What is a stencil, its definition and its uses? The art of stencil drawing, its implementation and unpacking methods

a definition :

 A stencil is a formal pattern or method used to apply density or design quickly and accurately. The artist places the stencil, which is an insulator placed between the coloring tool, dye, and surface. It is often made of a paper, plastic, metal or wooden base with designed spaces in the middle. In the form of designs or letters, they allow the dye to pass to the surface of the design, resulting in formal conformity with the same stencil blank. Then many stencils are used to add line formation and more detail to the first blank

The origins of the stencil:

The use of stencil art dates back over 37,000 years and is considered one of the oldest arts, dating back to cave paintings, as evidenced by Neanderthal cave drawings located in Spain, where the human hand was used as a stencil. method by placing it on stones and spraying them with dyes, and over time animal skin was used as a stenciling tool. It was used to draw most aspects of daily life at that time, and over time the use of stencils spread throughout ancient civilizations, from the Pharaohs to the Chinese, but the latter developed the stencil by making it on paper. It quickly transformed into fabric and later made it one of the most popular tools for decorating fabrics. all over the world and in our various daily magazines, notably on fabrics, printing on products, designing logos, decorating homes, and many more...

The most common area in which stencils are used is graffiti, as the latter is considered vandalism, putting the artist at risk of arrest. Time is short, which led him to use stencils to save a lot of time, and it was effective. One of the most famous stencil artists of our time is Banksy, whose drawings are all made using the same technique.

Applying the stencil:

 Using stencils is a difficult thing if you are trying to implement a special idea, i.e. manual application, but it is easy if you are trying to make the idea, and that is the right way. simpler. sites to buy a ready-made stencil, or search for the desired shape on Pinterest and print it. Then empty it. To do this, you will need a cutting tool like an X-ACTO knife.

Stencil making is a paper art that is manifested by creating hollows in the paper that allow dyes to pass through, while the rest of the paper that is not hollowed out acts as a barrier to prevent dyes from flow over the surface of the design. are the most important tips you will need:

1. Choosing the right paper depends on the coloring material used; it is advisable to use watercolor papers to better resist the coloring material, i.e. papers weighing more than 300g.

2. Secure the paper with tape or spray adhesive and make sure the stencil can't move so you don't make coloring mistakes and leak into places you don't want to touch.

3. The best choice of stain is if you are experienced in the art field. You can use brushes and acrylic colors that are suitable for all surfaces, but this requires a lot of experience. You can compensate for this with color sprays or sponges.

4. Try to be patient when painting and methodically, that is, start painting from the edges of the stencil towards the center, and try to have a light touch on the sides and repeat it several times .

5. Gaining experience to be able to invent your own stencil occurs gradually and with many attempts. Starting to pick up a ready-made stencil from websites is one way to start getting the experience and practice you need. Over time, you will make mistakes and be able to correct them, allowing you to integrate the experience into a particular method of creativity. The only way to learn is to experiment and try to work on different designs.

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