The following article is all about creating stencils. Stencils are an indispensable part of mixed media art. They are suitable for a variety of purposes. With them, you can easily and quickly apply motifs or patterns multiple times, create shapes such as fonts with very precise contours and also get help when drawing or painting motifs.
When you search for stencils in your favorite stores, you won't always find the best and most suitable motifs. What to do? It's simple. Take a hand and create your own stencils.
Which stencil design do you want?
Whether hearts, stars or letters, whether concrete or abstract, almost all designs can be placed on a stencil. However, you should make sure that all parts "stay together" or are held together by connecting pieces (called bridges).
Which stencil design do you want?
Using the example of a star stencil I will show you what is important.
List of Steps
Step 1
I have drawn a simple star. This consists of several intersecting lines. In the picture on the left you can see a drawing, without any special processing.
Step 2
This creates cavities that must be connected to the outermost blue shape (B) so that these intermediate parts are not lost. For adhesive foils it is no problem (so they are unsuitable for multiple use), for all other cases they have to be held together with bars. On the left you can see the simple basic template.
Step 3
The drawing itself (the negative) could easily be used as a mask, since all the lines are connected. On the left you can see the mask, which is also called a negative.
Step 4
The final end template (D) is provided with bars. This is not the same as the original image, but the star is still clearly visible. In the left picture you can see the finished template with bars.
Positive and negative of a stencil
Positive (left) and Negative (right) of a stencil
Create a stencil - DIY Ideas
Now that you know what to look for, let's get started. You can:
- Take existing packing material (e.g. fruit nets, or game shapes).
- Draw masks with threads using a hot glue gun
- Using a cutting plotter at home to cut either saved designs or your own, such as hearts or letters, using a program. The cuts are ideal masks.
- Have your desired motif made online with different manufacturers. I have had good experiences with StencilMafia. You upload your photo and with a few clicks you can create your personal stencil. And the result is something to be proud of!
- Cut your own stencil. As a base material for your stencil is suitable paper, cardboard, plastic (whether spez. adhesive film, stencil film or office plastic sleeves does not matter), and even thin metal. As long as the material can be easily cut with a cutter or scissors (nail scissors are recommended for fine work). If you do work with a cutter, I recommend a cutting pad. Paper stencils are very delicate at first. However, if you have already applied several layers of acrylic over the paper, it will become more stable.
Making stencils - The right design
There are basically three different types of stencils:
Types in making stencils yourself
Letters and numbers
Let yourself be inspired by your own writing or by well-known fonts. Due to the many cavities, the consideration of bars is absolutely necessary.
Objects and designs
The contour and shape of people and animals can either be sketched in a simplified way and then transferred to a template, or the shape can be cut out of a magazine. Here I recommend you to laminate the shape before the first use.
Decorative elements
Here you can freehand transfer a pattern onto the cardboard or plastic. As long as you have no independent voids, everything is allowed! Geometric shapes are suitable, but also patterns from nature.
Using stencils correctly
Stencils are often used in conjunction with acrylic sprays, but there are quite a few other ways to apply the color. I like to use makeup sponges. To get the cleanest possible impression, where the paint does not creep under the stencil, it is important to apply the paint as dry as possible. This works very well with stamping ink and must be done with feeling when using acrylic paint. The same is true with the short bristle brushes. In both cases, the ink should be applied with light pressure. When moving and turning the brush, there is a risk of paint getting under the stencil.
What is often forgotten is the use of stencils for tracing. A pen is inserted inside the stencil, along the edge, to trace lettering and motifs. Only with the bars, one should continue the form and think further.
Have fun with these ideas!