Stencil Painting Directions
(Materials: stencils, rags, brushes, tape, acrylic paint)
- Choose a theme for stencil mural project. (theme for Fishtown – “Aquatic Life”)
- Choose specific location and decide how stencils will fit space. (We have small stencils designed specifically for painting over benches and bigger ones for walls)
- Brainstorm ideas, pick stencils and colors to work together, and arrange to make pattern.
- Experiment and personalize your stencil by adding dots or stripes or freehand details. Be creative: a hand-print as a tail can be added to an oval stencil to make a fun fish.
- If you have a more complex stencil design, you may want to paint each section of a stencil with a different color. Take care so wet paint does not get on the underside of stencil paper.
- To overlay multiple stencils, you will need to plan one stencil paper for each color you use. One for the background, one as a silhouette for shape, and one or more for details or specific area color choices. Just be careful to wait for each color to dry (approximately 20 minutes).
- Painting with a stencil is easiest with an extra pair of hands holding the stencil flat against surface! Tape can also be used to hold stencil in place on smooth surfaces. We recommend dabbing paint with a rag or using an almost dry paintbrush, carefully working and pushing paint away from paper edges.