Getting Started in the Fine Art of Stenciling : Decor: Painting designs can enhance the look of Early American pine furniture or add interest to a room.
Looking for an easy, effective way to set off a piece of Early American pine furniture? Or liven up a mundane wooden floor? Or add interest to the typical painted room? Stenciling may be what you’re looking for.
Stenciling is an art that requires almost no artistic skill. If you can cut out a simple pattern with a sharp knife and make little dabbing motions with a paint brush, you can decorate successfully with stencils.
Probably the best way to get started in stenciling is to buy a copy of “Early American Cut and Use Stencils,” by Joanne C. Day (published by Dover Publications, 180 Varick St., New York, N.Y. 10014).
This book includes 54 full-sized stencils in a variety of Early American motifs, all printed on heavy oak tag. All you have to do to use them is cut out a page, soak it in a mixture of linseed oil and thinner, and let dry. Then you take a sharp razor knife and cut along the printed shapes and you are ready to start stenciling.
This involves little more than taping the stencil in position on your work, and dabbing paint over it with a blunt stenciling brush as shown in the sketch. Day’s book includes a basic set of instructions, but if you give stenciling a try and become interested, you might want to learn more about it.
In that case, she has a more advanced book, “The Complete Book of Stencilcraft,” published by Simon & Schuster. Another book with good information is “Paint Magic,” by Jocasta Innes (Pantheon Books).
If you’d like to fool around with stenciling on your own, here’s a quick review of how to get started:
You can make a simple basic stencil out of a piece of cardboard. An ordinary file folder works well. If you can come up with your own design idea, fine. If not, you should be able to get ideas from magazines, catalogues and books. Simple Early American and Pennsylvania Dutch designs always work well.
Once you have your design, draw it out on your piece of cardboard. Then mix up a small batch of boiled linseed oil and paint thinner or turpentine, mixed 50/50. Soak this into both sides of the cardboard for several minutes. Then wipe off the excess and let dry for about half an hour. This treatment will give the cardboard extra body, make it easier to cut, and when fully dry, will protect the stencil from both latex and oil paints.
If, after half an hour, the cardboard is still wet, wipe it off again. Then lay it out on a smooth board and cut along your lines with a razor-sharp knife. Then let the stencil dry overnight.
Paints used for stenciling can be latex or oil, but in any case, should be fairly thick. Thin, runny paints will seep under your stencil. Subdued, earthy colors such as browns, greens, ochers and rusty reds usually look most appropriate.
Rather than buy cans of paint, it’s often cheaper to mix your own, using artist’s acrylic or oil paints. These come in tubes and can be thinned with water (for acrylics) or turpentine (for oils) to a consistency about like heavy cream.
There are special brushes made for stenciling, but if you can’t find one at your art store, buy a cheap round sash brush at your paint store and cut off the bristles to about half their original length to create a stubby, flat-nosed substitute.
Put some of your paint in a saucer or other shallow container and tap the end of the brush into it a few times. Dab the end of the brush onto some newspapers a few times to get off the excess and you are ready to go to work.
It’s not a bad idea to practice a bit with your stencil on a scrap of wood. This will help you get the feel of how much to load the brush, and how to apply the paint. So place your stencil down on a scrap and give it a try.
Apply the paint by tapping lightly with the tip of the brush. Don’t try for a heavy coat. If the brush is too wet, paint will seep under the stencil and cause smears. If it’s too dry or your paint is too thin, you won’t get good coverage.
Once you have your technique worked out, wipe the stencil clean with a soft rag or paper towel. Then tape it to your real work and go to it. After the paint has dried you might want to go over it lightly with very fine sandpaper to give it a worn look. If the stencil is in a high-wear situation, it’s a good idea to protect it with a coat or two of varnish.
