Whether you’re painting in watercolor, oil, or acrylic, getting a clean, accurate drawing onto your working surface is often the first step toward a successful painting. Freehand drawing is a wonderful skill — but sometimes, especially for complex compositions or portraits, image transfer methods save time and preserve proportions.

Today, we’ll explore three tried-and-true ways to transfer your drawing or printed image onto your painting surface:

1. 📄 Carbon Paper

2. ✨ Saral Transfer Paper

3. 🏡 Homemade Graphite Transfer Paper

Each has its quirks and best uses. Let’s dive in.

📝 1. Using Carbon Paper

Carbon paper is the classic, old-school method — and it still works beautifully.

🧰 What You’ll Need

• Your drawing or printed image

• A sheet of carbon paper (graphite side down)

• Your painting surface (watercolor paper, panel, canvas, etc.)

• A pencil or stylus

🪄 How to Do It

1. Tape your surface securely to your work table.

2. Place the carbon paper graphite-side down onto the surface.

3. Position your image on top, aligning it carefully.

4. Tape the image in place so it doesn’t shift while tracing.

5. Using a sharp pencil or stylus, trace over all the lines you want to transfer.

6. Gently lift a corner to check progress, then finish the rest.

⚡ Pro Tips

• Use light pressure — carbon paper can be quite dark, and too much pressure can leave indents.

• After transferring, lightly erase or soften the lines if they’re too bold before painting.

Best for: Canvas, panels, and heavy watercolor papers. Excellent when you need a quick, clear transfer.

✨ 2. Using Saral Transfer Paper

Saral paper is a modern, artist-friendly version of carbon paper. It comes in rolls or sheets and various colors (graphite gray, white, red, blue, etc.), which is perfect for different surfaces.

🧰 What You’ll Need

• Saral transfer paper (choose color for your surface)

• Image and painting surface

• Pencil or stylus

🪄 How to Do It

1. Place Saral paper chalk-side down on your surface.

2. Tape it in place.

3. Position your image over it and tape that down too.

4. Trace over the lines you want to transfer.

✨ Why Artists Love Saral

• Erasable: Lines can be gently erased without damaging the surface.

• No smudging: Unlike carbon paper, Saral doesn’t smear.

• Reusable: One sheet can last through multiple transfers.

• Color choice: White works beautifully on dark panels; red or blue can be easier to see than graphite on light papers.

Best for: Watercolor paper, gessoed panels, toned grounds, and surfaces where smudge-resistance matters.