Drawing and Transferring Design
Cutting Your Stencil
One of the beautiful reasons to stencil is how you can incorporate
your vision into the design and create it yourself. Draw in pencil and
let your imagination run wild. Simple designs for the beginner is
recommended. As you gain experience, you will find yourself designing
more and more intricate work. Have fun and relax as you work out your
designs and plan your project.
Look for inspiration in stenciling books, magazines and, of course,
online. Study wallpaper and fabrics that you like and are naturally
drawn to. There is a book out there for any situation. Do you want to
stencil a child’s room? Consult children’s books. Stenciling your
kitchen? Turn to your cookbooks. No pictures? Go to the library! The sky
is the limit in finding your special pattern. Consider how well your
choice will transition into pattern. Simple shapes convert better to
stencil so keeping it simple is best. You can then trace the shape or
photocopy it. Once you have the shape of the stencil created, fill it in
with a black marker to see what the shape is going to look like once
it’s stenciled. Your next step is to create a bridge. They complete the
stencil, carrying the pattern throughout the project and occurring at
regular intervals of the design. They should complement the stencil and
be of the same boldness as the original pattern and weight in order to
hold the stencil together when you begin to paint. Any design can be
enlarged with a photocopier. If one is not available to you, then you
can use grid paper and increase the size of the design in that manner,
remembering to incorporate bridges. Taking a pattern from fabric is
basically the same technique, though a photocopier is needed. Once you
have your copy draw your grid over it.
Using stencil card, place a piece of carbon paper between the card
and the image to be transferred. Tape the carbon paper in place and then
trace over the design firmly with an ink pen. When you feel you have
completely traced the design, peel back a corner and take a look. Do not
remove completely as it may be difficult to line up exactly as you had
it. There is also a spray adhesive specially formulated for display to
glue photocopies to oiled stencil card. It is waterproof and will not
react with any of the paints you choose to use. Spray the back of the
photocopy and the card. Allow them a few moments to become tacky and
then apply the photocopy to the card. Smooth the surface out and remove
any bubbles. Using your hand to do this is fine.
Another way to transfer your design is by first drawing it in a soft
leaded pencil onto tracing paper. Turn the paper over and apply tape to
keep it in place on the card. Trace the reversed image of the drawing
pressing firmly as you trace. If you are working with a large design you
can join 2 pieces of card together to make a card big enough for the
entire design. Using waterproof masking tape, put two pieces of stencil
card side by side, then attach with tape.
The easiest method to transfer is using clear acetate. Place the
acetate over the design, tape it into place and trace with permanent
marker. Once the design is transferred, ink the lines that you will cut.
This way you can follow a line in cutting and stay precise. Again, keep
your bridges in mind to help hold your stencil and image together.
When you are ready to cut your stencil, the first thing to consider
is the surface that you are cutting on. A cutting mat is preferred but a
large piece of cardboard will also do the job. Cut out the small shapes
before the large ones. Cutting the large ones first weaken the material
you are cutting from, making it difficult to cut out the smaller ones
later. Start in the center of your pattern and work your way out. Be
certain that the sharp blade you are using is always coming toward you
as you cut, turning the stencil as you cut. Keep your blade movement
smooth and continuous. Mistakes do happen so don’t panic or feel bad.
Just grab your masking tape and repair on the other side. If the tape
covers any of stencils, cut it out with your tool carefully, and you are
good as new.
Your surface preparation is all about having a clean surface to
stencil. Be sure any loose or flakey material is removed. Use hot soapy
water to prepare the surface you need to clean. If your surface is
greasy, sugar water will do the trick and be gentle enough to wash away
the grime. In working with raw material, one that has never been
painted, you will need to prime it first and then apply a base coat.
There are different primers for metal and wood. Your local hardware
store has employees willing to help you find the right products for your
project.
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