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| ©2012 linda germain – cutting masking stencils for more gelatin prints |
I would rather be playing with ink and mark making tools than cutting stencils but I have to do it to create some new imagery. These are a few more of my Ellsworth Kelly inspired line drawings.
I cut the paper first and then coat with mat medium. The paper is easier to cut that way, but it is more challenging to coat the stencils with mat medium. They want to curl and stick to the table.
Also the mat medium really saturates the edged this way too. The helpful ideas are:
- Use a fresh sharp blade. This is not the place to be frugal.
- When cutting along a line turn the paper instead of turning the knife. This will give you a smoother cut.
- Cut the tiny details first. The stability of the rest of the paper will make it easier to cut these details.
Oh.. Remember to breathe. I use wax paper and coat both sides of the masking stencil several times so that it becomes very strong.
We make stencils as part of the Make Monotypes, online class. Join the list to hear about the next session.
Post by Linda Germain
I love your comment “Oh and remember to breathe” its something which is strangely easy to forget to do when you are concentrating! Great blog and great prints.
Great points, Linda.
You are spot on regarding applying matte medium to the cut pieces. They want to curl and go everywhere. Lately I’ve been using thin flexible cutting board material (3-4 MIL thick). The Dollar Store had 4 sheets for a dollar, but you can get it at Bed Bath and Beyond and other places too. Cuts pretty easy like thick card stock but washable! I scuff the surface with fine grit sand paper and apply matte medium to give it some texture. I am going to experiment making my ‘window’ print templates out of this material too.
thanks for following my thoughts. I am going through the ups and downs of printing today.
I use old photographs/sheets of 8 by 10 photographs from a friend who would discard them anyways. They are easy to cut,last very well and after a few uses the photo is not visible.
What about cutting the stencils out of tyvek?
I use Yupo paper to make stencils … no need to coat paper.