How to make a stencil art piece like Banksy

Hi all,

As I mentioned in my introductory post, I'm a stencil and street artist.

Here's my how to video. It would be great to hear back if anyone had any success following the tutorial or even just general thoughts and feedback.

The video was filmed by my brother in 2015 and has been gaining traction on YouTube since.

Here's the written how-to (taken off my Wikihow entry) which breaks it down step by step;

• Think about your overall design plans. Consider what the stencil is to be used for--say, a small decoration on a box or a pattern for use on your walls. How will your use of the stencil influence the design you can use? Here are a few specific points to consider:

• Don't use paper. Determine what size of stencil you need. If the stencil is going to be large, it is okay to include small details. If the stencil is going to be small, a simpler design should be used.

• Know how many colors you want to include in the stenciled image. You can use multiple stencils and each will be used with its own layer of color. These factors will affect the amount of materials you need and the number of stencils you need to create.

• Print out the final image on a regular piece of computer paper (if applicable). After the image has been printed, it may be a good idea to outline any areas areas in which the contrast remains ill-defined. You must have a clear image to cut out for the stencil.

• Attach the paper with the stencil image to the stencil material. There are a number of ways in which you can attach the paper:

• Tape it in place using masking tape or clear adhesive tape. Make sure to have some tape near the edges, but it may also be useful to stabilize the paper by taping down sections in the middle.

• Alternately, you can attach it with spray adhesive. Simply spray the stencil material and then carefully place the paper over the top of it.

• You can also transfer the image to the stencil material using tracing paper. This will work best if the stencil material is cardboard or poster board.

• Cut out the areas of your image where you want the paint to appear. Using a sharp utility knife, delicately cut out the unneeded portions of the stencil. If your design will have more than one color, you must create different stencils for each color.

• Attach the stencil to your painting surface. It is absolutely vital that the stencil is lying flat on the surface when you begin to spay the paint. If any portion if elevated, paint can get underneath and make the design unrecognizable. There are a number of methods that can be employed, including the following:

• Tape works well for simple stencils. Complex stencils with a great deal of detail may be more difficult to hold in place with tape.

• A temporary adhesive sprays are available at craft stores. They are perfect for more detailed stencils because they can help every part stick closely to the surface that is to be painted.
  If the stencil material is frisket film, simply remove the backing and stick it to the painting surface.

• Apply the spray paint. Do not apply the paint so thickly that it pools or puddles. That much paint is likely to get underneath the stencil. Instead, keep the application process fast, and do not concentrate the nozzle on a single point for too long.

• Remove the stencil and inspect your work. It is common for some paint to get past the edge of the stencil (no matter how hard you try), and so you may want to check to see how the design appears. You may want to apply some touch-up paint to areas that are not well covered.
  It can be a good idea to try the stencil on a test surface before using it for real. You can get a sense of how the image looks, and you can also see if paint crept in past the edges of the stencil and so secure it more appropriately when you will use it on the intended surface.

That's about it. The video will describe it in much better detail than I could write, so please feel free to give it a watch.

Thanks for watching!
Matt