- Free-form stenciling uses paint and open-form stencils to create designs without repetition or straight edges. The stenciled subjects often overlapp to create more detail. Stencils can be purchased at craft stores or made by hand. The stencils are painted over by special stenciling brushes or rollers.
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Learning free-form stenciling can save a homeowner money by providing a simple way to decorate her home with the illusion of more expensive objects. This is called the art of trompe l'oeil (French for "trick the eye") or faux painting. For example, a crafter can use stencils to make a realistic-looking window, complete with a garden scene. This is much more affordable than hiring a contractor to build a window in the wall and a gardener to plant the garden outside the window.
Skilled craters use faux painting with free-form stencils as a business, painting others' homes for a fee. - In free-form stenciling, the crafter stencils a shape, then lays another stencil over this shape, slightly to the side. She uses a darker shade of paint to create shadows, giving the piece a three-dimensional look.
- A crafter can create full-size objects such as trees, plants, archways or animals by using this stenciling technique, some paint and brushes. To create these images the crafter doesn't have to be an artist; he just has to be able to paint over simple stenciling templates.
- One free-form stencil painting can take anywhere from a few hours to weeks to create. The time it takes depends on the amount of detail involved and how big the painting is. For example, a 12-inch flower may take an hour to create, while a tree could take up to a week.
