Painting Stencils to Create Your Own Masterpiece

OK – So you've been painting stencils. Now you're finished and you sat back and admired it a little while. But you just can’t help thinking that it could use something else. But what?



Well, a stencil is defined as a template that produces an exact image at every use. Of course, in decorative painting that’s just not going to work. The idea is to end up with an image that looks hand painted. So, I put together a few of the techniques that I use to personalize a stencil. Here they are:

Add some highlights where you might see light on your image. This will add some depth and dimension to your painting. Lighten a paint color by adding white paint and use a small bristle brush to run lines where you want highlights. Don’t add to much white because you just want a subtle effect.

Don’t forget to blend shadowed areas with the lighter areas together where the lines meet to have a smoother finish. Pour a little of the two paint colors used and just start to work them together on the image. I like to use a small, round, soft bristle brush with the stippling or pouncing technique used to stencil and work along the line of differing colors until I reach the desired amount of blending.

I invite you to watch this informative Stenciling Instructions Tutorial Video. It’s great to see the basic techniques in action but here you’ll get to watch as an artist adds shading while painting stencils.

Be careful to leave those areas needing the separation with contrast. See the reindeer below. Note how the shaded area on each leg has been blended together with the lower, lighter section. But the individual legs are still separated with a crisp definition of color.

I always like to add a white dot in the iris of eyes to bring out a more realistic effect. The nature of painting stencils is to produce an exact image multiple times. But chances are you want each image to have an individual hand painted effect so little tips like this go a long way.

If you like the stencil examples used on this page then make sure you scroll down to find out how you can get them.

After completing the picture, you can lightly water down some of the paint colors that you have used to run a translucent shadow or top color where you want to add depth or light. Use an artist’s paintbrush to apply these translucent colors and a paper or cloth towel to blot the colors for a blending effect. Be careful because if you make the paint too watery it may take off some of the paint of the image.

A good way to add texture, variation in depth (like curves) or just some interest is to use two or more colors in one opening (island). Just dab the brush or sponge in the different colors and maybe get the colors to fade from one side of the opening to the other. I recommend doing this while the stencil is still in place to keep a sharp edge. Note the blue background of the Anchor Lines Travel Poster Stencil.

Again, practice and experiment! As you play around with painting stencils, you will discover many techniques for customizing your work.

Hints and Tips:

If you have a paper stencil it can be used again but make sure to let it dry thoroughly on a flat surface between uses. After the paint dries you can place the stencils in a heavy book temporarily to flatten out the edges that may have curled. Better yet - check out Preserving Paper Stencils for Long Term Use .

Invest in good paints. Using inexpensive paints that are thin will require too many coats. This will mean more work and more opportunity for paint smudging under the edges. Watery paints will also do more to weaken a paper stencil.

If you run into a situation where two openings (islands) on a stencil are very close but require different colors use a sheet of paper or thin cardboard to cover one opening while applying paint to the other. This is called a mask.

If your stencil is located in a high traffic area, you may wish to apply a protective finish. Allow the stenciled area to dry for approximately 3-5 days. Then apply a water-based acrylic varnish (flat or satin finish).

Well, that’s about it for "Painting Stencils to Create Your Own Masterpiece." I hope you picked up on some great ideas for your next decorative painting stencils project.

If you have some other ideas or techniques that you would like to share, the Stencil Blog is a great place. This is a community of stencil enthusiasts who are anxious for information and ideas. Join the blog to keep up with what's going on!

We now have a catalog for you to browse a large variety of designs. So, check out our Stencils Catalog for your next project.

Below is a sample of the design books that we offer. These books include the stencils used as examples on this page. The Reindeer is part of the Holidays Collection and the Anchor Lines Stencil is from the Old Fashioned Luggage Labels Collection.

Each book will come to you as a downloadable pdf file in your e-mail. Just check your e-mail after purchase for the link to connect to your file and print or save. It's that easy!

All designs can be adjusted to fit your project size. Instructions are included. Pages are 8.5” x 11”.

This collection includes 9 designs. They are Santa Claus, a Reindeer, a Christmas Tree (with options for decorations), a Candle with Holly Accents, Bells with a Bow, a Gingerbread Boy and Girl, and a String of Lights.

This purchase is of a PDF file which has 42 pages.

Price: $9.95

Paint some travel posters or decorate an old steamer trunk with these 15 designs. 5 are Hotel Advertisements, 5 are Transportation Ads and 5 are Destination Ads (like Paris and New York).

This purchase is of a PDF file with 102 pages.

Price: $9.95

If you'd rather get your Stencil Pattern Books in Print (like these) then visit our Printer's Book Shop for a large variety of stencil collections. These books are easy to follow and come with complete instructions. You'll find all of the stencil designs used as samples throughout this site.

Need more information? If you are looking for stencils and supplies, here are a couple of recommendations. Then again, if you are looking for books about painting stencils, Amazon.com has a couple of suggestions for you. And if all else fails, Google Search provides a box for you to add the topic of your choice.

Mister Art.com is a great place for all of your arts and crafts needs plus they have a section dedicated to stenciling.

Dick Blick Art Materials carries fine art supplies with a good supply of stencil making materials. This is the place to look for fine quality art and craft tools.

Joann.com carries a variety of high quality acrylic paints, great for stenciling. You'll find brands like Delta Ceramacoat, Folk Art, Americana and DecoArt. They also provide paint applicators and many other arts and crafts supplies.

CreateForLess is a discount arts and crafts supplier. Yet you can find the high quality Delta Ceramcoat and DecoArt Acrylic paints at some nice prices. They also carry the DecoArt SoSoft Fabric Paints if you are working with textile stenciling. Plus you'll find a good variety of applicators specifically for painting stencils.

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