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| Stencils |
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Article created by the good folks at Visualresistance.org |
Materials — you’ll need something to cut your stencil out of once you decide on your idea. There are so many kinds of materials out there to use that it really just depends on how you want to use your stencil. Stencils that will only be used once or very few times can be cut out of something as accessible as paper, and really anything will do. For more durable materials try:
Manila file folders — they most commonly come in 2 sizes, for letter(8 1/2” x 11”) and legal (8 1/2”x 14”) size papers. Unfolded they can make a good size stencil. They are easy to cut through, hold together well with highly detailed images, and will absorb paint. They are also very accessible, found at office supply stores, copy shops, and in the trash outside office buildings and stores. Josh Macphee author of Stencil Pirates favors these.
Other cardboard — like cereal boxes, corrugated cardboard, and other packaging cardboard can be used as well. Though they are harder to cut through and won’t last as long as the file folders, they are found in varying sizes to suit the demands of different sized projects. Any of these can be found in the trash and stack of recycling, probably the most accessible of materials.
Poster Board — like the kind you used for those school projects in elementary school, works well when making larger stencils and easy to cut through. It’s found in supermarkets, office and art supply stores.
Plastics — Acetate, Mylar, laminating paper, etc. These are really easy to cut through and can create minute details. Not really good for putting stuff up on the street cos they’re flimsy and the paint drips off them after a bunch of sprays. I use them for printing onto paper or other materials and then installing them however necessary (wheatpasting, stickers, etc). These kinds of materials can be found in office and art supply stores and in the dumpsters at copy shops and other stores. Mylar, my preference, is pricey and comes in rolls or in 3×4 sheets, get the .05mil.
Magnets — if you can get thin magnets and want to paint on metal, go for it!
Paint — here it is according to Josh in Stencil Pirates:
“The most important thing I’ve learned about paint is that you get what you pay for (that is if you actually buy paint). Cheap cans of paint are inexpensive, but you wont get as much out of them and the paint is low quality and wont survive the elements very well. Also the airtight seal on the can that holds the paint and propellant in is really low quality, leading to frequent clogs, which make a mess and sometimes make the can unusable. So given that laundry list, I usually stick to the higher quality paint, either Krylon or Rust-oleum, and their sub-brands: Color Works and Painters’ Touch or American Accents, respectively. American Accents, in particular, has a wide range of colors. These sub-brands are usually half the price and just as good. There are also a number of brands from Europe, like Montana and Belton, that are great paints, but usually can only be mail-ordered here in the US and are very expensive. Another really important piece of information about paint is tat you always want to use flat, ultra flat, or satin paints. They dry significantly faster on the street and on your stencil and it is easier to lay a second color on top of them.
Unlike in traditional graffiti, the nozzles on the paint cans, often called “caps,” aren’t quite as important for stenciling. What are called “fat caps,” or anything that will widen your spray area, can be useful because they mean less time standing with a can of paint in your hand. I’ve also found that the large industrial cans of paint made for job sites (“upside-down cans”) sometimes have caps on them that fit into regular cans and create a nice fan-like wide spray which is great for stencils.”
-If you plan on painting the ground an upside-down spray can might be best. Cans hold a lot of paint and it comes out fast. Also check out Graffiti magazines and websites to order caps and new brands of paint, made specifically for graffiti heads.
Cutting Implements — basically anything that’s got a sharp edge! Most people prefer X-acto style knives, but box cutters, Olfa snap-off blades, and even pocketknives can be used. Heat knives cut through most plastics and can be found at most art and craft supply stores, but we don’t have any experience with them yet
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— First you need an idea of what you wanna paint. You can either draw something out directly onto your material and then start cutting. If you don’t draw you can use pre-existing images; photos, drawings, etc, and print them out on paper (any size you like). Attach them to your material with a glue stick or spray adhesive, and start cutting. To create a “stencil-like” image from photos, photocopy it over and over with the contrast set very high. This will eliminate most details and simplify the image to just black and white. For those who have access to computers and understand Photoshop, this is Kristine’s advice:
When I began making stencils I hand drew them all. I had a passion for stenciling but my drawing abilities were less than great. I was strongly influenced by a common opinion I had heard, that cutting directly through a photo was “cheating”, and photo shopping that photo to help you out was very taboo. Well I can’t draw. I take pictures and have a passion for photography. For me stenciling is an alternative way to print photos, like silkscreening a photo. People make art in many different ways, and utilize their skills and interests in different ways. Your art is yours. I think hand drawn stencils are beautiful. I find the move towards computer technology a bit sad for fear of the extinction of the free-hand stuff. I also think photography is rad and I love dissecting my photographs and putting them on walls. It’s often the only way people will ever see them. As for Photoshop, it makes it easier, but often a bit more boring. You can manipulate a photo so you can see where to cut more easily if you want your stencil to look like a photo, but figuring it out yourself can be interesting. Keep in mind that relying on technology can be dangerous and limit your capabilities. Anyhow, here’s what I do: I scan in a photo or negative, or find a picture on the internet ( I once considered google image search a guilty pleasure, but it works well if you need a specific image) Going to the library is also a great place to find images. When you have the image on the computer use Photoshop to resize the image. Then use filters like brightness contrast, posterize, find edges and just play around to see what you like. I usually just up the contrast a tad, I don’t like stencils that look like a stencil of a Photoshop filter, I don’t like anything that looks like a Photoshop filter, but that’s just me.
For more specifics on the techie stuff check out the “tutorials” section of stencilrevolution.com.
— Next is the most tedious but fun part, cutting out your stencil. Using your blade you are going to cut out the areas that you want to be painted (paint goes through the holes onto the preferred surface.) You should be cutting on top of a cutting board, linoleum, magazine, or other surface that you don’t mind destroying. If you have already drawn your image and have put in connectors you should be alright. If not, try to visualize what the stenciled image could look like after its been sprayed. Look for areas that can be connected creating a “floating positive space.” My buddy jon explains them like this:
“The more complex the image the more compromises you’ll have to make regarding floating positive space. The best stencils are those that take this into account and use them as part of the style. With a little practice it’s pretty easy to figure out how to keep important parts of your composition from popping out and falling onto the floor!”
Now that you have a stencil in your hands, it’s a good idea to spray your stencil on something to see if it came out as beautifully as you visualized. You can apply your art to the desired surface with spray paint, or some acrylic paint with a sponge or brush.
Lay the stencil flat onto the surface and spray with short blasts of paint from a can or dabs from a sponge. You can use pieces of tape or spray adhesive to get a “cleaner” look. For smaller images its not usually necessary to press down for long steady streams, it wastes paint and is less controlled. Take off your stencil to admire your creation and do it again!
Before you go out it’s good to do a little planning both on your own and with your friends. Mapping out a route may help to ease last minute jitters. Knowing where you want to hit can ease this a bit and lead to fabulous placing. For really large pieces I’ll feel great if it gets up just once or twice, especially in highly visible areas. In such cases I like to just get it up and go home. This is more relevant in a small town where a large piece will quickly get the cops’ attention and they’ll be on the lookout. It’s also good to be on the same page with your friends about what you want from the outing. Clarify what you do and don’t feel comfortable with, how able bodied you are, and what feels safe. Climbing buildings, billboards, or fences may not be your thing, and last minute decisions can add stress. Whether you feel comfortable running from the police or not is something that varies with circumstance, but should be considered and discussed before going out. If you make the police run you’ll most likely be arrested (or beat up), but if you’re caught putting up art the consequences differ only slightly. Making cops chase after you may increase the chance that they’ll show up in court to testify, but nothing’s certain.
If the police see you out and suspect you, they may track you and going home may not be a bad idea. Having a story planned and consistent with your friends is smart. Sucking up to cops feels really gross, but if it avoids arrest it may be worth it. One cover that works for an art student demographic is pretending to be a disillusioned art student who is confused, apologetic and slightly to moderately upset. Don’t rat on anyone and don’t admit to anything They may take your paint and art if you are caught in the act. If this is the case, ask if you’re under arrest. Ask if you’re being detained. Don’t let them search you.
Depending on the size, material, and potential placement for your stencil, there are a number of ways to carry it. Hiding a stencil wet with paint can be a bit tricky, and many a stencil of mine has been wrecked from drying to the inside of wherever it’s been hiding. My favorite method is wearing at least two layers of clothing, the outer layer a zip up, and putting the stencil flush against my belly or chest, between the layers. Your clothes get messy around the stencil but not visibly on the outside. I feel a lot less conspicuous without a bag and the stencil comes out and goes back in fairly quickly. (Paint can be stashed anywhere on the body as well, I use a fanny pack, but if you wear baggy clothes I’m sure something better can be figured out.)
If your stencil is huge, an artist’s portfolio may seem a bit obvious. I’ve done it, however, and my appearance lends well to the art student profile so I’ve been comfortable, though that doesn’t work for everyone. Cutting stencils out of gessoed canvas also works really well for street pieces because it can be folded or rolled up and ironed out flat again when you get home. You can also try slipping it into a folded newspaper or book (lined with chicken wire or wax paper to prevent sticking if you feel like getting fancy), or an old bag that you don’t mind getting painty. I like using flat canvas, grocery/book bags, or you can make a flat file with corrugated cardboard.
You can conceal your materials in ways which are fun and comical. You can replace the bottom of a pizza box or paper grocery bag with your stencil and camouflage your spray paint in a quart milk box, or whatever else you can figure out. The pizza box trick is fairly common, and possibly recognizable by now so get creative with it.
Riding a bike to go out on a run is a bit cumbersome but makes me feel like I have the appearance of an alternate activity. It’s safer because your work gets more spread out and you don’t leave a trail. It also provides a quicker getaway, which can come in handy in dealing with either the police or street harassers.
Costuming yourself can also be smart and funny. While wearing all black may seem appropriate your probably likely to end up drawing more attention to yourself. I feel really good dressing up fancy like I’m going out to a hip club, because that’s who I see most out on the streets at 4am. It also gives the appearance of having a more “acceptable” agenda for being out. As a woman I have often felt envious of my male friends who can go out on a run at anytime of night, alone or with a buddy. Putting art up on the street is often spontaneous and therapeutic, and the burden of having to plan a crew can dampen plans. While going out alone is unsafe for many reasons, if you’re a woman I recommend bringing a bike, organizing crews, and generally being aware of your own safety.
Consider where you’d like to place your art with regard to both your personal safety and intended audience. In highly trafficked areas a lot of people will see your art, but it may be buffed a lot faster. The experience of seeing a stencil in a public place varies greatly by placement. Comparatively few people will see your art if you put it on the inside of a dumpster lid, or in a hidden nook of an alley. Still, consider how amazing it might be for the finder of such art. Keep in mind who will participate in this visual dialogue, noting the neighborhood, traffic, and physical placement.
One of my first, and most passionate stenciling experiences was a response to street harassment I had been experiencing on a constant basis one summer at one specific area in my old town. It was really upsetting for me to live in a town for so long and feel so little entitlement, respect, or safety (emotionally and physically) on the streets I walked everyday. There was one area in particular where I got catcalled, followed and harassed constantly. One night it quickly built up inside me to the point of heartache, anger and sadness. I felt so unsafe on these streets that should have felt like home. I made a 3 foot tall stencil of an old fashioned picture frame with a portrait of my mom inside it. I put it up on a highly visible wall where I was frequently harassed. I took back my streets in a tangible way that felt phenomenal. While I was not physically safer, emotionally I was eased by this comforting and personal image. I had changed the landscape. I hoped that because the image was both of a woman and created by a woman it would act as a female presence in male territory.
Spray paint is toxic. It’s serious and destroys people’s health. Wear a respirator, not a flimsy white dust mask. Change the respirator filters when they darken. Avoid getting spray paint on your skin. I wear rubber gloves under winter gloves (to avoid looking suspicious). The smell of spray paint can seem romantic and bad ass, but it destroys your nervous system. You risk kidney damage and loss of bladder control. Paint can be rolled on with a squeegee or put into a non aerosol spray bottle. I haven’t had much success with either but please try them on your own.
Chalk — an arguably “legal” medium, cos it will wash away after a rain or two. Artists like Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat, and De La Vega have used chalk really successfully on empty ad spaces, the sidewalk and most any surface.
Markers — most art supply stores have a wide selection of wide tipped markers that are great for writing. Pilot markers are great because you can use them to make your own homemade fat tips….
Materials:
Pilot marker, ink, chalkboard eraser, duct or electric tape, and 35mm film canister.
— Take the tip off the Pilot marker, get rid of the plastic and the tip
— Tear a piece of the eraser off, cut it in 1/2
— Wrap the metal case with tape, near the end of the marker tip. Something for the film canister to fit over
— Fill up the marker casing with ink, homemade or store bought, leather dye or marsh ink will do
— Fold the cut eraser in half and plug up the marker with it.
— Put your cap over the your tip and toss it in a ziplock bag.
— You’re now ready to let your tip fill up with ink and go nuts. This is really messy so make sure keep it upside down as best as possible so you don’t get ink everywhere.
Mops — Containers that liquid shoe polish comes in can be used to write things and are refillable. Try making homemade style inks and filling them up, or get your hands on KRink, a homemade silver ink.
Etching and scratching — Etching fluid is totally toxic and not something to use if you’re not familiar with it. It can be applied through sponge tipped leather dye containers or applied through stencils. Scratching can be done with anything hard and sharp; drill bits, grinder bits, etc.. Remember that daylight is a very valuable and precious resource in places like NYC, though, so try not to ruin people’s access to it.