Stencil 101

For a long time I've had a lot of people saying "I wish I could do art like that" when they see my stencils. Theres nothing wrong with a little self doubt but stencils are so damn easy that a monkey with down syndrome could do them, I'm living proof. With that in mind lets get started.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

• Some sort of artwork for your stencil
• Stencil Material (posterboard, cardstock, cardboard)
• Sharpie Pen 
• Cutting Device (Xacto blades, utility knife, razor blade)
• Spray Paint

THE DESIGN:

When starting out its best to try cutting out other peoples stencils. It helps you see how other people structure their stencil and you get to learn about the cutting process at the same time. Look at how they do their bridges and gaps (Bridges hold the stencil together). Don't set your sights on multiple layers or a super detailed stencil just yet. Go for a design that has rather large and odd shapes to cut out.

STENCIL MATERIAL:

Stencils can be made of lots of materials personally I use tagboard or some sort of thick paper. I've seen Banksy uses plain old corrugated cardboard. I know of other guys who use plastic "stencil" material. The main concern on any material should be will it stand up to multiple uses?

Find a way to get your design from a paper to the stencil material, I usually trace it directly to the material using a light box. I've used carbon paper to transfer the design as well.

Using your sharpie to lay out the shapes. Keep in mind you NEED to have bridges. And that implied lines are awesome for stencils.

THE CUTTING PART:Sweet, its time to cut out that stencil. Most people dread this part, Its my personal favorite part of the whole process.I Prefer to smoke a gnar bowl and watch some cartoons while I cut, but each to their own. Remember to take your time and make your cuts count. If your blade starts to rip the paper instead of cutting it, that means you needed to change the blade quite a

 while ago.

If you make a mistake and cut a bridge then simply put a piece of tape on both sides of the cut and trim the excess.

PAINTING:

Here's the tricky part, this can make or break your design. There are lots of paint choices, Keep in mind that the cheaper a paint is the lower quality it is. Flat paint tends to be a lot better than gloss, its easier to work with and drys way quicker. Montana Gold is a spendy paint but its worth every penny, its a good pressure for stencils and it dries fast.

Place your stencil against what you want to paint.

Hold the can about six to eight inches away from the stencil.

Don't try to fill the area in one pass, a slow buildup of paint works best.

If your doing this out on the street this would be a perfect time to put your stencil away and leave the area, paint fumes attract attention.We at Lazer Mountain are not stoked on the idea of defacing personal property, government property is fair game. But keep in mind illegal is illegal, theres no gray area.

OTHER HINTS AND TIPS:

Remember that you may not fully understand the process the first time through, and chances are you will make some mistakes, I do it all the time. Just keep in mind that all the pictures in this article are from someone else's first time cutting a stencil.