Distinctive
design.
Quality custom
stencilling
to your
specification.
features
l'oeil
Also our TechniQ-Kits ("Trompe L'Oeil", and "Murals") - a collection of quality products selected and combined to help develop techniques. Our "accessories" page has full information. STENCIL INFO: Why do our designs look so different? Most are "bridgeless". If you are wondering why our designs look so impressive, and not like stencils, it's because we have removed most of the "bridges". Bridges are the strips between the holes in traditional stencils, which leave some background showing through - these instantly identify the work as merely "stencilled". By using several overlays (or sheets) we eradicate the bridges, enabling the desired "free-hand" painted look, but with the ease and control of stencilling. Registration is how we ensure accuracy of overlay placement in multi-overlay (more than one sheet) stencils. On each sheet there will be small holes cut through all overlays, usually in the corners and highlighted. When stencilling we mark these on the first overlay, then carefully position subsequent overlays matching the marks. Tip .... If you place a small piece of masking tape beneath each of these holes before stenciling overlay 1, when the design is complete, you can simply peel off the tape and not be left with dots on your work! Lynda Mills Designs' stencils are precision cut by laser, and packed with colour sample sheet and instructions. EQUIPMENT Having selected your stencil design you will need: Brushes - Usually one per colour, quality is important, check our "accessories" page! Paints - good quality acrylics are recommended, check the enlarged image of your design choice for colour listing. Palette - plate, sheet of glass or plastic Masking tape to secure stencils Paper towel Scrap paper - see "developing technique" below. TECHNIQUE Ensuring you do not use too much paint is the most important rule of good stencilling. We refer constantly to the "dry-brush technique" - this will eradicate runs, smudges and paint seepage under the stencil and give crisp, clean edges. 1. Puddle a little acrylic paint on your palette. 2. Lightly load your brush 3. Swirl to coat bristles 4. Remove excess by dabbing on paper towel. You are then ready to stencil. Stippling will quickly provide rough texture Swirling will give a softer finish Stroking will help shape and blend colours Dragging is particularly good for woodgrain SHAPING Curve is the primary shaping tool - most objects you will stencil are a combination of curves. To create curve, lightly shade the edges furthest from the eye, and highlight those closest (e.g. to make an apple appear spherical, shade the periphery, and highlight the centre). In our mustard pot, you can see the shading down the edges to create the illusion of curve.
Contrast is another vital tool, especially when using bridgeless stencils, as there are no simple bridges to separate components. To create contrast, heavily sub-shade edges where broken by a frontal adjacent feature (e.g. the upper edge of the mustard pot, and the lower inner edge are heavily sub-shaded, so that the rim - which is highlighted - stands out). DEVELOPING TECHNIQUES When using multi-overlay stencils (more than one sheet), we always recommend preparing an "Overlay Print". 1. Position and tape overlay 1 to scrap paper. 2. Roughly stencil in a light colour and remove overlay 3. Carefully position and tape overlay 2, checking registration 4. Roughly stencil in another colour and remove overlay 5. Repeat with any further overlays 6. Colour-key alongside From this you'll be able to locate and thus recognise the shapes to help you shade and contrast, and easily identify which overlay contains a certain component. Finally - practise! Play with colours, try varying strokes to texture, experiment on scrap paper. When you are happy with your efforts, tape the sample in situ, stand back and appraise the effect. If it looks OK on paper, it'll look wonderful on the wall! FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES England only - would you like to learn trompe l'oeil and muralling techniques first hand, from Lynda in person? If you would be interested in running a Stencilling Workshop in your locality, just give us a call. As an organiser, it would involve no personal financial outlay, just liaising with a local venue, and gathering a minimum of ten people. Outside England? We're open to offers! Lynda teaches regularly at the SALI Convention in the USA. To be inspired further : SALI (The Stencil Artisans League Inc) is a non-profit making organization that is dedicated to furthering the appreciation of stencilling worldwide. They host a tremendous Stencilling Convention each year in different cities in the USA, and publish a quarterly magazine "The Artistic Stenciler" which is sent to all members. Do join! Visit the SALI website at www.sali.org Other recommended organizations: BADFA (British Association of Decorative and Folk Arts) Held their first Convention in the UK in 1998, so we are eagerly looking forward to the second at Brunel University, Middlesex in September 2000. Membership also brings a newsletter. Contact Sue Goodhand, (Secretary) on 01705 356658 SDP (Society of Decorative Painters) US based, worldwide organization, who hold decorative painting Conventions, and publish a magazine for members. Visit them at www.decorativepainters.org |
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