PREPARING THE SURFACE:
Walls should be clean, smooth and
painted with a non-glossy paint. The best surface is a satin or
eggshell finish. The problem with a glossy surface is that extra care
must be taken so that paint does not bleed under the stencil. If you
do apply stencils onto a glossy surface, use a tapping motion with the
brush rather than a sweeping motion. Also, using a reposition able spray adhesive is very important. Flat paint is more absorbent and may
make blending colors more difficult. If you do apply stencils onto a
flat surface.
SUPPLIES:
Paints -- Oil
or water based paints? Of course, every artist has a favorite way of
working. Some prefer oils and others prefer water based (acrylic)
paint. Many of the stencil paints on the market today are oil-based.
If you are unsure, look at the directions for cleanup on the label of
the paint. If the directions tell you to clean brushes with special
brush cleaner or paint thinner, then you know that the paint is oil
based. We, at Leland's, prefer water-based paints for three
reasons. 1) Soap and water is all that is needed for cleanup. 2)
Acrylic paints dry quickly. 3) We do not like the fumes and chemicals
associated with oil paints. We recommend any artist's acrylic paint
that comes in tubes or any acrylic paint for crafters.
Brushes -- Use
round stencil brushes that are found in any craft store. Get a variety
of sizes.
Adhesive -- We
recommend a reposition able spray adhesives.
Spray adhesives will help prevent paint from "bleeding" under
the stencil.
Extras -- Paper
towels, rags, plastic plates or sheets of aluminum foil for your
palette, cardboard box for spraying adhesive, practice paper, white
gum eraser to remove pencil guide lines (if needed) from the walls.
GETTING
STARTED:
Adhesive -- Place
one stencil face down in a medium to large cardboard box. Holding the
can about 12" away, lightly mist the back side of the stencil.
(The cardboard box will keep the spray from drifting to the floor.)
When finished, put the stencil aside, face down, until you are ready
to paint. Repeat the process until all of the stencils have been
misted. Note: you may use each stencil several times before reapplying
adhesive.
ALIGNING
THE STENCIL(S):
Borders -- There
are two ways to align stencils for a border at the top of the wall.
1) Without measuring ahead of time,
put the stencil on the wall with the top edge of the stencil butted
against the ceiling and apply the paint. After applying the paint,
move the stencil to the right (or left) and repeat. Work your way
around the room.
2) If your ceiling is very uneven, or
if you want to position the border lower on the wall (chair railings
are usually 36" from the floor), use a ruler to measure where you
will place the bottom edge of the stencil. Then, using a level,
make small pencil marks about 12" apart around the room. Connect
the marks with white painter's tape. Do not use regular masking tape as that could peel the
paint from the wall when removed. Align the bottom edge of the stencil
to the tape and paint as instructed above. When you are finished
stenciling the room and after the paint has dried completely, remove
the pencil marks with a white gum eraser.
APPLYING
THE PAINT:
| Pour
or squeeze a small amount of each color of liquid or tube
paint (and gel medium, if desired) onto your palette. Tap
and twist the brush into the paint (and into a small amount
of gel medium).
**Important** Blot the paint
by tapping the brush onto a paper towel or rag. The brush
should be very dry.
|
 |
| Holding the brush
perpendicular to the stencil, work from the outside edges of
the stencil and use a circular motion. For small areas a
tapping or stippling motion might work better. Even if you
are using a one-step stencil, you can achieve a multicolored
effect. Simply use a different brush for each color, apply
all the colors before removing the stencil. Gel medium
allows the smoothest blending of paint colors. For borders,
allow the paint to dry for a minute or two before moving the
stencil to the next spot. This will prevent the edge of the
stencil from overlapping onto wet paint. |
 |
Since acrylic paints dry so quickly,
be sure to cover the brushes you are not using with plastic wrap or
aluminum foil to keep them moist and pliable until the job is
finished. Don't forget this advice when you take a break.
CLEANUP:
Allow the stencils to dry. We
generally do not wash the paint off the stencils because the dry
brush technique does not leave a thick build up. If you feel that you
want to wash off the paint, use denatured alcohol on a rag. Store
stencils for future use by separating each stencil with a sheet of
waxed paper. Clean brushes with soap and water.
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