How to Transfer a Sketch to Canvas (2 Easy Ways)

Graphite paper is a thin sheet with one dark, chalky side and one shiny side. The dark side is what transfers. Lay it on your canvas dark side down and smooth it flat with your hand. Center it under where your design will go. If the sheet is bigger than the canvas, fold it or trim it so it sits flat with no lumps.

Place your printout on top of the graphite paper, right side up, exactly where you want the design to land. Jasmine sets the sunflower toward the left so the lettering fits on the right. Tape the graphite paper to the canvas with a couple of small pieces, then tape the printout down too. The graphite sheet is slippery, so both layers need it.

Sharpen your pencil to a fine point. Trace over every line of the design with normal writing pressure. Graphite paper releases easily, so there is no need to press hard. Start at one corner and work across so you can keep track of which petals are done. A fine point gives you a thin, accurate line on the canvas.

Move on to the lettering with the same steady pressure. Follow the outside edge of each letter so you end up with an outline to fill with paint later. Go slowly around curves and loops. If your pencil dulls, stop and sharpen it. A blunt tip makes a thick, fuzzy line that is harder to paint inside.

Before you take everything off, lift one corner of the printout and the graphite paper and check for missed lines. When you are happy, peel off the tape and remove both sheets. The whole design is now on the canvas in clear, dark graphite lines, ready to paint. Keep the graphite sheet. You can use it many more times.

No graphite paper? Flip your printout face down. With a regular pencil, shade over the back of every line in the design. The layer of graphite on the back works like homemade transfer paper. Press firmly. The darker the shading, the darker the lines on your canvas. For lettering you can shade a rough patch over the whole word.

Turn the printout back over so the shaded side faces the canvas. Position it where you want the design and tape it down with a few pieces along the edges. Add one more piece for good measure. It must not move at all while you trace, or the lines will double.

Trace every line again, this time pressing much harder than you did with graphite paper. The pressure pushes the shading on the back onto the canvas. Jasmine starts with the center circle, then works around the petals and finishes with the lettering. Sharpen the pencil whenever it dulls so the lines stay crisp.

Lift a corner to check, then remove the tape and the printout. The design is on the canvas, but lighter than with graphite paper. It is usually enough to paint from. If some lines are too faint, tape the printout back in the same spot and go over them again with more pressure.