How to SKIP drawing your watercolor paintings

Just trace your paintings! Use the tools at your disposal to make painting as fun and simple as possible. I'll show you how I go from raw reference photo to starting to paint in no time by editing your photo in Canva, tracing, and using a window to get it onto your watercolor paper.
🎨 CONTENTS 🎨
00:09 Supplies
00:25 Edit your photo in Canva (the free version!)
02:19 Trace onto your tracing paper
03:40 Hack to center your image onto your painting surface
04:21 Trace onto your painting surface
05:20 Using a projector or carbon transfer paper
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🎨 Supplies (my favorite brands in parenthesis):
Your reference image, uploaded into the free version of Canva
Watercolor paper or your favorite painting surface (Fabriano 300lb Rough)
Tracing paper (Cheap Joe's Starving Artist Tracing Paper)
Artist tape - it’s different than masking tape and it holds and releases from paper wonderfully. (Cheap Joe's brand)
A fine-point sharpie or similar permanent marker
Your favorite drawing pencil
An eraser for refining your image (I love kneaded erasers)
Optional: If you are transferring a large image, you can use a projector instead of a screen/monitor. And if you need to remove permanent marker from your screen/monitor, you’ll need a dry-erase marker and some Kleenex. And if you don’t want to use the window method, you’ll also need carbon paper.
🎨 FAQs 🎨
🎨 What if your painting is bigger than your screen/monitor?
I’ve traced lots of really big paintings using this same method. You can still zoom in until the image on your screen is the same size as your watercolor paper. But then you’ll most likely have to tape pieces of tracing paper together to get a sheet large enough to accommodate the size of your image. Then you can transfer the image to your paper using a large window or carbon paper.
🎨 What about using a projector?
Sometimes taping lots of pieces of tracing paper together can be a bit time consuming, or your painting surface isn't transparent enough to use a window for tracing. You may want to use a digital projector. Project your edited image onto a light-colored wall in a dark room. Make sure it isn’t skewed so the perspective is correct. Then tape watercolor paper or place your painting surface over the image and zoom in or out on your projector until it matches the size of the paper. Then trace away!
🎨 What if you’re painting on a panel or something else that isn’t transparent enough to see through using a window?
Then simply trace the image onto your panel using carbon paper. I like the Saral red box brand because it is wax-free. That means it won’t get oils on your paper that could resist the watercolor paint.
🎨 What if I get permanent marker on my computer monitor?
If you accidentally get some permanent marker on your screen, color over it with a dry-erase marker and wipe it off with a Kleenex. It's especially fun to have your kiddo do this for you, they will think it's crazy you're letting them "draw" on your computer!
👉 I'm Jess. I show artists (that's you!) how to harness the 333 method by teaching you the techniques, principles and properties of watercolor so you can experience the joy of watercolor with your first painting, without wasting precious time and supplies.
My favorite thing to paint are dogs, they are so expressive. I'm so proud to have won three ribbons (so far!) from the Minnesota State Fair and even more proud to share everything I've learned about watercolor with artists like you. Let's paint!

[@kristinab8326]

Hello from Leo the pug’s mom! 💜

[@aquilawatercolor]

Eee!! Hello hello!!