How to Paint With Projectors

Projectors use a series of mirrors and lights to project an image.

When you want to create a painting after a specific image, the easiest way to do it is with a projector. There are several types of projectors used in art. The standard overhead projector can only project through a clear sheet of acetate, while direct projectors reflect any image or object onto a wall or table. Direct projectors are better to use for painting because the image will remain in its original form instead of being transfered to a transparent sheet which will change the colors.

Things You'll Need

• Canvas
• Direct projector
• Pencil

Instructions

1. Hang your canvas or gessoed paper onto a clean space of wall.

2. Place the image you want to paint onto the direct projector. Follow the instructions for your specific projector on how to position your image.

3. Adjust the projector by moving it forward or backward until the image is the same size as your painting surface.

4. Trace the image onto the canvas or paper with a pencil.

5. Mix paints to match the colors of the image. Use the paints to fill in the traced image. Turn off the projector and let the paints dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix and apply your paint colors one at a time. This will prevent you from wasting paint due to its drying out.

Resources

• Direct Projectors: PLUS Vision Corp. of America