Alternate Transfer Methods - Carbon Paper

Today we'll take the photocopy from the last lesson and use it for the carbon transfer method.  Next week we'll finish up with the charcoal transfer.

Method B: Carbon Paper Transfer
Materials list:
Carbon paper
Pencil, paper, eraser
Masking tape
Photocopied template

Carbon paper can be very easily found.  I bought my roll at a craft store years ago, but it can also be found on Amazon.  It's also called transfer paper.

Step 1:
First, tape your paper to a hard surface, like a table or drawing board.  The paper needs to stay in one spot for this to be effective.

Step 2:
Then, lay a sheet of carbon paper over your blank paper.  Tape this down as well.  It's really important that every sheet is secure so that you get the most accurate transfer possible.

Step 3:
Now place your photocopied template on top of the carbon paper.  I use a photocopy here so that the original drawing isn't damaged.  I'm really protective about originals!

Step 4:
Draw directly on the photocopy.  No need for extreme pressure, but you should draw firmly enough that it presses through the carbon paper to the blank paper below.  I sometimes use the same carbon paper sheet a couple of times to trace outfits.  Just be sure to reposition it slightly so that you're drawing on carbon paper and not the blank lines left over from previous transfers.

This image shows the carbon lines.  They are very, very faint.  Certainly enough to work with, but a challenge to photograph.

Here's a close-up of a carbon transfer.  It's faint but manageable.  The carbon transfer method is effective but tedious, in my opinion.  After every transfer, the carbon paper needs to be repositioned and a new template taped over it.  The photocopy templates wear out fairly quickly, too.  Still, few materials are needed and it's not messy at all so the method has its uses.  But if messy is what you want, we'll be using lots of charcoal in the next lesson!