How to use AR drawing: trace a photo on paper

1. Clear the drawing surface

Put your paper on a firm, level desk. Leave enough room for your forearm to move without hitting the phone support. If the sheet slides, secure the corners with removable tape, testing it on a spare piece of paper first.

Use a small drawing area for your first session. A postcard-sized sketch is easier to keep inside the camera view than a full-page composition, and it needs less hand movement.

2. Use a stable phone mount

An overhead phone mount should hold your device securely without needing your drawing hand. Check that the camera is unobstructed and the support does not rock when you rest your arm on the desk.

There is no single correct mounting height. Move the phone until the entire area you want to draw is visible, then secure it. If you change the height halfway through, the alignment between your reference and paper can change.

3. Light the paper from the side

Use enough light to see your pencil marks in the camera view. Move the lamp if your hand casts a dense shadow over the line you are following. Avoid pointing a bright lamp directly into the camera.

Check the view with your hand in the position you will actually use. A setup that looks clear before you sit down may look different once your arm is between the lamp and paper.

4. Adjust opacity before drawing

Choose a reference with a clear outline. Reduce the guide opacity until you can see both the reference and the paper underneath. There is no universal percentage: the best setting depends on the reference and lighting.

Trace two or three small landmarks lightly, then look directly at the page. Check the spacing before adding the rest of the outline. This short test is faster than correcting a whole drawing.

5. Stop and realign when something moves

If the image and your pencil marks stop matching, pause. Check whether the paper, mount, or phone moved. Realign the reference using two marks that are far apart, which helps reveal both shifting and rotation.

If you cannot recover the alignment, simplify the exercise. Finish the large shapes from observation or begin again with a smaller reference. Avoid drawing a second outline beside the first while the guide is still moving.

A quick setup checklist

Before you begin, check the surface, mount, lighting, and guide in that order. Then make one light test mark. The aim is to remove setup decisions so you can concentrate on the drawing.

• The paper is flat and stays in place.
• The phone is secure and the camera is clear.
• Your hand can move freely below the phone.
• You can see both pencil marks and the reference.
• Your first landmarks line up.