy'. Great video, and great hack! Wow! Very nice~ I had to subscribe too because you are genius young lady!
A friend I am teaching how to do art requested a tutorial for transferring images. Thank you so much. I much prefer my light pad because I tend to get smears of graphite on my paper that I definitely didn't want. This is the way to go though for anyone just trying out what works best for them. Thank you 💖
I'm taking a learn to draw class now and the instructor talked about this method last night as we were starting on portraiture. Very slick and easy way to get the block basics of the image transeferred.
I really like this artist. She does beautiful work & the time-saving tip she's sharing is helpful. To save even more time tho and ensure more capacity for transfering VERY intricate details, you can save yourself the effort & get some sheets of black carbon paper. Tape it to the top of the watercolor paper, face down then tape the top & sides of the photocopy to the carbon paper. Then take a dead steel-tipped mechanical pen (meaning it's outta ink...example: a size 0 steel tipped Rollerball) and LIGHTLY trace the details of whatever you wanna paint through all that. Test and lift the sheets frequently to ensure you're not pressing too hard but not too light pressure either. You wanna JUST be able to make out the lines but ensure they're not *_too_* dark cuz you won't be able to erase 'em. The artist in this video is doing the same general principal except 2 avoidable problems will present: 1. Inconsistent lines because self-applied (scribbled) carbon isn't evenly /completely dispersed. 2. Risk of transfer of pencil carbon fallout when hand rests on paper. Carbon paper solves these problems. Just don't buy the blue/colored paper. Has to be het black like what used to be used in typewriters. Graphite paper works too but it's way more expensive and not dark enough. No room for tonal variables. With carbon paper, there is. This technique I described is usable for ALL mediums on several surfaces...primed metal, Arches 140 KB Hotpress, primed canvas...just gotta press harder to transfer. Sheets can be taped together too, using clear packing tape if you are using an oversized photocopy (example: 30" x 40") This from painter with 30+ years experience.
Hey, I just came across your video and I love what you've shown me. Amazing tips! Even though most people seem to have learned this already, I didn't have art as an option in high school as some kids did. I always felt that was so unfair. I believe my schedule had me down for a science or history class which is non negotiable. I'm embarrassed to say, I never knew either of these hacks but I will certainly be using them! Thank you so much! Oh, I agree about the music. I personally don't like it at all but that's besides the point. I would much rather hear you're voice. By placing the music as a "background" it actually diminishes the feeling and importance of what you're teaching/showing us. Music can be used as a filler if you aren't speaking and are time lapsing something but other than that, YOU are the only thing we want to hear. You're craft & knowledge really _is_ that important. I'm definitely going to subscribe. 🙂
I learned this in elementary school or the firsr 2 years of secondary (high school) where you hadn't specified your subjects yet and art was part of the general curriculum (in the UK its compulsory to take everything before you specify for your GED or equivalent, I assumed it was pretty much the same everywhere?)
It's not easy to find carbon paper anymore , so this is really valuable to know . Thank you so much . Yes it is usually pretty messy using carbon paper. Very good idea .
I am a beginner. Love this technique. I like architecture. Will you continue the lesson and show us how to color the building? What brush are you using? It seems ergonomically correct for thin and wide line.
This is awesome, especially for those learning how to storyboard, and have the same background, and don't always want to draw the same back ground over and over. And or it allows for like you can use or pre draw out different poses of main character and simply impose them on the same background...this is cool...and possibly saving me a lot of money.
I use graphite powder on the back of the photo, instead of a graphite pencil. It’s a bit messy, but it covers better. Just work it in with a small tissue paper (or a disposable medical glove). Then I use an indenting tool on the front of the photo. This allows me to use the photo multiple times.
Thank you . WOW ! Retired 6 months ago . 50 plus years ago drawing made me happy. Your ability to teach is fantastic . Inspired . Living in Ecuador now . Muchas Gracias Senorita Margot Hallac
I love this! Learned this in art class but enjoy seeing “real” artists putting these techniques to use. I’m rather lazy though; I just scan my sketches and can either print straight away or upload the image to easily resize it or whatever before printing. It eliminates the need to physically trace the image twice. Oh ‘tis the era of technology! 😂🤷🏼♀️😴🛌🙄
This was perfect thank you. I am not an artist, but I have a beautiful photo of a childhood home I want to do using watercolor pencils. I feel like that’s something I can do 😊
Thank you, I am a hobbyist photographer and struggle with drawing but realise now that I can add people easily into my image by using the technique you have just shown,, drawing is a hobby I have taken up recently, I am long since retired but still enjoy photography now with your help I can work both together thank you .
I have found an easier way but I've also used this technique in the past but instead of blackening the entire page I only went over the lines, then turned it over and went over the lines again on the opposite side. A long while ago I had bought a long roll of transfer paper at BLICK and had laid that under the image over a large canvas, and I went over the lines that way and it worked great. 🤗🌹
@@Pointebrush I go over the lines of the image on the front side first, and then I turn it over and go over the lines on the back side. You can't use the harder pencil as it will cut through the paper, so you have to use the softer darker one on the front side and you'll be able to see the raised lines from outlining on the backside, just make sure you press firmly when first outlining it on the front side but not too hard. If you do it that way then there'll be less smudging and blacking the entire page because when you turn it over to go over the lines then it can't smudge the entire page with graphite 😕😄🤗🌹
I do it this way too. Often I will photocopy or print a copy of the image I want to transfer, if I don't want to ruin the original. I will go over the important lines with black marker so it stands out on the reverse side. Then use shaved graphite or draw over it with a Conte pencil which acts as the transfer medium. The pastel pencils are great because you can choose your colour to blend with what you'll be using on the piece and any excess just picks up with a kneaded eraser (or blutack, my cheapo alternative!).
@@Pointebrush I put the image up against the window and craft tape it in position, or lay my laptop monitor flat and very gently trace over an image directly from the screen!
Thank you so much for this! I wanted to make a watercolor painting of a photo of a flower I had taken, and give it as a gift to a friend. This tutorial was perfect!
Thank you for sharing that simple but helpful technique. I usually use tracing paper but effectively using the image itself as 'tracing paper' will save such a lot of time.
My mom taught me these great tips when I was a kid and I'm glad I have a resource to refresh my memory on these! She was a professional artist for the Yellow pages (remember those? haha) and she especially found it so helpful that with the tracing paper method she could plan out the positioning of items before 'committing' so I'm so glad you pointed that out!
I used to do this at primary school about 200 years ago - always with a dark lead pencil (much cheaper than buying carbon paper etc. . It was great fun and very effective! Thanks for the video.
Oh wow. I used to think that artist are so skilled that they just draw everything flawlessly themselves. It never crossed my mind that they would "cheat" like this. For someone who is struggling with getting proportions right, this is so helpful!
@@Artchick1972 Really? I had no idea! With youtube artists, I wasn't suspecting it either ... but now, after this, I see it. I see it everywhere. Their drawings are just TOO perfect, and you never see them doing the actual drawing, they start with the watercolour part. My eyes have been opened, I finally understand.
@@tentativesuggestion A lot of them are also violating other people’s intellectual property. It’s not ok to trace someone else’s photograph without credit and put it on social media.
@@Artchick1972 .. maybe a few. It's an insult to a true artists ability. And puts judgement on our work and THAT is not right not fair. Please ASK your favorite artist if their work is created from 100% their own " hand ". If NOT. ...the price should be decreased.
I bought an instruction DVD many years ago put out by a very high profile producer of such materials by many different artists. This was on pencil portrait drawing from imagination. Watching it again later on a much newer screen revealed a very very faint outline of the face this artist supposedly drew for us on screen purely from imagination as he went along. Eye opening, to say the least. Also reassuring that these are methods, not underhanded cheating that should make one ashamed of using them. While good drawing skills are important, even to painting, it is fine to use these techniques while learning and to save time. It's so frustrating as a beginner when you can't make your marks on the paper look anywhere near what you're aiming for, and I think many give it up before making much progress because they're just not having fun.
A great reminder… I was a designer for years.. now retired. I wanted to start a daily sketchbook. I have always used these techniques through the years, but just overlooked them in my thought process of casual daily sketchbook documentation. Thanks for the reminder.
LOVE that great minds think alike. I have been doing this when I transfer and didn't even now it was a thing. Just thought, why not?? Always appreciate your insight and your talent is so "Off the HOOK". Delightful to see you sharing all the tips and secrets with us, making us all better in watercolor.
Thank you for your great tips! I like it as you said, don't need to buy the transfer paper and I can just do it right away as I already have everything else to do it. :)
Hi there! Thank you so much! You’re absolutely right and it’s one of those beginner mistakes I made when I started out my channel 😩 I’ve changed things since. Hope you were still able to hear over the racket 😝
@@Pointebrush Hahaha, yes I have!😄Although my english is not very good I enjoy watching your videos. But even better without music😉🤗😘 Best wishes from germany
Been doing this for years. Works very well normally. I no longer use commercial copying paper. I have found it tends to smear rather easily. At times it will leave far too much carbon on the watercolor paper. And to make matters worse at times, you have real trouble erasing it from the watercolor paper. It may smear even more. With some erasers, it will not erase. This can lead to some overly wide pencil marks on your final painting.
Yes! I agree and that’s exactly why I don’t use the store bought stuff. Nothing a more frustrating than tracking carbon or graphite smudges across your paper.
@@KMELT - I use regular typing paper. Once printed, I apply graphite to the back, making sure I cover over all of the photograph. I then set the photograph picture side up on top of my watercolor paper (assuming I intend to paint the photograph without enlarging or cutting down the painting.-OkieSketcher1949
@@KMELT I find that the cheaper the printer paper, the better because the cheaper papers are typically much thinner and don't even have a coating on them which makes them idea for this. I usually just go to a big box or discount store and find whatever's cheapest.
Thank you for this video! I messed up really badly on a school project and had no idea how to fix it (thanks anxiety), and this video gave me an easy fix to my problem as well as reminding me of the tools I have at home.
Love your videos and your very friendly, confident and professional demeanor. I have a suggestion-please turn down the music. It can be difficult to hear you over it. I’m a new subscriber and have learned so much! Thank you!
Hi! New sub here. I’m so glad I came across your channel. Your knowledge has been invaluable. I’m in my 40s now and been wanting to get back into watercolor painting but always get stuck with the sketching part which I’m not very good at. I find it very overwhelming and I tend to overthink a lot. Now I know some techniques thanks to you. You got me excited and looking forward to my love of paintings again. Efharisto poli! Much love from Greece 🇬🇷 ❤
Great tips! I might also try scribbling the back of the page with watercolour pencils and see if that works - in the hope that it does, and that the traced image can be blended 😊
Washi tape works about the same as artist tape - those who have crafty stuff may have Washi tape on hand already. Also, another easy way to transfer a picture is to connect your laptop to a small video projector - tape your paper to the wall, project the image on the paper and then sketch the image on the paper.
Thanks for your comment and I agree! It was when I was first starting out on UA-cam and didn’t know better (typical rookie mistake) 😂 Thank you for your patience! 🙏
This was so helpful. Thank you. I remember this from school. Hahaha but had totally forgotten about it. Thank you for such simple tips but oh so affective. I have def subscribed x🌸
*Note to viewers about the sound.* You may have noticed that the audio levels on this video are off and the music is too loud. This video was recorded a year ago when I was first starting out on UA-cam. As a new filmmaker, I made the rookie mistake of editing and mixing the audio levels incorrectly. With each video, I look to improve upon the last one that was made. Hopefully you won't judge the content of my channel based on content that was produced at the beginning of my journey. We all start somewhere in our creative process and gradually improve our skills along the way. My UA-cam journey I consider to be the same. Thanks for your patience!
It was certainly up to you to make such a clarification, if you so chose to, & you did choose to, but the harassing you were subjected to about the sound by a few individuals & that put pressure on you about this matter was not right, Pointebrush, & I would strongly suggest you not worry about it any further, my friend.
It may be necessary to exercise your right do what another benevolent UA-camr advised you to do, & it is a thing I have had to do before during my many years here on UA-cam, & that is to block the accounts of those who are antagonistic & bent on trying to bring your spirit down.
And I am telling you right now, some of these persons who go on particular channels go on with no other intent than to be malevolent trolls, but you cannot let them bring you down. There is a thing called "constructive criticism," & some of the malevolent try to come across as if that is what they are offering, them putting hearts, etc, emojis to make it seem like it is all in good faith, when in fact it is all an act, for what they are doing is not "constructive criticism." Their intent is to diminish you, & you have to be intent in your mind to not let them do so.
One of them who was saying about how she/he changed her/his mind to subscribe to your channel because you agreed with those of us who have been defending you & your totally alright choices for your video, & because you did acknowledge that such haranguing from some viewers has been really getting to you? That person is a total fraud! Among other glaring problems with that person that shows them up as being disingenuous, a fraud, etc, is that the person's page about other channels says, "This channel doesn't feature any other channels." But yet he/she wants to make you feel bad by saying he/she is not subscribing to your channel! Total fraud. Don't let such bother you, friend. You can do without such subscribers anyway.
As far as under "Playlists"? A singular playlist! And what is it? "Video game soundtracks." Yep, you read that right!
And I could go on about this particular unfriendly channel mentioned above & its questionable & contradictory nature, but I'll leave it at this.
I wish you the best in your good endeavors. Be blessed! 🙏🏼
I was too engrossed with what you were doing to even notice!
Sound is fine for me 🙃thank you for the video
Glad to hear
Anyway, you don't need that music,you have a lovely voice yourself 😊
We used to use this method in primary school in the 70's...had forgotten all about it. Thank you for reminder
Thanks! A quick tip: use a graphite stick (some are even water soluble, by Lyra or ArtGraf) and use it on its long side to cover a big area very very quickly. Lyra also has water soluble sticks in several strengths (2B to 6B) and the lines dissolve when you paint on them, which does not happen with normal graphite. Art Graf sticks are always water soluble I clean the transfer with a kneaded eraser so the lines are not so strong on the watercolour paper. Sometimes I paint with light yellows and it hekps when the graphite is very light. Thanks for this reminder. I haven't done this in a while.
You can also use plain graphite sticks or even pencils by shaving powder off with a razor or craft knife. Use a soft brush to distribute a fine layer that will work like carbon paper, but not messy. I use conte pencils for tracing too. I can vary the colour so it won't show up if some residue remains.
Some very good advice, but I do agree that it is hard to concentrate as the music is too loud.
Kitchen parchment paper is translucent .It’s easy to trace( I’ve tried and it works)
That's what I use if I need to trace something! Used it since I was a kid, as I couldn't get my hands on real tracing paper back then.
Great idea!
Freezer paper.
I do the same..this method might transfer graphite on to the paper😊
Try bleaching the parchment then iron it when it's dry. It's even better.
Well done. I'm in my late 60s and foolishly thought everyone knew how to trace images just like I did long ago at school. But I forgot about all the tec that has washed over us all and made us forget the simple things.
With respect, it would be nice that the music could not be playing. You have a great voice , and you explain very well , which I need. Have a bless day
I use an overhead projector pointing down onto my desk, photoshop to rotate my image 180 degrees and resize it, and any image I can get on my computer-has worked amazingly well for years.
I'm delighted that you're sharing this incredibly useful and clean method for transferring drawings onto watercolor paper, avoiding any mess or damage from erasing unwanted lines. Your generosity in sharing your knowledge and experience as an artist is truly appreciated. Have a fantastic day!
I tell my students if they don’t have painters tape to take the masking tape and stick it to something else first and then peel it off and use it and this takes some of the stickiness away so it doesn’t tear their paper. It works pretty well in the absence of artist tape.
Oh! Nice tips! Thanks for sharing!
They taught us this in school, back in the day, for drawing maps. You can also use a lightbox.
I found a light box, at least mine, does not work because the art paper is too thick.
I've used Sanford Design Ebony pencils to 'carbonize' the back of prints to transfer, then use a RED ball point pen as a stylus. Must admit that tending to tape all sides for secure transfer is not as efficient as taping only opposite edges and frequently checking progress by lifting. Thanks for showing an improved process.
OMG - I remember being taight this as a child at school - I'd COMPLETELY forgotten. Many Thanks for reminding me, I'll be sure to give it a try.
I'm learning how to paint and it never occurred to me to transfer an image this way. Thanks for the reminder of a simple yet clever method.
have you heard of old-school carbon paper ??
@@raymondo162 Too messy, this is a cool hack!!
Hi~I didn't think that anyone else used this technique! I've done the faux-carbon transfer method for years, and you're right, it works like a charm. Thanks for sharing.
Just found you and finished my first video. My gosh, girl, You. Are. Fantastic!
My friend suffered the loss of a longtime much-loved pet, and I’ve been trying to find a way to give him a personal drawing/painting of his beloved Sydney. Thank you so much for helping me do that for him. New sub for sure!
Honey, THANK YOU!!!! This is exactly what I needed to see! I’m 66 and getting ready to start water coloring and have bad arthritis so I have no drawing skills at all! ❤
have you heard of old-school carbon paper ??
@@raymondo162 I actually bought some recently! I’m wanting to trace a dragonfly to paint♥️
This is going to be extremely helpful for me because I'm not an artist. My mom passed away recently and I would like to incorporate artwork from her old Christmas cards in photo albums for my siblings and our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, et al. Thanks for sharing! Blessings of love and light to all!🙏🏼💜🙏🏼💙🙏🏼🧡🙏🏼💛🙏🏼💚🙏🏼
Well done! You are an excellent teacher ( and Im a retired teacher of 33 yrs!) . You explained everything very clearly and precisely. Thank you for this great video. New subscriber now!👏👏👏👏❤️
Thank you for the reminder about this. I've done it before, but forgot about this technique. Another tip for sketches from sketchbooks, etc: Use your phone and take a picture of the sketch. Then if you need to, you can manipulate the size. Then print it out and then trace as usual.
@kimatlastlooks I was going to comment on that same useful tip but thought I'll check the other comments first. Good one, I find it a useful method to fit into designs.
Thank you Margot , sometimes if I print off a photo from my computer I flip the photo so that it’s back to front when I trace it and then when I turn the tracing paper over the picture is the right way and you only trace once . I shall most definitely try your method
It’s cool that you’re sharing this “technique” (not a hack, not cheating) with newcomers. :). I learned this technique in high school as a Commercial Art major in the ‘70s. One thing we did was to take tracing paper and completely cover it in graphic. We kept it to use many times over. You can actually buy graphite paper in art stores now. But yes, this is a quick way to do it. :)
Did you have to use lighter fluid after you rubbed all the graphite on?
@@M0odyBlue I use a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol.
In fact it's not cheating. Imagine drawing that piece in a paper sheet as expensive as an Arches or Canson Heritage - just the scratches of erasing and pencil pressure over and over render the sheet useless for watercolouring. I learned that technique a long time ago as I draw first on a spare piece of paper - of which I don't care about the paper quality, then pass it over to the quality paper to paint with watercolours. It's about saving money (and effort, as you have spare copies if something happens).
Graphite paper? Oh! You mean carbon paper! Offices used to run on carbon paper and mimeographs before the invention of the xerox machine. Which is nearly obsolete.
@@plopezcopettiI also noticed the inconvenience ,quality paper is expensive so I sketch in a small sketch book then print it out to fit the watercolor paper size and trace ..plus I can still experiment with the same sketch
Hi Margo just tuned in to this. And thank you very much for it. It's very useful. Don't worry about the music etc. I was too engrossed on what you were saying and doing to let anything else bother me. And as you said you have to start somewhere. It's trial and error. You have to go through these things to know what works for you and what doesn't. Everybody has to go through that. And no matter what you, no mstter what you do you're never going to please everybody. Do what's best for you. Those that appreciate you and your work will stay with you. For those you lose, you gain more people that will stay and make up for them. Take care. God bless. Susan ❤❤❤
Patty- I was glad to see both techniques demonstrated. Makes it easier to visualize. Thank you.
Have done quite a number of paintings using tracing techniques shown and also using black carbon or yellow carbon paper and various size stylus.
These are great techniques for creating or composing a new painting of your own.
One can create their own village, town square, island beach or dock, sport competion etc.
Thank you for the video.❤🎉🎉🎉
I’m a beginner, can’t draw. Tracing twice is genius. Never heard that tip before. Thank you. I have subscribed to your channel. Look forward to more tips!❤
I’m going to have to correct you. You can’t draw… yet. You will 😉 Glad this tip helps you in the interim
@sparkleme1237 You’re being rude. This is a warning. I keep this community positive and collaborative. If you have input, please do so in a respectful manner to myself and other members of my community. Otherwise I will have to moderate you. Thank you for your cooperation.
It's my firm belief that drawing is a learned skill and anyone can do it given persistence and some good lessons. There are plenty of instruction books and videos around, much of it free. If I can learn to do it well anyone can!
Thank you so much. I didn't mind the music at all and after all it's your channel and you are sharing your expertise! I would certainly notice of this person's complaint; after all, no one has to watch. Bravo to you. I have subscribed. Loved your video and I look forward to watching your others. Xxxx ❤ Beautiful presentation and incredibly helpful.
Nicely done and explained! Graphite paper works well, too. 🙂
And doesn't smudge like pencil will when you're working on it.
duh
Works much better than the video method, unless you can’t afford the paper. You can use the graphite/tracing paper over and over, too.
Graphite paper in rolls works really good and a sheet can be used numerous times.
Hello Margot - Thanks for the great tip for those of us who cannot draw. I switched to use old fashioned carbon paper. I had to order carbon paper online, much cheaper than transfer paper and quicker than pencil.
Carbon paper is so messy gets all over your paper and hard to remove, graphite from a pencil or graphite paper, can be erased and made lighter with a kneaded eraser, if you buy it by the roll, it looks like wax paper in a box and you do not need to rip it off, just pull out what you need, use it… then roll it back up less messy and keeps pieces from getting lost or smeared on something else.😊
Lyrical quality of human voice, notably yours, obviates the need for ANY added music. Glad you have sorted....especially for those of us of a certain age that need ear trumpets. Best wishes. Aubrey
Margot, thank you, I really love the way your so gently, carefully and expertly showed me your technique.
That will be very helpful for my art buddy who struggles with even the most simple drawing. And for me it will cut my time down on more complicated images like that house you used as an example.
Love this, we used to draw the basics with a 3B pencil on a picture then flip it over to blank paper & scribble hard over the lines we had drawn with an HB when I was a kid! I had forgotten all about it! Thank you so much.
A classic right? Glad it helped you remember it!
Well done!! I also picked up a few pointers from the comments. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
It’s always a pleasure. Thank you for watching!
Great technique. As we grow as artists, being flexible with our work matters more... and using tracing paper to plan out illustration placement is one of those things I'm considering to add immediately to my process.
have you heard of old-school carbon paper ??
@@raymondo162 I've never tried it. I added tracing paper to my collection. But right now I predominately use lightbox and projector.
I subscribed because I was so thankful for this tip, have used graphite paper in the past didn’t even think of pencilling the back. Thank you.
You’re so welcome!
I do this method all the time, and yet still watched the whole video 😂 thank you, I loved it 🤗🇬🇧
Awww well that makes me happy! Thank you for watching!!
Me too. I love the comments on videos like this too. Often pick up other little tips and tricks in those.
@@lucydayLucida ..yes! Me too 😁
What a great idea! I love your art work and tutorials. Schumann in the background is a bonus!
Very helpful tutorial. I learned these techniques long ago in art classes, but then forget if I'm not using them. Your video set up and presentation is so elegant. I couldn't stop looking at the silver trays. I also love using trays for my art supplies. :)
So happy it was a good reminder! It's a life saver for me ;) And thank you so much! I love my trays and pretty desk things! lol
I learned this in primary school about grade 4
I concur. Absolutely so much easier.
Hello, The best compliment I can provide is that I was nervous and unsure how to begin. Now at 70 I simply wanted to sketch my own note cards. Sketched often as a youngster but not since. You've provided me the direction and confidence to get going. Thank you. Gregg
Just found you and your such a good teacher. So clear and concise love your channel...
Thank you Margot Hallac for your detailed demo on how to transfer a drawing or a sketch. You have made a quite clear!
have you heard of old-school carbon paper ??
Such a good idea !!! Never thought about using the back of printed picture itself ! Thank you for this good tip👍👍👍
have you heard of old-school carbon paper ??
@@raymondo162 yes !! It could be a good idea too👍
I feel the music level is just right! The level is called 'classy'. Great video, and great hack! Wow! Very nice~ I had to subscribe too because you are genius young lady!
New to your channel, new to watercolour - absolutely love you and your work - thankyou Lynne (australia)
Thank you so much Lynne! 🙏😘🦘
A friend I am teaching how to do art requested a tutorial for transferring images. Thank you so much. I much prefer my light pad because I tend to get smears of graphite on my paper that I definitely didn't want. This is the way to go though for anyone just trying out what works best for them. Thank you 💖
enjoyed your video thank you. i also have to agree transfer paper is a little messy but this technique you showed looks easier...
Hope it helps you in your art adventures! 😘
I'm taking a learn to draw class now and the instructor talked about this method last night as we were starting on portraiture. Very slick and easy way to get the block basics of the image transeferred.
Margot i literally love You.. This is solution i was looking for. Thank You so much!
Awww You’re most welcome! Glad you found it helpful!
I really like this artist. She does beautiful work & the time-saving tip she's sharing is helpful.
To save even more time tho and ensure more capacity for
transfering VERY intricate details, you can save yourself the effort & get some sheets of black carbon paper. Tape it to the top of the watercolor paper, face down then tape the top & sides of the photocopy to the carbon paper. Then take a dead steel-tipped mechanical pen (meaning it's outta ink...example: a size 0 steel tipped Rollerball) and LIGHTLY trace the details of whatever you wanna paint through all that. Test and lift the sheets frequently to ensure you're not pressing too hard but not too light pressure either. You wanna JUST be able to make out the lines but ensure they're not *_too_* dark cuz you won't be able to erase 'em.
The artist in this video is doing the same general principal except 2 avoidable problems will present:
1. Inconsistent lines because self-applied (scribbled) carbon isn't evenly /completely dispersed.
2. Risk of transfer of pencil carbon fallout when hand rests on paper.
Carbon paper solves these problems.
Just don't buy the blue/colored paper. Has to be het black like what used to be used in typewriters.
Graphite paper works too but it's way more expensive and not dark enough. No room for tonal variables. With carbon paper, there is.
This technique I described is usable for ALL mediums on several surfaces...primed metal, Arches 140 KB Hotpress, primed canvas...just gotta press harder to transfer.
Sheets can be taped together too, using clear packing tape if you are using an oversized photocopy (example: 30" x 40")
This from painter with 30+ years experience.
Hey, I just came across your video and I love what you've shown me. Amazing tips! Even though most people seem to have learned this already, I didn't have art as an option in high school as some kids did. I always felt that was so unfair. I believe my schedule had me down for a science or history class which is non negotiable.
I'm embarrassed to say, I never knew either of these hacks but I will certainly be using them! Thank you so much!
Oh, I agree about the music. I personally don't like it at all but that's besides the point. I would much rather hear you're voice. By placing the music as a "background" it actually diminishes the feeling and importance of what you're teaching/showing us. Music can be used as a filler if you aren't speaking and are time lapsing something but other than that, YOU are the only thing we want to hear. You're craft & knowledge really _is_ that important.
I'm definitely going to subscribe. 🙂
I learned this in elementary school or the firsr 2 years of secondary (high school) where you hadn't specified your subjects yet and art was part of the general curriculum (in the UK its compulsory to take everything before you specify for your GED or equivalent, I assumed it was pretty much the same everywhere?)
It's not easy to find carbon paper anymore , so this is really valuable to know . Thank you so much . Yes it is usually pretty messy using carbon paper. Very good idea .
I am a beginner. Love this technique. I like architecture. Will you continue the lesson and show us how to color the building? What brush are you using? It seems ergonomically correct for thin and wide line.
This is awesome, especially for those learning how to storyboard, and have the same background, and don't always want to draw the same back ground over and over.
And or it allows for like you can use or pre draw out different poses of main character and simply impose them on the same background...this is cool...and possibly saving me a lot of money.
I use graphite powder on the back of the photo, instead of a graphite pencil. It’s a bit messy, but it covers better. Just work it in with a small tissue paper (or a disposable medical glove). Then I use an indenting tool on the front of the photo. This allows me to use the photo multiple times.
Thank you . WOW ! Retired 6 months ago . 50 plus years ago drawing made me happy. Your ability to teach is fantastic . Inspired . Living in Ecuador now . Muchas Gracias Senorita Margot Hallac
You’re most welcome! Thank you for commenting! 💕
I love this! Learned this in art class but enjoy seeing “real” artists putting these techniques to use. I’m rather lazy though; I just scan my sketches and can either print straight away or upload the image to easily resize it or whatever before printing. It eliminates the need to physically trace the image twice. Oh ‘tis the era of technology! 😂🤷🏼♀️😴🛌🙄
Learned this more than 50 years ago in art school. Still use it today. Thanks for sharing. 👍
This was perfect thank you. I am not an artist, but I have a beautiful photo of a childhood home I want to do using watercolor pencils. I feel like that’s something I can do 😊
Oh I'm so glad! And I hope it makes your childhood home drawing much easier as a result!
@@Pointebrush I went to staples and for under $2 they printed it out 12x16, and I penciled the back and it worked beautifully😍😍
@@chlexiel.1022 Love hearing that! Thank you for letting me know!!
Well done how can we see it 😊
Thank you, I am a hobbyist photographer and struggle with drawing but realise now that I can add people easily into my image by using the technique you have just shown,, drawing is a hobby I have taken up recently, I am long since retired but still enjoy photography now with your help I can work both together thank you .
Wax free graphite paper works really well, and isn't messy.
Thanks for watching! What brand do you buy? I’ll look into it 😉
Saral
I love the method to preview. It would come in handy with painting multiple images from different photos that are single pictures.
I have found an easier way but I've also used this technique in the past but instead of blackening the entire page I only went over the lines, then turned it over and went over the lines again on the opposite side.
A long while ago I had bought a long roll of transfer paper at BLICK and had laid that under the image over a large canvas, and I went over the lines that way and it worked great. 🤗🌹
Interesting! To go over the lines only, do you use a lightbox to get the perfect trace or do you just go with a mirror image of your original?
@@Pointebrush I go over the lines of the image on the front side first, and then I turn it over and go over the lines on the back side. You can't use the harder pencil as it will cut through the paper, so you have to use the softer darker one on the front side and you'll be able to see the raised lines from outlining on the backside, just make sure you press firmly when first outlining it on the front side but not too hard. If you do it that way then there'll be less smudging and blacking the entire page because when you turn it over to go over the lines then it can't smudge the entire page with graphite 😕😄🤗🌹
I do it this way too. Often I will photocopy or print a copy of the image I want to transfer, if I don't want to ruin the original. I will go over the important lines with black marker so it stands out on the reverse side. Then use shaved graphite or draw over it with a Conte pencil which acts as the transfer medium. The pastel pencils are great because you can choose your colour to blend with what you'll be using on the piece and any excess just picks up with a kneaded eraser (or blutack, my cheapo alternative!).
@@Pointebrush I put the image up against the window and craft tape it in position, or lay my laptop monitor flat and very gently trace over an image directly from the screen!
Very nice video. Instructive, useful and chique! Thanks!
Thank you so much for this! I wanted to make a watercolor painting of a photo of a flower I had taken, and give it as a gift to a friend. This tutorial was perfect!
I’m so happy it was useful! And hope your friend enjoyed the painting 😉
Thank you for sharing that simple but helpful technique. I usually use tracing paper but effectively using the image itself as 'tracing paper' will save such a lot of time.
have you heard of old-school carbon paper ??
Yes, that's a great idea to try. Thanks for mentioning it. C xx
My mom taught me these great tips when I was a kid and I'm glad I have a resource to refresh my memory on these! She was a professional artist for the Yellow pages (remember those? haha) and she especially found it so helpful that with the tracing paper method she could plan out the positioning of items before 'committing' so I'm so glad you pointed that out!
I used to do this at primary school about 200 years ago - always with a dark lead pencil (much cheaper than buying carbon paper etc. . It was great fun and very effective! Thanks for the video.
I have one question. As a vampire how do you deal with en plein air painting? 🦇 jk Thanks for watching!
@@Pointebrushwhat is en plein air painting?? regards Al Fresco
Thank you Margot! Very useful!
What a lovely, classy lady.
Thankyou.
Oh wow. I used to think that artist are so skilled that they just draw everything flawlessly themselves. It never crossed my mind that they would "cheat" like this. For someone who is struggling with getting proportions right, this is so helpful!
Even the famous artists traced
@@Artchick1972 Really? I had no idea! With youtube artists, I wasn't suspecting it either ... but now, after this, I see it. I see it everywhere. Their drawings are just TOO perfect, and you never see them doing the actual drawing, they start with the watercolour part. My eyes have been opened, I finally understand.
@@tentativesuggestion A lot of them are also violating other people’s intellectual property. It’s not ok to trace someone else’s photograph without credit and put it on social media.
@@Artchick1972 .. maybe a few. It's an insult to a true artists ability. And puts judgement on our work and THAT is not right not fair. Please ASK your favorite artist if their work is created from 100% their own " hand ". If NOT. ...the price should be decreased.
I bought an instruction DVD many years ago put out by a very high profile producer of such materials by many different artists. This was on pencil portrait drawing from imagination. Watching it again later on a much newer screen revealed a very very faint outline of the face this artist supposedly drew for us on screen purely from imagination as he went along. Eye opening, to say the least. Also reassuring that these are methods, not underhanded cheating that should make one ashamed of using them. While good drawing skills are important, even to painting, it is fine to use these techniques while learning and to save time. It's so frustrating as a beginner when you can't make your marks on the paper look anywhere near what you're aiming for, and I think many give it up before making much progress because they're just not having fun.
A great reminder… I was a designer for years.. now retired. I wanted to start a daily sketchbook. I have always used these techniques through the years, but just overlooked them in my thought process of casual daily sketchbook documentation. Thanks for the reminder.
Glad I could be of help! Thank you for watching and stopping by!
LOVE that great minds think alike. I have been doing this when I transfer and didn't even now it was a thing. Just thought, why not??
Always appreciate your insight and your talent is so "Off the HOOK". Delightful to see you sharing all the tips and secrets with us, making us all better in watercolor.
Artists have actually been doing this for generations. :D. It just makes sense. :)
Thank you for your great tips! I like it as you said, don't need to buy the transfer paper and I can just do it right away as I already have everything else to do it. :)
Hallo Margot. Love your Video. But turn the music off please. The music is very annoying if you want to listen to you. Best wishes and a happy day.🤗
Hi there! Thank you so much! You’re absolutely right and it’s one of those beginner mistakes I made when I started out my channel 😩 I’ve changed things since. Hope you were still able to hear over the racket 😝
@@Pointebrush Hahaha, yes I have!😄Although my english is not very good I enjoy watching your videos. But even better without music😉🤗😘 Best wishes from germany
It's a matter of opinion. I love the music!! And the video. Thank you for this video. ❤
I prefer no music on any video because I’m frequently watching videos while listening to my own music.
Came here to say the same! Glad to see you’ve rectified it now.
What a great video! So helpful! I ❤ the music. Thank you indeed.
Been doing this for years. Works very well normally. I no longer use commercial copying paper. I have found it tends to smear rather easily. At times it will leave far too much carbon on the watercolor paper. And to make matters worse at times, you have real trouble erasing it from the watercolor paper. It may smear even more. With some erasers, it will not erase. This can lead to some overly wide pencil marks on your final painting.
Yes! I agree and that’s exactly why I don’t use the store bought stuff. Nothing a more frustrating than tracking carbon or graphite smudges across your paper.
What paper do you recommend using for the print out of the photo? I’m so excited to try this!!
@@KMELT - I use regular typing paper. Once printed, I apply graphite to the back, making sure I cover over all of the photograph. I then set the photograph picture side up on top of my watercolor paper (assuming I intend to paint the photograph without enlarging or cutting down the painting.-OkieSketcher1949
@@KMELT I find that the cheaper the printer paper, the better because the cheaper papers are typically much thinner and don't even have a coating on them which makes them idea for this. I usually just go to a big box or discount store and find whatever's cheapest.
Thank you for this video! I messed up really badly on a school project and had no idea how to fix it (thanks anxiety), and this video gave me an easy fix to my problem as well as reminding me of the tools I have at home.
Excellent tutorial. You teach well. It is clear and easy to follow. I look forward to your other tutorials ❤triple thumbs up.
I've used this 'hack' for 30 years! Love it.
Love your videos and your very friendly, confident and professional demeanor. I have a suggestion-please turn down the music. It can be difficult to hear you over it. I’m a new subscriber and have learned so much! Thank you!
That was my thought also.
I love the music... Each to their own 🙂
Thank you for mentioning this. I love piano music, but I have hearing loss issues and it makes it difficult to understand the words.
I remember doing this at school! That was 55 years ago 😂. Thank you reviving old memories 😊
It’s a good trick if you don’t have graphite paper but it’s easier to use graphite paper, which can be used over and over
Thanks for a great tip. This is an excellent video. Great job.
Don’t need the music as it makes it harder to hear you
Just turn the volume down then u'll not hear the music 🎶😊
I love the music! 🎶🎵💕
I don’t mind the music, but I wish it wasn’t as loud so I could hear better
I want to hear what you’re saying, so I don’t want to just turn down the volume.
Hi! New sub here. I’m so glad I came across your channel. Your knowledge has been invaluable. I’m in my 40s now and been wanting to get back into watercolor painting but always get stuck with the sketching part which I’m not very good at. I find it very overwhelming and I tend to overthink a lot. Now I know some techniques thanks to you. You got me excited and looking forward to my love of paintings again. Efharisto poli! Much love from Greece 🇬🇷 ❤
Thanks for the tutorial! I’ve got to try this. Awesome video like always 👏
Thank you Naira!! Hope it helps! 😘
Great tips! I might also try scribbling the back of the page with watercolour pencils and see if that works - in the hope that it does, and that the traced image can be blended 😊
Washi tape works about the same as artist tape - those who have crafty stuff may have Washi tape on hand already. Also, another easy way to transfer a picture is to connect your laptop to a small video projector - tape your paper to the wall, project the image on the paper and then sketch the image on the paper.
Wonderful advice. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you this was really helpful. But if you can please remove the background music would help us concentrate on what you are saying.
Thanks for the tip. No worries on the music. I could hear you just fine and it was very classy music.
Thank you for sharing! This will help in making multiple cards of the same image, so much easier!
Yes, NO music please!!
This is an excellent tutorial. I am so glad I found you!
Thanks for the information. FYI the music in the background is distracting and competing with you.
Thanks!
I enjoyed your video, but I had a little trouble hearing you because the music was a little too loud and competed with your voice.
I remember doing this at school many years ago. Interesting to see someone still doing it in this high tech age. Some things just work.
Good vid but lose the music. I would rather just listen to what you are saying - which is the whole point.
Thanks for your comment and I agree! It was when I was first starting out on UA-cam and didn’t know better (typical rookie mistake) 😂 Thank you for your patience! 🙏
I agree music is off putting to say the least and drowns the voice.
This was so helpful. Thank you. I remember this from school. Hahaha but had totally forgotten about it. Thank you for such simple tips but oh so affective. I have def subscribed x🌸