How to Stencil Graffiti
Stenciling graffiti provides a means of producing texts and images that are easily reproduced. The convenience of this medium allows for artists to replicate quickly what could be a complicated design in a very short amount of time, differentiating it from more traditional tagging methodologies. Like most artistic froms, the only way to really master the medium is to practice, practice, practice. If you do not know where to start, however, following the steps below will put you on the right track.
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Things You'll Need
- Board for stencils
- Sharp knife
- Paint
- Spray adhesive or masking tape
- Respirator (optional)
- Photo editing software, such as Photoshop (optional)
- Self-healing cutting board (optional)
Instructions
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Decide what motivates you to create stencil graffiti. Many artists have political, religious, philosophical or social messages to convey. Understand what these motives are before you begin to help you choose your subject matter, composition, color, positioning and location placement of your design in order to make your message most effective and target the audience you wish to reach
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Choose a method used to design stencils. There are many ways to design a stencil: hand drawn, photocopied, tracing and computer-aided software. Using Photoshop to design stencils is one of the most popular means and generally yields the best results.
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Acquire an image. After you have chosen a method in which to design your stencil, it is time to capture and acquire the image you wish to use. While many people believe that hand drawing a stencil is the most respectable means of producing stencil graffiti, it is also the most difficult. Taking a photograph yourself to capture an image, then using Photoshop or another photo editing program to remove the background and convert the imagine into a stencil by adjusting color, saturation and contrast to produce a simple but identifiable image is one popular means of doing this.
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Cut the stencil. Choose a type of paper to print the image on and then cut the stencil. Acetate, poster board, even manila folders are all appropriate papers to use when choosing what type of medium to make the stencil out of. Use a very sharp knife, such as an exact-o blade to cut the stencil with.
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Start spraying. Using a spray adhesive, lightly coat the back of the stencil, place it on the surface to be painted, allow to dry for a couple of minutes and then spray the stencil design with paint. Aim at achieving light coverage and avoid over spraying. Doing a couple of test sprays to learn a good technique.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid breathing paint fumes as well as getting paint on your hands.
