Art Tracing Projectors
When you want to trace artwork or drawings onto another larger surface such as a poster, wall, mural, or bullentin board, and at a larger scale, an Art Tracing Projector is of great help. Art Tracing Projectors are also known as Art Projectors, or Drawing Projectors. They take an existing image and increase its projected size and from there you can trace or reproduce your work in a larger scale. Some tracing art projectors are very simple with bulbs, a mirror and lens, while some projectors are more advanced with HDMI inputs, RCA Video inputs, or even accept SD Cards that project your digital work at a larger scale for tracing. Simple or advanced, tracing art projectors are great tools for anyone looking to transpose artwork onto a larger surface. The tracing can then be used as a guide for further drawing or artwork such as painting or sketching.
Here we explain the two types of Art Projectors, a Digital Art Projectors or Opaque Projectors.
Digital Art Projectors operate using images stored on your computer, phone, thumb drive, or tablet. These projectors can also project live images from your phone, play videos, project PDF and PowerPoint, or Word docs. You can manipulate the image right on the projector, for example enhance edges, or change it from color to black & white and back. Digital Art Projectors are also very bright and most can work in reasonably well lit rooms.
Opaque Art Projectors are the traditional style of projector which shines a bright light on a surface such as a photograph or illustration, or a three dimensional object and projects that image. Opaque Art Projectors usually require a dark room to operate effectively. Lenses vary which allow both enlargement and reduction of the original image. If your source materials are primarily printed, you may prefer an Opaque Art Projector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best projector for artists?
If you’re working on a mural or large-scale painting, an art projector or tracer can not only help with productivity but can also be useful in getting the best results. A good digital art projector should work easily with the scale of the piece you need to paint, should have an interface that can work with a smartphone, and can be portable so you can take it anywhere you need to go.
How do I trace art on a projector?
Tracing an image on a digital art projector isn’t always easy, but it can be done if you perform the following steps:
- Choose a picture you want to enlarge. If you have an art concept in mind, you can download something that resembles your idea.
- Place the printed or hand-drawn picture over the projector’s screen.
- Get the background prepared. If it’s a wall mural, you won’t have a lot to prepare. But if you’re drawing a portrait, you will have to prepare your drawing paper and board.
- Turn on the art projector or tracer and adjust the stand. This will make sure the image is projected at the right height and in a way that will fit onto the background.
- Darken the room. If it’s a small room with a lot of light sources, turn off as many of them as you can and block out any residual light with heavy clothing.
You want an enlarged image, so you need the art projector or tracer to be far enough away from the background on which you want to paint the image. You also want to keep the paper properly secure so it doesn’t fall off. If you don’t have a board to hold it in place, you can put the drawing paper against a door or wall.
How does a digital art projector work?
A digital art projector can project any photo or video from almost any digital source, which can include but may not be limited to:
- Computers
- Memory cards
- Digital cameras
- Smartphones
The advantage of this system is that you won’t have to get a slide or transparency made (which is what people had to do in the “old days”).
What kind of projectors do artists use?
A good art projector tracer should work with whatever scale you need to paint, have a modern interface that will work with any digital device, and can be portable enough so you can take it outdoors or anywhere in your studio.
How can I project an image on a wall without using a projector?
You first need to arrange certain materials in a way that will help you to create a DIY projector medium while maximizing the visual quality. You will also need a smartphone, along with the following materials:
- Tape
- Box
- Black paper
- Pencil
- X-Acto Knife
- Magnifying lens
- Glue
- Binder clips
You need to prepare the box to work with the magnifying lens, because it will create the base for the projector that will work with your smartphone. And once you have it in place, you can use the pencil to trace the image. You also want to make sure the paper box is sturdy enough, because magnifying lenses are usually heavy. You can use the knife to cut the portion of the box that will work with the magnifying lens, but make sure you do it with a soft hand because you don’t want to have any uneven cutting.
If you want to find the best art projector for tracing, be sure to look at what we have at Engineer Supply.