Creating Complex Spraypaint Stencils by Hand

Step 4: Choose your Weapon

Now that you have a nicely planned-out stencil, the time has come to make your plates. You have many options here. Some artists use cardboard or foamcore for their stencils. Others use paper or plastic. There's no right answer, as each medium has advantages and disadvantages. My personal favorite is laminated paper. You can get your paper guides laminated at Kinko's, or if you're really into it Staples or OfficeMax will sell you your very own laminating machine for around $80. This can pay for itself over time, so it's worth considering if you really dig laminated sheets. The big disadvantages to laminate are cost (cardboard is free) and size, since most laminating machines are limited to letter (8.5 x 11") paper. It is possible to join multiple sheets, but this takes some finesse with tape. There are some real advantages to laminate, though. I prefer laminated paper as a plate material because it is relatively waterproof, meaning it will stand up to multiple sprays, it cuts cleanly, meaning no little "hairs" or paper fiber to wick paint into places you don't want it, and best of all it cuts easily with an X-acto knife. This means that you're not pushing the knife along with all your might, allowing you to cut more precisely. It's also pretty tough and will not tear, allowing you to cut fine details. The downside is that it is floppy and can blow around in the wind created by the spray can, so you need to hold it down carefully. For single-use stencils, thick paper works just as well.


One thing to consider is that thinner materials make for easier stencils to spray. This is because you don't have to spray from a perfect 90-degree angle to the work, which you have to do with thicker materials, otherwise the surface of the material will block the paint at the edges. This results in "fuzzy" edges.

Another option is a material called frisket film. Frisket film is a material widely used for stenciling by airbrush artists, especially in the automotive industry. It is a plastic film that is a bit stretchy and is adhesive on one side. It cuts very easily with an X-Acto and can be bent around curves. If you're working on a very smooth surface (i.e. finished metal, fiberglass or plastic) frisket film is second to none. It can work well on wood and painted walls, too. It won't really stick to anything rough, like brick or stone. The major problem with frisket film is that it is very flexible and tends to stick to itself (imagine a stencil made from scotch tape). This makes is virtually worthless for more intricate stencils. It's also very, very difficult to get multiple uses out of it. The adhesive will work more then once, but peeling anything but the simplest design off without stretching it or sticking it to itself is quite a challenge. Frisket film can be purchased at art supply stores and some automotive places.

If you're using cardboard, foamcore, etc you'll need to glue your paper guide down so it doesn't move while you cut. I suggest Spraymount for this, which is a spray-on adhesive that you can buy in art supply stores. Any spray glue will work, though. Just make sure you don't use anything that will harden beneath the paper and make it hard to cut, or will remain gooey and stick to the blade, like rubber cement.

Comments

[apollard6]

have you considered using lighting gel as a stencil?

its flexible, easy to cut and will keep its shape, and depending on the colour see through, and probably re-usable. The best brand would be Rosco as its thicker than the more popular Lee gels.

I haven't tested it myself but I think might be a good alternative to laminating.

[Phil Cyr]

For small stencils I have had success with overhead transparency film, it can be sprayed with a Basting Spray for quilting to make the back tacky.

[zurkuhlenm]

for smaller ones i've found that manilla envelopes/folders work really well. they cut easily and hold a pretty surprising amount of detail and are easy to get a hold of cheaply. for the drawing of the cutting guide I skip the photo editing software entirely: i tape the material to be cut (manilla envelope) to the wall and use a mini photo projector to shoot the image up there and draw it by hand. Photo projector is made by sunpak i believe and cost around $80

[Bazjra]

If you're not into using frisket film, you can get liquid frisket or masking fluid (same thing). You paint it on with a bad/cheap brush and it hardens like rubber cement and can be pulled or wiped off easily. I don't know how well it would work with bases like fabric that might soak it in, but it might work with rougher surfaces like stone or cement. It can only be used once.

[MacAttack]

They make this stuff that I have been having some trouble finding.. it's thin plastic, used for cutting out quilt patterns.. but it's awesome because you can cut it with an exacto and use it more than once, though like heavy paper it can get blown around a bit.

[pharmacopaeia]

Mylar often works well - here we have it in art stores, craft stores, office supply places and sometimes stationery shops - it's sometimes called OHPT (overhead projector transparancy). It's not terribly expensive and often you can print or photocopy onto it :)