How to Transfer a Sketch

How to take a tiny little thumbnail scribble, and transfer that to a much larger painting surface.
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Stephanie Law is author of the "Dreamscapes" series of fantasy watercolor instructional books published by Impact Books, and creator of the "Shadowscapes Tarot" .

[@markomilicevic5922]

My favorite artist of all time ❤ I love your illustrations, and your watercolor technique is not of this world. I admire you for bringing new ideas into traditional art and bringing it closer to new generations. Your tarot is amazing.

[@rattlesthecrewmate]

Oh my goodness. I've been in love with the Shadowscapes tarot and I had no idea you had a KZbin channel!!!

[@StephanieLaw]

Thanks! It's a recent thing. :)

[@janinacooper4199]

Your work is so beautiful! Thank-you for sharing this!

[@teresawebster3498]

Thank you so much for your art and the information that you are trying to pass along. I love your books and I just got your 2018 calendar they are beautiful.

[@glowworm7575]

Love the beautiful work you do and watching it come to life on the page made me love it even more! Very nice pencil work!

[@StephanieLaw]

Thanks kelley!

[@777VIBRANT]

Thank you✨💜. Your artwork is so amazing and Magickal 😍, I’m so in love ✨✨✨

[@elenazambelli_greenedera]

Really useful. Never thought to transfer by the transparent paper scratch... I tried to use the transparency of normal paper on screens and tablet but of course it did not work on heavier paper for watercolor. Thank you, very much. Also the tips about not to struggle too much about the first passage, but to work on the details only on the final paper, not before. Thank you. And to watch you while drawing... beautiful. I could watch it for hours.

[@terryernest6264]

I feel another picture forming ... love discordant cadences with your piano playing ... :)

[@alegria4910]

Thank you so múch for the sharing the precious information and lettting us see the inside of the way you create your azing work. I am totally in love with it! ❤️

[@kribenson1]

Thank you so much for sharing this, I have done it a similar way in the past but watching your process made some things clearer and made more sense and will save time. I absolutely adore your work and have for many years, thank you, thank you for sharing your process and your talent!

[@StephanieLaw]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful!

[@victoriavidaud]

I've never thought to use the tracing paper backwards XD very cool! This will be very helpful, thank you :3

[@aoutsky]

You're a great teacher!

[@StephanieLaw]

Thank you Dave!

[@ajlomas7185]

Thankyou Stephanie for another great video and also showing us some of your fantastic artwork aswell. Believe it or not, my technique (if you can call it that) is even more time consuming than yours!!! I often wander if my local printers could photocopy my original drawing onto a thicker/heavier paper for me to paint directly onto. I'll have to inquire about it next time. It would be fantastic if they could. My way takes so long, that by the end of it, I've grown tired and bored of my drawing, and then can't be bothered with it. Thankyou once again for a great video, you truly are one of the most talented and imaginative artists that I've encountered, so much vitality in your colours and yet a softness in your art, amazing doesn't even come close.

[@StephanieLaw]

Thank you!

[@ajlomas7185]

@@StephanieLaw Thankyou so much for replying, I realise that it's not always possible to reply as you're a very busy artist, but a reply (although not always essential) is nice. I really hope that in the not-so- distant future maybe you might consider making a dvd of your creative process to coming up with a theme or an idea, to sketching and then to the painting itself. I've no doubt you're fans would love to see that, it would be fantastic. I understand that it would be a time consuming project but I hope you would atleast consider it. Thankyou once again and I shall look forward to seeing more of your fantastic work. Oh and by the way, your work in the fantastic art book "Mythical Beasts" was just awesome, OF COURSE IT IS but we wouldn't expect anything else. You're artwork always makes me smile, it opens the mind to a world of imagination, colour and beauty and all things fantastical.

[@marsbeads]

You are so talented and I love your voice too. Cheers

[@StephanieLaw]

thanks!

[@maryannknox7158]

Totally Amazing xoxo

[@danieltexier297]

Very good !!!! merci !!!

[@lvbailey1]

It works❣️ Thank you! What is the screen you are using, please?

[@StephanieLaw]

I'm using a windows surface studio

[@starshinesoldier]

The burnishing the sketch onto ur watercolor paper is brilliant! I never thought of that because of the reversed sketch thing. Thank you for sharing this! It is so helpful! May I ask what hardness your pencil is? (Oops, never mind, I saw your text, 2b to 2h right?)

[@StephanieLaw]

For the transfer sketch, I use 2B. Once I get it on the final paper, I switch to 2H because I don't want too much graphite floating around in my paint and muddying the colors

[@brendawillems792]

Super informatif! Thanks SO much! Your drawings are stunning and good, may i ask you? ... do you draw your sketches from your head or do you use reference foto's?

[@StephanieLaw]

Most of it is from my head, but that's because of decades of observation and practice, and constantly adding to the repertoire and mental catalog through research and experiences

[@brendawillems792]

You are a pro! Thanks for sharing your art!

[@WoodlandApothecary]

When you come up with your concept sketches are you taking things from reference photos or is everything you draw organic? I'm just starting to sketch. For example, did you have a reference for the stagg/reindeer?

[@cherylpatricella4670]

What is the brand of tracing paper you use? Your paper seems stiffer and smoother than what I have found. Such helpful and inspiring videos. Thank you*

[@StephanieLaw]

Honestly, i just go for whatever's currently on sale!

[@elza1811]

sorry my english, I am from Germany. I like your videos. What for a produkt is the big screen?

[@Jennifer-wr9si]

Have you ever used your tablet screen as a light box and traced directly onto the watercolour paper? I haven't done any transfers yet and was thinking about this approach...

[@StephanieLaw]

I tend to use thicker watercolor papers and boards, so I hven't, but it might work if you push the brightness all the way up as well