STENCIL PORTRAIT FOR A BIRTHDAY PRESENT

Today, March 6, my favorite guy meets twelve. Do not panic, I have not a secret son of twelve XDDD ... he is my nephew, MARTIN.

As a gift for this year I decided to make a stencil with a picture of the last summer.

As I will not give it to him today and take this opportunity to congratulate him from here (I guess he will be excited to be on the internet ...;).

I hope you like it ;)

Stencil portrait on canvas (50x70cm)

MAKING OF:

When did the first stencil, I was so excited that I forgot to take pictures of the process I followed, but not this time.

Here I leave a little tutorial for all of you. Enjoy it!.

MATERIALS

Spray graffiti (black, white, dark gray and light gray), mask, latex gloves, cutter or knife, canvas, masking tape, thick paper for templates, newspaper or plastic to protect the work surface.

 

PROCESS

Step 01:

Choose an image, preferably with chiaroscuro and edit it until it is defined with the four colors that we use.

I used Photoshop, converting the first image to grayscale and applying the Posterize tool.

Step 02:
 
Transfer image to heavy paper, thin plastic or transparent paper, with the size of our canvas to create different templates.

In this case I have used paper and I have printed 4 copies in thick paper.

Step 03:

Mark on each template the outline of the color that we are going to cut.

Step 04:

Cut a template for each color, it is important to decide where we're going to cut to avoid areas remain undefined and decide which details are important to the final image and which not.

Step 05:

Place the first template on the canvas and secure the edges with masking tape. It is important to mark a point of reference if the material used for the templates is not transparent, to place them in the correct position.

Step 06:

In this case I began applying light gray, occupying a larger surface in the drawing, at a distance of about 30cm and avoiding use a large amount of paint. After applying a thin layer that covers all areas that we cut, we will remove the template carefully and let dry.

Step 07:

Place the next template, in this case corresponding to dark gray.

Step 08:

Apply the dark gray in the same way as above, once the previous is dry.

 

Step 09:

Place the template that defines the black color.  

Step 10:

Apply the black color, after the grey one is dry.

Step 11:

Being a stencil on canvas, not a street work,  I applied some white details at the end.

 
If it were a street work, requiring more speed, this details should be defined in previous templates.

Step 12:

As a final step we set the template that defines the text with masking tape covering the rest of the canvas. I did at the end the text in black , but it can be part of the black color template we used previously.

So far this little tutorial :)

A photograph of my nephew with his portrait: