How to Stencil - The Easy Way

Virtually any paint can be used to stencil with but the two most popular types are Acrylic and Dry-brush Oil. Acrylic paint dries fast, is easy to clean with water and comes in hundreds of different colors. Dry-brush oil paint is non messy, does not smudge or bleed and will adhere to any surface. Markal Paint Stiks fall into this category and will adhere to any wall paint, water or oil based, plastic, melamine, wood, metal, tiles, glass, fabric or almost any other surface inside or out.

Preparation

Always make sure that the surface to be stenciled is clean and properly prepared with no flaking paint. If you need to mark a straight line, do this first with a piece of chalk, pencil is very difficult to remove without damaging the paint or the stencil. Masking tape is often used to attach a stencil, however, if you have ever tried using a Repositionable Contact Spray Adhesive you will never go back to masking tape.

When stenciling a continuous border around a room, start at the corner opposite the door and work out from there. When working on walls, you can position the stencil right under the ceiling molding, at picture rail height 2.2m (7ft4in), dado (chair) rail height 1.2m(4ft), above the skirting board, round the windows and doors or all over like wallpaper.

Instructions

Spray the back of the stencil lightly with spray glue and position the stencil on the chalk line or whatever you are using as a registration mark. Because the glue is repositionable you can move your stencil along 6 or 7 times before it stops sticking, when it does re-spray it. No need to clean in between.

Acrylic Paint: Dip your brush or sponge into the paint and then wipe off most of it on a piece of kitchen paper. If you use too much paint you will find that it bleeds behind the stencil, giving the pattern very ragged edges. Apply the paint using an up and down stippling motion, start on the outside of each of the stencils cut outs and work your way in towards the middle.

 If you are using masking tape to hold the stencil in place, you must push the stencil tightly against the surface so no paint can seep down the back. When using more than one color, wait for the first color to dry before you apply the second color, always use a clean brush or sponge. The lightest color should be applied first.

Using liquid paint for stenciling can be problematic, my advice is to keep your brushes and stencil very clean and use as little paint as possible. If you are not sure, wipe off a bit more, you can always add some if the color is not right. Stencils look better when the color is built up in layers.

Clean-up:  Wash your stencil frequently in hot soapy water, especially when changing color. Don't forget to check for paint on the back of the stencil. Brushes can also be washed in hot soapy water and dried on kitchen paper.

Dry-Brush: Peel off the skin from the paint, dip in your brush and swirl onto a palette or the corner of the stencil, where there are no holes. Markal Paint Stiks can be rubbed directly onto the palette or stencil corner. Using a circular motion transfer the paint to the stencil, keep the brush in an upright position at 90° to the stencil.

One paint stik or pot of dry-brush paint can give you many different shades of the same color. The harder you press the darker and more definite the color will become. For a really light fresco look apply the dry paint with a sponge.

Clean-up: To remove paint and glue from your stencils and brushes soak them in turpentine for a few minutes. Using a stencil brush sweep the paint off your stencil and finish off with kitchen paper. You can also use kitchen paper for the brushes; just keep rubbing until no more color comes off.

Fabric Painting: Always prewash fabric to remove size and softener, these products coat the fibers and then the paint sticks to the coating and not the material fibers. Apply the stencil as per normal; just put some extra masking tape around the edges of the stencil. This is partly to help it stay in place and also in case you go over the edge with your paint (you can't get it out of fabric).

If you are using fabric paint, which can only be used on natural fibers, remember to clean your stencil back and front every time you use it, you must clean it before you reposition. Markal Paint Stiks are less messy and do not make the material hard, they can be used on almost any kind of material. Paint stiks work wonderfully on polyester, silk, voile, cotton, linen, etc., when you paint onto silk and voile with them the paint remains soft and it looks like the designs were printed on by the manufacturer.

Finishing: Before you can wash or dry-clean the fabric, you have just stenciled, you must heat set it, this can be done with a dry iron (no steam). Place a piece of absorbent paper over the design and with the iron as hot as the fabric will allow, press for 10 seconds on either side. Alternatively you can let the paint dry for 3 days and then put the item in the tumble dryer for 30mins.

Sandblasted Glass: To get a sandblasted effect on your windows or doors, without having to go to the expense of real sandblasting, all you need is a white paint stik and some time. Attach your stencil to the glass using spray glue, use very little and low tack first(stick your stencil to a towel so that most of the wet glue comes off and does not get left behind on the glass).

Paint through the stencil using an up and down stippling motion. When you have finished leave the stencil in place and mask round the edge with paper or card. To seal the paint you will need a Clear Lacquer Spray, try not to get it on the clear glass. Spray over the stencil lightly from about 30cm (12in), allow to dry and repeat twice. Let the paint and lacquer dry for at least 3 days before cleaning the window with any preparatory window cleaner.

Reverse Stenciling:  Using a large stencil brush stipple, with the white paint stik, over the whole pane of glass and wait 2-3 days for it to dry. Once it is completely dry and does not smudge when you touch it, fix your stencil in place. The idea is to remove the paint from the holes in the stencil.

Dip a cotton bud (ear bud) in turpentine and then dry off on kitchen paper. Run the damp bud down the middle of a hole in the stencil and remove the paint with dry kitchen paper. When you have removed all the paint from inside the stencil, you can either leave it blank or stencil in other colors (they are very bright against the white). Finally, take down the stencil and spray the whole window pane with clear lacquer to seal in the paint. Wait at least 3 days before cleaning the window.

Happy Stenciling - but be Warned, it's Addictive