Expert: Valerie Zwart - 8/18/2007

Question
I have a picture of what I want to try to watercolor  paint.My problem is I can not draw.How do I transfer the picture onto a watercolor canvas? I think carbon paper would be too dark and do not know if it would come off the canvas?

Answer
The easiest way is to photocopy your picture, setting the machine's light/dark to capture as much detail as you can. (Don't rule out the possibility of doing more than one copy with different settings for different areas, as photocopier results are notoriously uneven.) Make the copy/ies the same size that you want the watercolor to be. Then turn your photocopy over, and with a B or HB pencil + some pressure, cover the entire back of the photocopy evenly with graphite; nice and dark. Flip the photocopy back over tape it down (so it doesn't shift or mess up your watercolor paper) over the watercolor paper and trace the lines of your picture. It's best to avoid using a lot of pressure for this, just enough so that you can make out the lines (tip: do a couple of lines and then check to see if you can see them). A blue ballpoint pen is particularly useful to use for this because using it you'll be able to see where you've traced on the photocopy. Have fun!