How to Transfer Your Sketches for Mass Production

Recently I became quite involved with a quilt block painting. It took about ten hours to measure every detail and sketch it onto the 18 x 18-inch piece of oak on which it would eventually be painted. Painting time was only a few hours compared to the sketching time, but a client asked for a quilt block painting, so I was happy to produce it. After delivering the finished painting with its custom frame to the store, I immediately had orders for several more paintings. I groaned profusely, but how could I pass up the money? And, after all the painting really did turn out nice.

I was speaking with my husband about the drawing time of the piece and how much time I was going to lose just measuring and sketching the piece over and over again. He looked at me with a matter of fact stare and asked, "Why don't you just copy it?" Immediately my mind started turning, could it be done?

I am not a traditionally trained artist. My art education comes from art for elementary school teachers, gobs of art history classes, and years of hands on experience. In some areas, I know much more theory than actual technique. So, I headed for Joplin, MO and consulted the art expert at one of my favorite craft stores. I found that there was in fact a way to copy my sketches! In fact, it is quite easy, and any level artist should be able to do it. Copying your original sketches saves time and can help you reproduce a large quantity of works that mirror your original designs. This technique should be learned by every die hard crafter and artist.

Materials:

Sketch book paper
Erasable charcoal paper
Canvas or wood
Masking tape
Pencil
Eraser

Draw your work inside your sketch book. I purchased an 18 x 24-inch sketch book. Many of my paintings are 18x 18-inches, so it was crucial that my sketch book was the right dimensions. You can use a smaller sketchbook. Just make sure that you have plenty of paper to work with.

Place either your canvas or a piece of wood onto a flat workspace. My clients prefer paintings on wood, but canvas will work just as well. Tape the charcoal paper to the sides of your chosen medium. Make sure that the charcoal side is facing the canvas or wood.

Place your sketch over the top of your charcoal paper. Tape it into place to prevent the drawing from slipping.

With medium pressure, trace over the lines of your sketch with a pencil. Be sure to trace every line so that the entire drawing is copied onto the canvas or wood.

Remove your sketch and the charcoal paper from your chosen medium. If needed, erase any stray lines from the surface area of your work. Remember to store your original drawing in a safe place so that it can be used again.

Tip:

Charcoal paper can be made by hand. Using a charcoal pencil, simply cover a piece of paper with charcoal. Use the hand-made charcoal paper just like you would use the store bought paper.