Stencils

Stencils are cutout shapes that are used to paint or draw images onto a particular medium. Generally, the stencil shape has been cut out of some kind of material and is then placed over the object to be painted. The artist can then force color through the stencil shape so that only the desired shape is transferred to the project.http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stencil

Stencils can be made out of wax, paper, or fabric and can be used to transfer shapes onto any surface that responds to color.

There are many different ways to make use of stencils in art. They can be applied to clothing, to paper artwork, and they are very often used in home decor.

Stencils can be used to add decoration to several different things, such as:

1. Clothing - Fabric can be decorated by using stencils and fabric paint. Since designs are widely available on the Internet, you can apply any shape or design you like to your apparel by simply printing out the paper stencil you'd like to use, cutting out the shape and then taping it to your fabric. Then apply fabric paint to fill in the shape completely and let it dry.http://www.wikihow.com/Stencil-Fabric
   
   
2. Home Decor - Stencils can add detail to the walls of your home. You can use wall stencils to add painted objects, designs, or inspirational sayings to your room walls. These stencils are usually made from plastic for durability. You can even create an overlay pattern by applying the paint, removing the stencil and then reapplying the stencil slightly to the left or right of the painted shape.http://www.all-about-stencils.com/wall-stencils.html
   
   
3. Art - The most common use of stencils is in producing paper artwork. Many children are introduced to stencils early on by using them to form letters and numbers. Kids can also use stencils to learn how to draw shapes and common pictures.http://childrens-non-fiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/stencil_art You can even make your own stencils for painting by using tracing paper and cardboard.http://www.ehow.com/how_1602_make-stencils-painting.html

There are some words that will be used when using stencils that describe the stenciling techniques:

Stippling simply means to tap or bad paint inside the open stencil area. This provides a solid tone to the pattern.

Swirling is moving the brush in small circles swirling the brush against the open area of the stencil. this will give the appearance of depth because the edges will be darker than the center.

Blending When you combine the colors you are already using to create highlights and subtle shade differences.

These are the basic techniques and when you start working with stencils you will find that you will develop your own method of doing each technique that makes it more comfortable and fun for you.