Leonardo da Vinci did use projection! He used concave mirrors to project and trace his subjects. Many grand masters have used projections, Johannes Vermeer is particularly known for his use of the camera obscura to capture his “photographic” perfect perspectives. To “cheat” is to break the rules, but in art there are no rules.

the comments on here are hilarious, seems many of you have turned art into a 'who's best at drawing' competition. art is about having fun so do whatever is fun, projector or not, just draw squiggles if that feels fun to you. who are you to tell someone what they should be doing to enjoy art? great video, thank you.

Thank you for sharing! My understanding is that Leonardo DID use a projector 😁 called camera obscura.

This is a great video and really so, so helpful. I am just a hobby artist and have thought about getting a small projector for literally years, but didn't want to spend money getting the wrong thing that wouldn't work. Now I can get the right thing and get started producing big scale masterpieces ! Well, maybe not masterpieces, but at least something bigger than an A4 sketch.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us😊the video was quite helpful🥰

Exactly what I was looking for thanks Dani!

Thank you so much for this video!

Pro Tip. Use an old Google Chromecast with it to project from your phone, tablet and computers without having to mess with cables.

This is great! Thank you!

As always. So helpful thanks

Super helpful, thanks so much!

That is so much help!!! Thank you!!!❤😂

Wow i was looking on Amazon before i decided to look for recommendations outside of Amazon and this type of projector wasnt even mentioned for drawing. Thanks for the help!

Very useful thanks mate - subscribed

i bought this projector for art thanks! super cheap

I dont use a projector but i use a light box. It does speed up the line work and if you're doing this in a comercial form then its a ideal. But do practice my freehand to keep my eye in.

Thanks for running through this mate. I spent all day trying to upscale my reference onto a large 30x40 cavas yesterday, and I still only managed to get half of the sketch down, need to continue with it today, phew... A projector would save so much time, and cost for time spent on a piece. Could be way more productive.

Camera Obscura - The 15th century digital projectors Well-known artists who used a camera obscura were Canaletto, Vermeer and Leonardo Da Vinci. But what is a camera obscura? A camera obscura is a tool to create art in perfect perspective and detail.

Super. Thanks.

Thank you so much for the tips! I recently got a new projector and am currently painting a fishing vessel with some smaller boats in the background. It’s coming along quite nicely. Although I can draw the projector is a timesaver (as long as I don’t accidentally move it in the process 😂).

I bought a similar projector from amazon uk for around £50 and i used my Samsung phone wireless,as the projector supports ios & android, no need of wires and works perfectly. I can even play videos or movies through this projector. I usually use it to make the initial sketch, for colouring ,i use my tablet,pc or a photo . Makes everything easier to start

Au in as GOLD from the periodic table So Gold King

Beaucoup d'artistes connus ont utilisé divers procédés pour obtenir le dessin parfait, à notre époque le vidéo projecteur fait partie des accessoires qui est utilisé dans l'Art, mais beaucoup de ''Pros'' ne le disent pas . Cela dit dans la peinture ce qui compte,est le résultat final et le plus dur reste d'appliquer les bonnes couleurs pour obtenir un rendu de la toile excellente.

Thanks for this ! Ive been contemplating a projector for a while now for larger landscape pieces, id still obviously work from my plein air sketches and studies but as a dyslexic who just cannot math, a projector would take away the sizing up issues and allow me to get the basics in without multiple headaches 😊

This is my own personal view on art……… I looked at your work….and it’s excellently rendered and people will love your wildlife art…well done for using the tools available to your best advantage…..I would rather have one of your wildlife drawings which have been traced and well finished than a poorly done one….. One of my favourite artists since I was young was David Roberts….he travelled to Egypt and surrounds and sketched all the amazing monuments….then his work was produced as etchings and printed……I always thought he was a genius draughtsman….. Alas!……… I am naive and he used a camera lucida………..bubble burst for me…. I’ve known a few wildlife artists in Cape Town……and I only need to look at the quality of their sketches to immediately see whether they can draw or not……most can’t…. You are right ….these tools certainly speed up the end result…. As you know,when you sketch from life…..there is a different energy in the line…. Good luck with your work and we’ll done to you

I got one. Somehow. 😮

Thank you for this video. I've been using an ironing board as a tripod and a school childrens' projector which is horrible. What I'm wondering is how do you hang your canvas?

Thank you so much it is really helpful

Maybe using a spirit level on the projector would help setup?

Can you please send a link for the HDMI cable for the old laptop?

DaVinci did use a sort of projector. He used a candle. 👍

Thanks for the video! So would this work for canvas sizes from 11x17 up to 36x48? Other folks say you need DLP technology in the projector.

Nice AD

What if you have a pc and can you project it onto a drawing board?

what about noise level? I just returned a different machine from Target- so noisy!!! Looks like a nice little machine you shared here

So it has to be plugged in ? You can’t charge it or battery’s ?

Out of stock on Amazon uk! Looks like you've caused a run on it!😅😅😅

What program you use on ipad to make right proportions. I guess you can not get them right.from phone😢

Hello, quick question. I bought this Micro DLP projector. It has WiFi but don't have keystone correction. So If I understand correctly, I have to manually set the grid and calculate each cm from the sides, right?

Have you tried using a flash drive in the usb port? I don't have an ipad, just a desktop. Just checking to make sure it would work well.

Hey good video ill follow your link for the projector.. Will it work through your android phone using your gallery photos or do you need i phone tab/phone Ive got android

What mount are you using on your tripod? Can you share?

Could you give me advice as to what projector is good for let's say large-scale 1015 maybe 20 ft wide and one that can project in a lit room

what kind of trypod mount?

Can I use my default photos editor on Mac/ipad? Did you choose that other program for a reason?

How can I use the projector with my iPhone? All my photos are ok iPhone and not on ab iPad.

Is it able to project an image 12in x 12in?

Interesting view on tracing. Do you use your own photographs to trace? One of the reasons I left the art field was due to the prevalence of photography and tracing. Clients really didn’t care how the final product was done, they just wanted it done cheap and yesterday. I was in scientific illustration, murals, and backgrounds. Weeks spent in zoological sample and cadaver labs while in college proved to be worthless in the real world. Thankfully, the med school degree was helpful elsewhere. You will do what you want, there won’t be problems unless someone claims photography copyright on one of your pieces. Keep good records on your sources, and make sure they belong to you.

hey thanks for this- if you just using for one element of a composition is it quite easy to change the size and position of projected image?

hi! thanks for the video! so basicly any projectoe with a high lumen and good quality can be used for tracing painting to the canvas? and you dont need special program for that, right? i mean just connect it to your phone or laptop...

Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, that way?

Does anyone know a cheaper alternative? I don't think I will use one often but I need help with tracing at medium to large scale for paintings

Does anyone know how it works using an image on a usb?

When I looked into projectors, I wanted one that could be vertical to cast an image into my desk. Alas, they seem far and few in between.

Hi, thank you for this helpful video. Would you happen to know of a vertical up and down tripod or rig? I use inks and they run if not applied on a horizontally flat surface. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Can you use your phone with it

Thank you so much extremely helpful 👍👍👍🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

Hello, what is the minimum diagonal of the canvas to keep a projected image sharp or usable?

What's the closest and smallest you can get your projected image and keep it in focus with your new projector?

Will this project down to A4 size or smaller if required & still be usable

Hello Sir How many prize for Projector Give me Thanks

now only if i had a smartphone or a lap top or a computer in my art studio ...

👍

What about using your phone if you don't have an iPad?

I've got some old pictures but I don't know who the artist was and no signature because apparently the signature is a little picture of an animal in the art that I can't find neither. I want to sell it help😂❤

Can you use an iPhone

I got a projector from ali but it does not have right proportions 😢

Hi there. i have just purchased the projector you featured and have had trouble getting it to register a USB . Reviews on line comment that they have had similar issues but the firm say " a software update " may be needed but there isn't a website to download from. I'm thinking of sending it back as a result. I wondered if you had any similar issues or advice. I know you have suggested the projector and cannot be responsible for any purchase so no worries there, just wondered if I'm doing something wrong. Any advice gratefully received. xxB

Michael Angelo used stencils….

Big difference between projecting a photograph and projecting a thumbnail drawing.

Correction Ignore what I wrote! Nowhere does StudioWildlife say that the projector has a keystone. I well and truly imagined it! My apoligies @Studio Wildlife just so you know the link to Amazon UK shows a ClokWe Projector. It's exactly the same projector just different name of manufactuer BUT BUT BUT it has no KEYSTONE. I know becuase I just bought the projector from your link, it arrived today and it has no keystone. I looked around and found that this is true for all ClockWe M8 projectors not just mine.

I WANT to trace on a table ,not a wall .What projector is good for flat tracing???

If you draw your subject, or you trace it you still have to have the art skills to paint your work .If you draw it and trace it and it's identical to each other then you only saved yourself a lot of time to get the project done ,for your client .No big deal,the master is in the paint work itself.

I fucking hate the process of drawing and you can call me a bad artist for not having the will to practice all you want. I use the hell out of my projector I take my photography and turn it into art seamlessly and I love it.

Is it Bluetooth?

So I take it this projector is not Bluetooth

I can't use one. I'm watching now..if you can draw u are not cheating. If u can't draw. If u use a protector must tell people and a sign made by the projector😊

Here's my thing: sure, da vinci and vermeer and rembrandt and even caravaggio used camera obscura to place their subjects in space for general spacial relationships, but they didn't trace details, they traced outlines. They also didn't use the camera for objects or settings. So, they were actually able to draw and create from their minds and relay it to a medium, also known as art. If you are simply and dispassionately tracing and then painting, its literally no different than paint by numbers. 10 year olds can do paint by numbers 😂😂 i aint buying their work that's for sure. This is the same conversation in photography with the subject of composites. Some photographers stay up n out all night, sometimes for days, waiting to get the right shot in the right location. Then some douche comes along, snaps cellphone pic, cleans it up and alters it and pushes it, slaps it into another photo, cleans that up digitally, and everyone thinks they took a picture of the moon fifty times bigger than it ever could be floating directly over the empire state building 100 times closer than it ever could with a lake and an ancient oak atvthe base of the building. And that garbage sells more than a photograph of just the tree, building, or moon. Its trash. Equally, art should be about creating an image from your mind using your talents to display a style indicative of your emotions about that subject. Hyper realist garbage will always intrigue people more than impressionism or any other non-perfect art style. But theres no emotion in it. What are you trying to say in tracing an image? Fuck all. Thats what. And before anyone yells at me, i use a projector in my pieces. Im not claiming to make art. I make product. I project imagery onto wood, and then wood burn it or paint it. That aint art, kids. Thats product pieces. Don't lie to yourselves.

I get why you do use a projector, it gives you a perfect outline or platform for painting - but it is still kind of cheating regardless of what you say. I know a lot of youtube artists do it but it doesnt make you Leonardo da Vinci even though I think he used the camera lucida for perspective - make of that what you will. I don't suppose we will ever see anyone using a projector on Portrait Artist of the Year will we, however portable it is!! because your perceived skill level will vanish. Ditch the projector and do it without the help of a machine, it will not look as perfect as your current crop but it will have energy and character which is what sells if you have a talent.

Wait a minute... So you're just tracing?? That is definitely cheating. The artist is supposed to be the projector.

Tracing is NOT drawing

Scaling your sketch with a projector is obviously cheating. Redrawing at a large scale takes tons of time and patience, and winding up with a perfectly proportioned outline for a painting 4 times larger than the sketch is a genuine skill. Circumventing that for ease is literally the definition of cheating. I'm not trying to police how anyone does anything, and your art is top fckin notch but it's still cheating even if all the pros do it, even if all the youtubers promise its not.

Vermeer used one they called them a camera obscura