Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Best Tracing Paper for Sketching

Published Jun 15th, 2021 4:25PM EDT

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Great artists aren’t born. They’re made. You don’t just come out as a child and immediately be an amazing artist. It takes practice, skill and a ton of creativity. For the practice portion, you may have grown up and started doodling on anything you could find, whether it was napkins at a diner, notebooks during class, or newspapers during breakfast. But to plan out the designs of what you’re experimenting with, you should work with tracing paper. This can then transfer over to your canvas to give you better coverage. This provides for overlay and detail work that you can’t accomplish on regular lined paper or even in a notebook. Depending on what kind of artist you are, you can use tracing paper for different aspects of your art. We’ve highlighted five of the best versions out there to give you some idea of the variety. Let’s take a look at our picks and you can start doodling as soon as you’re done reading.

Have the size you want

As we said, there are a lot of different ways to use tracing paper. Depending on the size you need, there’s the Bienfang Sketching and Tracing Paper Roll. You can choose between 20 Yard by 12 Inches, 20 Yard by 18 Inches, 20 Yard by 24 Inches, 50 Yard by 12 Inches, 50 Yard by 14 Inches, 50 Yard by 18 Inches, 50 Yard by 24 Inches, or 50 Yard by 36 Inches. There are options for pretty much any size you’ll need. This is great for quick sketches and overlay, giving you plenty of practice. The paper is extremely lightweight, so you’ll be able to sketch on it and then bring it with you where you need it to be. You can use pencils, ink, or markers on the tracing paper. The roll is white and can be cut out and pinned to fabrics.

Key Features:

  • Many size options
  • Extremely lightweight
  • White in color
Amazon Logo Available on Amazon

If you prefer carbon

Carbon paper can help you transfer tracing paper for many surfaces and Wangday Carbon Paper is a quality product. This comes with 100 sheets of graphite paper, as the black carbon copy paper is great for tracing pictures or frames. This has a handheld special design that is more user-friendly than previous iterations. You won’t soil it by holding it by the carbon paper handle. This comes in a common and practical size that’s good for tracing. The transfer works on many surfaces, including wood, canvas, paper, glass, metal, ceramic, clay, and others. The lines can easily be erased or sanded out. This is ideal for home and office use.

Key Features:

  • Won’t soil it by holding it by the handle
  • Comes in a practical size
  • Transfer works on many surfaces
Amazon Logo Available on Amazon

Flip over the pages

Easy to bring with you wherever inspiration might strike, the Darice 9″ x 12″ Artist’s Tracing Paper comes with 100 sheets. This is translucent tracing paper that works with pencils, marker, or pens. It measures 9″ x 12″, providing you with plenty of room to work with. This is medium surface paper that can be used to sketch, layer, overlay, or correct, as there are many commercial or personal uses. The entire pad weighs 25 pounds, so it’s easy to carry. This is ideal for professionals and hobbyists alike.

Key Features:

  • Ideal for professionals and hobbyists alike
  • Medium surface paper
  • Weighs 25 pounds
Amazon Logo Available on Amazon

Make it easier to see

For kids who are beginning to draw, give them the tools to succeed, like the Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad. This is meant for ages 6-10 and it makes for a great gift. This includes a coloring board, graphite pencil, 12 short colored pencils, 10 tracing sheets and it all works with three AA batteries, which aren’t included. The LED drawing tablet board illuminates the pages, making them easier to trace. The light feature also makes this ideal for plane rides, train rides, or car rides. This will help you child learn how to draw more efficiently, as they can trace along with the lit up pictures. The frame has a lock at the top that will keep the paper in place.

Key Features:

  • Comes with many accessories
  • Works with three AA batteries
  • Helps your child to draw more efficiently
Amazon Logo Available on Amazon

See through it

Making it easy to copy and sketch, the Bee Paper White Sketch and Trace Roll can be used many different ways. You can get this is many sizes, the biggest being 50 Yard by 24 Inches. This comes in white, making it more transparent and easier to trace on. It’s great for both detail work and rough sketches. You can use this with all kinds of dry media, so you can choose your favorite instrument. It only weighs eight pounds even for the largest roll.

Key Features:

  • Great for detail work and rough sketches
  • Use with all dry media
  • Only weighs eight pounds
Amazon Logo Available on Amazon
Chris Hachey Commerce Editor

Chris Hachey is Senior Commerce Editor for BGR. With over a decade of editing and journalism experience, plus thousands of hours of product testing and research, he has helped millions of consumers find the best products and deals to fit their lifestyles.

When he's not searching for top deals, he's likely watching his favorite sports teams or walking around his hometown with his wife and his dog.