Tracing guides
Short, practical guides to setting up, tracing cleanly and turning traces into your own drawings. Read them in any order or search for a topic, and keep a pencil nearby: every tip is meant to be tried out on real paper.
Updated
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Three ways to turn a photo into a clean line drawing, how to pick a photo that works, and how to trace the result onto real paper.
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A simple way to set up tracing for kids with a phone or tablet, plus picture ideas and tips that keep drawing time fun.
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A phone stand for tracing holds your phone above the paper so both hands are free. Build one from a mug or books, or pick a holder that won't wobble.
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Tracing isn't cheating when you use it to practice or as a step in your own art. Here's when it's fine, when it isn't, and how to learn from it.
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Six ways to trace a picture onto paper, what each one needs, and how to get clean lines with any of them.
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A simple practice plan that takes you from tracing a picture to drawing it on your own, one small step at a time.
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Print a page, pick a few colors and work from light to dark. Simple tips for coloring on real paper with pencils, crayons or markers.
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The paper, pencils and small extras that make tracing easier, and which ones fit each way of tracing with your phone.
Open any lesson in Pencilbloom and your phone shows each step right on your page.
Coming soon to iPhone, iPad and Android.