Once your child has traced and colored a favorite character, they might want to color it again in different colors, or give a copy to a friend. Window tracing and light boxes make that easy, and they feel like magic to kids.
Window tracing
What you need
- A window with daylight
- Painter’s tape
- The page to trace (a finished colored page works)
- Blank paper
- A pencil or thin marker
How to do it
- Tape the original page to the window, picture facing out toward you.
- Tape a blank sheet over it.
- The daylight shines through, and you can see the lines.
- Trace the outline onto the blank sheet.
- Take it down and color it.
Tracing on a vertical surface also works the shoulder and wrist, which is great for kids building strength. See building hand strength.
Light box tracing
A light box is a flat panel that lights up from below. Artists use them to trace and refine drawings. Inexpensive LED tracing pads are widely available. Kids can trace at the table, any time of day.
Safety tip: Use a light pad designed for tracing. Avoid using a phone or tablet screen as a light box with markers, since marker can damage the screen.
Fun ideas
Color it again
Make a copy of a favorite character and color it completely differently. Compare the two. A unicorn in pastels and the same unicorn in neon look like totally different characters. Trace Then Color: Unicorn Animals is great for this.
Make a set
Trace one character several times to make matching cards, gift tags or party decorations. Holiday characters are perfect for gift tags: Trace Then Color: Cartoon Christmas Characters.
Build a scene
Trace several characters onto one sheet to create a group scene.
Mirror image
Flip the original over (the lines still show through) and trace a mirror image. Now your character faces the other way.
Change it up
Trace the main outline but change details: add a hat, give it wings, swap the tail.
A note on copying books
Tracing a page from a book you own for your child’s personal use is a normal part of learning to draw and color. Selling or distributing copies of someone else’s artwork is a different matter and not allowed by copyright.
Questions parents ask
What age is window tracing for?
Kids around 4 and up can do it with a little help taping. Older kids can do it independently.
What paper works best?
Regular printer paper is thin enough for light to shine through. Thick cardstock does not work as well.
Is tracing from a light box cheating?
Not at all. Professional artists use light boxes all the time. See is tracing cheating?.
About Kevin Coulston
Kevin Coulston is a cartoonist and member of the National Cartoonists Society who has written and illustrated more than 100 drawing, tracing and coloring books for kids, including the Trace Then Color series. Meet Kevin or browse all his books on FirstArtBooks.com.
