Jessica Crabtree

I’d like to make a chalk painting on a piece of suede matboard, but I don’t want to freehand. What is the best way to transfer an outline drawing onto the suede?

1. Make a preliminary drawing on a piece of vellum or tracing paper that is the same size as your suede canvas. (If you’re working from a reference picture, make a custom-sized grid for a scale drawing – and you won’t need a grid on your canvas.)
2. Fasten the tracing paper to the suede matboard at the edges using painter’s tape.
3. Trace over the line drawing with a white pencil (so you don’t go over the same place twice). This will leave a light impression on the suede. When you remove the tracing paper, the entire drawing will be visible.

This is a much better method than drawing directly on the suede, because it’s difficult to erase chalk pigment without removing some of the suede pile. If you didn’t apply too much pressure during tracing, you can remove any undesirable lines or marks by gently rubbing the suede.

Example: Scale drawing attached to a piece of gray matboard

Outline left on the suede after tracing