What Is a Stencil and What Are the Origins of the Stenciling Technique?

Discover the creative possibilities offered by stencils or the stenciling technique

Perhaps you have used a stencil before to paint a design, in which case, you've already practiced stencil art. This method consists of stamping a design onto a surface by passing paint through a stencil. This is not a visual art that has emerged recently; it goes way back.

From cave paintings illustrating everyday scenes to graffiti calling attention to social issues in our cities, there are many ways to apply motifs quickly and accurately. In this blog post, we review the evolution of stencil art to understand why it has been used so much, not only in the artistic world and street art but across a range of disciplines. Finally, we will also analyze how it is applied to textile screen printing.

The origin of the stencil

The oldest-known stencil was found in Spain. It is a hand stencil that is more than 66,000 years old. At that time, the paint was blown over the hand to leave a handprint on the wall. In 2000 B.C., the Egyptians used leather or papyrus stencils for the first time, mainly for decorative purposes.

The Chinese pioneered the creation of a paper stencil around 105 A.D. Soon after, they applied this practice to much more delicate surfaces, such as silks and porcelains. The Japanese improved the technique by joining delicate stencils with human hair or silk. Their method of dyeing fabrics with this type of utensil is known as Katazome.

Much later, in medieval Europe, stencils were used to more easily decorate church walls. In addition, stencils spurred the mass production of manuscripts, playing cards, and illustrations for books, fabrics, and wallpaper. Even armies around the world have used this technique to mark helmets, vehicle equipment, or propaganda.

This technique allows us to save a great deal of time. It is possibly this reason why it is also very common in the world of street art. In the 1960s, artists from the United States and Europe, such as John Fekner, began to practice it. His works inspired the Parisian Blek le Rat, who has been baptized as "the father of graphite with stencil," or the British urban artist Banksy.

How can I experiment with a stencil?

The stencil is the most important element, meaning we can apply this technique to fabric, silk, wood, brass… even walls. The only requirement is that the drawing or design has been previously cut out. From there, rest it against another surface and then apply your chosen paint. The open sections of a stencil are called islands; the bridges are the parts that separate these islands and prevent the paint from reaching the surface.

What does a stencil look like? It is usually a sheet of paper, but there are also stencils made of acetate sheets, wood, or metal. There are different sizes to suit each craft and, of course, with all different kinds of motifs. Another advantage is that the stencil can be washed and therefore reused. You can do it with hot water or with alcohol and a napkin, as long as the paint has not dried.

Among the most common tools for stamping are sponges, toothbrushes, or sprays. There are also special round brushes with short hairs that carry just a little paint, which is ideal for this technique. When painting the holes of the stencil, it is recommended to do it with dry strokes, without dragging the brush, from top to bottom.

Learn how to make stencils for stencil art

If you want to experiment with this method, you can create a stencil yourself with these materials:

- Plastic separator from a file cabinet
- Alcohol dampened cloth
- Permanent marker
- Box cutter

First, draw out your design on a sheet of paper. Place a plastic divider over your drawing (as it is flexible and transparent, it is perfect for what we need it for). Now, trace the drawing with a marker. Finally, cut it out and wipe off any ink residue with your cloth. In a matter of minutes, you have your stencil. As you can see, the process is very simple. This craft activity can also be carried out with any little artists you have living under the same roof.
However, as we will see below, stencil art goes much further.

How can I use a stencil in screen printing?

As explained on the Hamilton-Selway Fine Art website, in August 1962, Andy Warhol was looking for a method that would give more of an assembly-line effect to his work and that's how he started using screen printing.

In general, this printing method allows you to print on different surfaces using a silkscreen. The peculiarity is that it incorporates a mesh for transferring the inks. The mesh is formed by interwoven threads that can vary in number. The greater the number of threads, the more detailed will be the print.

However, when it comes to screen printing with a stencil, the process is different. Instead of a screen with a mesh, you use a screen with a stencil. The founders of Festela Store (@festelastore) use this method a lot in their clothing brand because it allows them to create unique textile pieces featuring handcrafted prints and patterns.

If you’re interested in experimenting, cut the design you want to print out of an acetate sheet to create your stencil. Place the stencil on a surface, transfer the paint with the help of a squeegee, and create your print.

Stencils allow you to play around with prints without using chemicals or other processes involved in screen printing. It is a technique you can carry out at home to get professional results. Watch this video tutorial to find out how to make a homemade silkscreen stencil.

Want to learn more about stencils used in screen printing? Sign up for the course Textile Silkscreen Printing with Stencil by Festela Store and create your own designs.

English version by @eloiseedgington.

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