Stencils are not just for printmakers. Actually they are a great way to get into printmaking.
Stencils can be used by:
Fiber artists who want to create patterns or designs on fabric
Book artists who make decorative pages
Mixed media artists to create layers and focus
Card makers to create unique images
Teachers and homeschoolers who want to empower kids to make marks
The main idea behind stencil creation is to control the transfer of ink or paint to create a bold image. Images are generally simplified into shapes and shadows.
One way to approach stencil making is to create and use simple stencils first. And then create more complex images as skills develop.
The Make Stencils Workshop start March 6th and it is the only time it will be offered in 2017. Stencils can be the foundation for so many different types of art making.
More people are loving Make Stencils Workshop with Linda Germain:
Thank you Linda for another really wonderful class full of new ideas and great inspiration!
If you haven’t taken Linda’s other classes, particularly Make Monotypes and Pulling Screen Prints, I highly recommend you do! I have taken both and Linda is a consumate teacher, artist, inspirer!
That’s the beauty of Linda’s classes, having full access to all the videos and information for a while after the class ends and being able to download them to have forever:) JM Robb, US
I have taken all of Linda’s classas and have come away with something every time that has enriched my practice. Honestly, can’t recommend Linda’s classes enough!!! Marny Stevenson, Canada
Summary of Make Stencils Printmaking Workshop
Week 1: Image building and subject matter development. Explore traditional stencil, tools and materials. Use free software to help change photo to high contrast image and great stencil. Choose printing surfaces and appropriate inks. Optional project – one time use paper stencil pillow
Week 2: Use the masking stencil. Expand the types of materials to make the stencil – consider the texture. Create a set of masking stencils to use together. Consider design elements and principles of variety, repetition and scale and unity. Optional project One box gelatin plate play.
Week 3: Focus of this week is multi-color portrait or other image. Tweak and revisit images. Explore folded and then cut stencil. This could be something out of your usual comfort zone. This is meant to inspire and show off your new skills.
Week 4: Repair, restore and revisit. Let’s take care of all these new tools we have made. Are there free or ready made, found “stencil” options? Explore natural stencils and alternatives to paper and plastic. Are there library or community tools available to you? Pause and work these new skills into your regular art making.
Stencils are an easy way to make prints without having a printing press.
The prints above were created with stencils in combination with the gelatin printing plate. The words and figure are created with what I call traditional “hole” type stencils.
This was a print made from a magazine image. The purple image on the lower right is the stencils. You can see that the “holes” are where the ink is gently pushed through to the paper. See more images screen printed with stencils here.
The abstract stencils above show you the “hole” stencil on the left and the cut out masking stencil on the right. I use the masking stencil in combination with the gelatin plate to make monotype prints.
Sometimes a print just needs a little something to make it complete. Today I added the fuzzy line that is typical of a trace monoprint to a few of my gelatin plate prints.
These monotype prints “needed a little something.” I decided to see if I could add some marks through the trace monoprint process, that would complement the existing designs and therefore complete the image.
I think the loopy line that I added to the bottom of this gelatin print echoes the quality of the marks in the female figure. It gives the piece energy and balance at the same time.
This layered gelatin plate print was interesting. And I think more balanced and interactive after I added the squiggly trace monoprint lines to the left and bottom. A directly hand drawn line would not have the same feel and might be less related to the texture of the figure.
