Some of my favorite tools are handmade and found stencils. From needlepoint canvas to silk flowers to hand-cut postcards, many of my marks start with a layer of paint sprayed through stencils. I look for items with interesting patterns and textures. There are so many interesting tools to use as stencils. Teach yourself to “look with new eyes” when you are shopping. Stencils can be found at many places, not just the art store. Experiment with designing shapes to add visual imagery to your paintings with interesting textures.
A few of my favorite stencil tools: anything containing the alphabet, including chipboard letters and letter alphabet stencils; leaves and flowers cut with a craft knife; plastic overlays; a gutter screen from the hardware store; a felted placemat from a dollar store; and lasercut stencils by Stencil Girl Products.
Make stencil prints by laying stencils over the surface. Spray Tulip fabric sprays or watercolor in a spray bottle over the stencils. You can also flip painted stencils over onto the surface and roll over them with a soft rubber brayer to transfer the excess paint and make a print of the stencils. Try using store-bought stencils, needlepoint canvas, silk flower petals, sequin waste, removable stickers, masking tape, foam hair rollers, rubber bands, sink mats or string to make prints.
Cut stencils from cardstock and place them onto the surface. Spray Tulip fabric sprays over the stencil to create an outline. Then turn the painted stencil onto the fabric and roll over it with a soft rubber brayer to take a print. The excess paint on the stencil will transfer to the surface.
Make various stencil prints (see the Creative Jumpstart on page 54) by spraying through sequin waste and lasercut plastic masks by Maya Road. Doodle with Aleene’s Fabric Fusion adhesive and sprinkle ultrafine glitter over the glue. Let it dry. Write words over the wet paint with a white correction fluid pen.
Spray through letter stencils, sequin waste and needlepoint canvas. Once the paint is dry, accent the background with black Tulip SLICK dimensional fabric paint.
Look around your home, kitchen and garage. What items do you have that can be turned into stencils? My favorite places to find stencils are thrift, dollar and hardware stores. Look for lasercut cardstock in scrapbooking stores. Use stickers and tape as stencils. To create custom designed stencils, I cut intricate designs out of cardstock, manila folders or discarded postcards. You can find free postcards at many coffee shops. For interesting letter stencils, use a variety of chipboard letters in different fonts.This is a simple and fun way to add patterns to your painted backgrounds with stencils found at the dollar store. Look with fresh eyes for unique tools to create interesting patterns in your art. This technique can be done on a variety of surfaces. Experiment with different fabrics and papers.
ACRYLIC PAINT
FABRIC PAINT (TULIP SOFT)
FABRIC SPRAYS (TULIP)
FOAM BRUSH
STENCILS SUCH AS SILK FLOWERS, CROCHETED DOILIES, RUBBER BANDS AND CHIPBOARD LETTERS
UNBLEACHED MUSLIN
Spray fabric sprays over the stencils, then remove them to reveal the pattern.
Pull apart a silk gerbera daisy to use as a stencil. Place a crocheted doily and silk petals over the painted background.
Paint a piece of unbleached muslin with various acrylic and fabric paints.