Finishing and Protecting and Storage of Stencils
Once you are ready to stencil, you will take your decorating brush
and apply the paint you are working with. Emulsion, acrylic paint and
oil paint can go directly through the stencil. You can also use the foam
rubber or natural sponge previously discussed. Pour your paint on a
palette such as an old saucer plastic lid. Anything disposable will be
fine. Dip your brush in and dab off extra paint. You want to apply the
paint as “dry” as possible, using a quick pouncing movement. Do not
scrub or brush the paint on, as this can cause seepage under the edge of
the pattern. When using a pattern that has several different colors, do
one color at a time and complete the pattern before moving onto the next
color.
If using spray paint, a mist is created by a small pump of the
applicator. Read the directions and follow them as in how far to stand
back and what angles the can will produce a spray. As you spray, be sure
to move the can back and forth. Do not stay in one spot. Spraying the
stencil all over will produce the best result and allow you to layer the
paint with several applications of a thin mist. With spray paint you can
work different colors one right after the other on the same stencil, if
you prefer. The one concern when using spray paint is that other
surfaces you do not wish to paint must be protected. Even the steadiest
hand can inadvertently get out of the stencil, leaving a line of stencil
card behind.
Build your colors up from light to dark. No matter the type of paint
you are using, this is a steadfast rule in stenciling. Your darker
shades lay over the lighter shade. Your colors will also be more true to
the light. If you feel you must paint a light shade over a dark shade,
you may need to make the lighter shade even lighter to make up the
difference in tone.
Finishing and protecting your surface correctly will ensure the
lasting beauty of your work. Ceramics, glass and tile are surfaces easy
to work with if mistakes are made and can be quickly fixed. For other
surfaces, it’s highly unlikely that you can fix a mistake. You can
always make touch ups and disguise what you may feel is a mistake using
this technique. Allowing your design to have blurry effect softens it up
and blends into the background nicely. So, don’t be to concern with
perfection of design as sometimes perfect is quite bland. Once you are
happy with your design, remember to protect it with a polyurethane or
acrylic varnish.
Taking care of your stencils will prolong their lives and save you
money. Stencils can become useless due to the buildup of paint.
Carefully clean these up by slicing away the paint. Using your craft
knife, cut the paint away from the stencil. If after many uses you may
want to use your old stencil as a pattern to make a new stencil.
Before storing your stencils, be sure to allow them to dry out
completely. If you have acetate stencils that you used with water based
paints, wipe these down with a damp cloth and then dry. Label all your
stencils and then carefully store them between sheets of paper or a card
between them.
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