Tracing on an iPad screen. © WilliamWiseArt.com
This is for artists who want a “master drawing reference” on tracing paper from which to make one or more paintings on watercolor paper or on canvas.
– First I will explain how to use the feature on an iPad called Guided Access. This feature allows you to freeze your iPad (or iPhone) screen so you can trace an image on the screen with out it moving! The limitations are you need tracing paper. Note, you can not see through normal watercolor paper.
– Second – I discuss how to use your iPad screen to simply create a 1:1 (meaning the exact size) tracing to transfer on to watercolor paper or to any painting surface. OR,
– Third, I give some you some guidelines on how to enlarge a drawing beyond the screen of your device. (e.g. 11″x14″). and finally,
– How to transfer the drawing to WC paper
You can search for “Guided Access” to find many videos on YouTube for more info.
NOTE: For this to make sense you must follow along with an iPad in your hand.
The guidelines to enlarge an image, explained below is similar to the classic method of enlarging an image using the “grid method”.
First to simply freeze your iPad (or iPhone) screen so you can trace an image on the display, you need to activate the iPad feature called Guided Access.
- Click – Settings, then Click > General > Accessibility, then scroll down and turn on – Guided Access. Also turn on Accessibility Shortcut.
- Under Guided Access on the > Accessibility screen > press Passcode Settings. Enter a passcode (very simple, like 1111). This does not need to be the same as your primary security code.
- NOW to test it, open a app (like “Photos”) with a photo you might want to trace. To activate the Guided Access feature click the round (home) button quickly on the face of the iPad, 3 times to turn the lock on. It will say Guided Access Started. Slide your finger around, it’s frozen! To turn the feature off (unlock it), press the round button 3 times quickly, enter your passcode. (Not the power button on top, for most versions)
- In the bottom middle, shut off Touch, the screen will go gray. This disables the ability to touch anywhere on the screen!!! This is what you are looking for.
- At the top there is End, which turns off “Guided Access”, Resume brings you back to the screen so you can touch it again without moving the image.
- To return to the “Guided Access” screen you must press the button 3 times and enter your password. You will be entering the password often. If you want to change it to something simpler go back to step 2 now (again, this has nothing to do with your main secret code!).
- When Guided Access home screen is open, there are some options you can disable. Remember, we want to touch and trace on the screen, that us why we disabled Touch. This feature is was designed to lock your screen to prevent your kids from buying furniture from your phone when you only wanted them to play a game!! On the bottom, see Hardware Buttons. I just turn on Keyboards. You can figure out the others if you want.
Second use, to draw on screen: Now you just want to simply draw/trace the size of the image screen, 1:1. (You likely won’t trace such a small image but take these baby steps first.) OK, start with the “Guided Access” function shut off/closed/end.For this test, open a photo as normal in your Photo Edit App. You can resize and move it now with guided access off.
- To lock the iPad touch screen for tracing, activate “Guided Access” by press the round button 3 times. The ipad screen is now frozen to allow you to trace on the screen! Still only 1:1, what is on screen.
- To End this, press the round button 3 times, enter the passcode.
- Press End on the top of the Guided Access screen or resume…
Third to enlarge: A more practical use is creating a tracing for larger images, like 11″x14″.
You will need an iPad app to crop and add a grid of SQUARES to your photo . There are many apps to choose from. It is a MUST that the grid is in squares NOT rectangles. AGAIN NOTE: You can not see through or trace directly on to 140# (300GSM) Watercolor paper with the iPad.
The follow are the basic steps to make a large tracing using this form of grid method.
First using some app, crop your photo to the proportion/size you want to paint. (use a copy of your photo, not the original!)
Add a grid to your photo. Normally 12 squares.
Knowing your painting’s dimensions, decide the desired location of your image on your painting surface. Mark the 4 corners on the paper or canvas. +
Now mark these points/corners onto your tracing paper. This is the actual size you will paint.
Divide the tracing paper to match the number of squares in your gridded photo. Use a metric ruler, math is much easier!!!
You should now have at least the corners of each square clearly marked on the tracing paper.
– Now the tricky part starts.
Open your image with the grid. Lightly place your tracing paper with the marks on the screen. Enlarge (pinch) so the top left square exactly matches the size of the square you just made on your tracing paper. It will likely bounce around on the screen. Get it as close as possible to the size on the tracing paper. NOTE, if you didn’t get the photo square perfectly sized to the tracing paper, you can try resizing the image again or re-mark your tracing paper to match the photo. TIP, when the image is frozen, you could mark a piece of paper exactly the size of the square size on the frozen screen and re-mark the tracing paper to match, this might be easier; regardless, the tracing paper squares AND the reference image must match in size!
This is now resized photo is the reference size, don’t change it!
Now sized, tap the iPad screen button 3 times to start the Guided Access feature. The screen will freeze in that position and touching the screen won’t move it.
Align your tracing paper corners exactly over the image. Tape or use something to prevent the paper from moving. (You can use balls of fresh kneaded eraser or BluTack)
Begin tracing with DARK pencil. You have to see these lines when you transfer it to the WC paper. Remember you are an artist. You don’t need every detail on this paper. You will refine the final drawing when you have it traced on your WC paper!! Be accurate but not complete!!! Just get the important key details like the corners and edges of the features.
When done with the first square, remove your tracing paper, THEN press the iPad button three times, enter your code, press “End” on the app in the upper left corner.
CAREFULLY! With one finger, move image to another part without changing the size!
AGAIN, Tap the iPad screen button 3 times to start the Guided Access feature, align and secure the paper, and trace. The final details of the drawing really come while you are tracing onto your final surface.
Transfer to the WC paper. There are many ways to do this. You can tape the paper on the back and trace the surface of the paper on a window or light box, then sit down and carefully refine your drawing. IT MUST BE ACCURATE!! “You can’t paint yourself out of a bad drawing”
Another method, I don’t like, is to secure the tracing onto the surface and place some transfer paper (not carbon paper) between the tracing and your surface and use a colored pen to press. The lines are messy and not very artistic or interesting!
Please read my article “Before you Paint, Reference Photos and Pencil Lines”. It emphasis that if your lines will be seen in the painting, they need to be interesting!!!
Good luck, Bill
Edited 23 Sep 2024, deleted the details about some apps, 27 Feb 2022, noted that there seems to be more than one Camera Lucida app., 8 Dec 2020, Created 25 Aug 19.