This is how I was taught by an old master British portrait painter. You have a painting you are working on and it needs a figure, perhaps a person walking a dog, for example. Drawing that figure without a plan can ruin your painting. It must not only look right but it has to be located to form good composition.
Start by sketching it on a separate piece of paper presumably from a photo or a model in the scale that will be needed for your painting. Have tracing paper handy because you will not likely get it right the first time. It might take several attempts to get the figures the way you want them.
Each time use the tracing paper to trace over the figure you have already drawn and improve your drawing on the tracing paper.
When you finally get what you want, blacken the back of the tracing paper with a soft lead pencil, such as an HB or 2 to 4B pencil which you should use anyway. Place the paper and image over your painting and trace it on. Now you can paint it. If you have kept your work smooth it should trace well. If not you might have to just copy it by hand using a brush as your pencil with the aid of a maul stick.
Oil has to be dry of course. Acrylics will be already dry.
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