How do I copy and enlarge a picture?

9 steps to transferring an antique wall painting

Don't you always marvel at metre-high façade paintings, large murals or huge theatre decorations? And then wonder how on earth anyone can paint on such a large scale? How do you know where each element should go when you're standing so close to the wall that you can't even see it in its entirety?

My copies of antique murals are not exactly huge, but some of them do fill an entire wall. And above all, I have a predetermined motif that has to be reproduced exactly on the fabric.

Sometimes I also stretch the fabric on a large wooden board so that I can work vertically. As you can see, it takes up almost the entire wall of my studio here.

Nowadays, there are numerous methods for transferring motifs to a larger format. These range from printing in original scale and then tracing, to projecting with a projector, to working with VR glasses. I come from a theatre painting background, and in this traditional profession, I learned the classic grid method and still enjoy using it today.

The method itself is simple; to achieve really good results, you have to practise a little, as with everything in life. The principle is that you divide the template into small squares and then transfer these to the workpiece (i.e. the wall or fabric).

The square size is chosen so that you can easily see the details by eye. When transferring, pay particular attention to how individual lines run and where they intersect with the grid lines. In the middle of the square? Or further up? On the other side, it arrives just above the intersection point... and what does it do on the way there? Does it bend? Does it change direction? A good exercise for training your powers of observation!

Here, I demonstrate my working method on a commissioned piece based on Raphael's painting ‘The Triumph of Galatea’.

My composition template with the grid and the original image.

My 9 steps for copying and enlarging an image

Step 1: Grid template

I choose a grid size that allows me to capture the details in a quadrant (in this case, 3 cm) and mark the edges – starting at the top left – at 3 cm intervals. Then I connect the lines to create a regular grid of squares.

Step 2: Pinning down the fabric

My picture should measure 1.30 x 3.00 metres. So I decide to paint on the floor, because I have enough space there to stretch out the fabric. This is important so that it doesn't warp or shrink while I'm painting. I do this very simply with a stapler. I lay jute fabric underneath. This helps me to even out any unevenness in the floor and allows the fabric to dry better.

Step 3: Priming

The fabric is given a first thin coat of paint. More of a glaze, so that it remains nice and flexible. This serves to smooth out the fabric, create a base colour and bind the fibres so that the colours do not bleed when painting.

Step 4: Stretching the grid

Now the grid can finally be stretched over the large surface. But what can I do to avoid ending up with lines on the picture? The solution is string! My enlargement scale in this case is 1:11, i.e. every centimetre on the printout corresponds to 11 centimetres in the original. So I hammer nails into the floor at regular intervals and then stretch a string from left to right and from top to bottom.

Sketching with a long drawing stick

Step 5: Sketching

The preparations are complete and now the artistic work can begin. To avoid having to crawl around on my knees and to get a better overview, I draw while standing up using a long stick with a graphite pencil attached to it. Once I have sketched all the figures, I refine the details by hand on the floor. Then I remove the string again.

Step 6: Fixating the preliminary sketch

This step serves two purposes: the graphite is fixed so that it does not smudge during painting, and the background is already designed. I want my motif to be very light and to look like a weathered fresco in the end. So I use various pastel glazes and lots of water to create an uneven surface.

Step 7: Painting

Now it's time to paint! Keeping a constant eye on the template ensures that I don't stray too far into fantasy worlds. In this case, however, I have to improvise quite a bit. The motif consists only of individual elements from Raphael's painting ‘The Triumph of Galatea’, which should be rearranged and, in addition, should look like a delicate, faded fresco and not like a bold, fresh painting. So there was a lot of room for interpretation for me.

The interim result before patination

Step 8: Patina and weathering

To make the motif fade beautifully and become almost unrecognisable in places, I now apply a layer of glaze over the entire picture. Again, I work very wildly with different light tones, lots of water and speckles.

Step 9: Plaster texture

Finally, the finishing touch: to make the picture look even more like a weathered wall with flaking paint on plaster, I apply slightly thicker paint with various spatulas and a sponge. This makes these areas look as if the plaster is showing through from underneath and in some places the paint is completely missing.

The finished picture

And that's it for this picture! In this case, it didn't need to be customised (made to measure) because the customer will mount it on a wooden panel themselves.

For other motifs, I sometimes work in several layers, so that after the first layer is painted, I stretch the grid again and then draw the details on top. Then the processes of sketching, glazing and painting are repeated over and over again. And, of course, the patination and weathering look different for each motif and must be precisely matched to the template.

You can see the entire process again in fast motion here:

Music: Marina Satti "Adii Dromoi"

But my approach to making large-format copies of images always remains the same. Here is a summary of the steps involved:

Step 1: The grid template

Step 2: Pinning the fabric to the floor

Step 3: Apply primer

Step 4: Putting on the grid

Step 5: Sketching

Step 6: Fixating the sketch

Step 7: Painting

Step 8: Patina and weathering

Step 9: Plaster texture

So, feel free to try it out for yourself! The technique of grid drawing is not difficult to learn, and everything else just takes practice!

And for those who don't paint themselves but still want to beautify their home with stunning, large-format paintings, feel free to visit my shop. If none of the motifs suit your taste, you are welcome to send me your desired motif and I will be happy to send you an offer.