First Steps in Stenciling

By Leslie Linsley

Book Overview

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• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: B001IKLWS0
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Doubleday
• Length: 144 Pages

Customer Reviews

Simple decorative techniques

This book contains over forty stenciling projects with easy-to-follow directions for creating gifts, painting furniture, and decorating for the holidays. If you're interested in Victoriana or folk art, "First Steps in Stenciling" will explain a simple decorative technique that was in extensive use during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. One interesting area that the author does not cover is Islamic stenciling, but the techniques would be similar.There are many web sites devoted to selling pre-cut stencils, but with this book you can trace and cut out your own. You can also photocopy a desired image and enlarge or shrink it to the right size.One word of caution: try to find stencil paper or acetate at an art supply store and don't attempt to use cardboard like I did. You will be rewarded with crisper, cleaner edges.It's up to you what paint you use (the author strongly recommends acrylic paint) for the stencil, but it is easier to apply using a baby roller with all of the strokes going in one direction. The author suggests using stipple brushes, a different brush for each color. You might want to try both techniques, depending on the surface you're stenciling.Other supplies include an X-acto craft knife with extra packages of blades, tracing paper, a container for mixing paint, masking tape, pencils or fine markers, a straight-edge, a good cutting surface, and something to wipe away your mistakes (old tee-shirts work well for this).There are detailed instructions for each of the projects in this book, including spice racks, flower pots, pillows, holiday table settings, Christmas cards, and curtains. The author has a very clear, easy-to-understand style and most of her stencils are uncomplicated and easy to cut.