Discover 3 Ways That Stencils Can Enhance Your Art

By Jessica Stewart on November 12, 2024

From ancient cave art to contemporary street art, stencils are tools that have always provided a wide array of creative possibilities. That is why My Modern Met Academy is happy to announce the launch of Introduction to Stencil Art, an hour-long online course on how to cut your own stencils. Taught by street artist Alice Pasquini, the course not only demonstrates how to create stencils but also explores their history and how they can be used in any artistic practice.

Across seven lessons, you'll discover everything from how to quickly cut a curved line to how to take any photo and transform it into a multi-level stencil. Working with letters, figures, and abstract shapes, you'll see just how versatile stenciling can be. Whether you incorporate them into craft projects or use them to facilitate paintings, the possibilities are endless.

So, if you are looking for a new skill, sign up today and receive immediate access to all the lessons. You'll work with Pasquini to learn all the techniques you need to create your own stencils and gain insight into different methods for printing your stencils and creating colorful effects. Once you enroll, you can start the class at your leisure and watch the material as often as you'd like.

In the meantime, scroll down to see three ways stencils can enhance your art. If you are looking for stencil patterns, we also have resources for tons of free stencils to download and start cutting today.

Here are three ways that stencils can help enhance your art.

Create abstract backgrounds

With their graphic nature and ability to be produced repeatedly, stencils are the perfect tools to create interesting backgrounds. Whether you want to draw your own abstract design or get inspired by a pattern found on fabric, the possibilities are endless. You can even use pre-existing materials for stencils, such as old doilies or mesh.

Incorporate text into your art

The written word is powerful and can help enhance your mixed-media art. But if you aren't confident with your hand lettering or just prefer their aesthetic, stenciled text may do the trick. Of course, it's possible to find ready-made stencil letters at many craft stores; cutting your own text will allow you to craft the font and size you desire. You'll also be able to place an entire phrase on one stencil, which cuts down on the precision and labor needed to print each letter individually.

Help facilitate figurative art

Photo: Alice Pasquini

Using stencils to produce figurative art is a hallmark of Pasquini's style, and throughout the course, she'll demonstrate how she uses this tool to help her quickly execute portraits in her own style. By hand-cutting images, you can use the blade much like a pencil, creating lines that will form the base of your finished piece. From there, you can add as much—or as little—detail as you want and produce proportional figures.