Stencil art was once an underground art form, a subculture with a hold on the streets. From amateur tagging to masterful artwork from the likes of Banksy, the disparity of styles and talents was wide ranging, embellishing the urban landscape.
But in recent years, graffiti techniques and styles have re-emerged on a more mainstream stage, showing a strong influence on the visual language of graphic design, advertising and fashion. On T-shirts, on TV and in magazines, stencil art has had a huge impact - and become a vital aspect of contemporary illustration.
Using the computer as just one of many tools, this tutorial will give you basic guidelines and tips to help you get your head around stencilling techniques. Although the overall style can be achieved using computer software alone, we think it's far better to get your hands dirty.
The combination of both tools provides more control, and you'll quickly achieve bold stencilled artwork to be proud of. Once you've mastered the technique, there's no limit to how it can be applied. For this tutorial, we'll show you how to create a five-colour stencil, which you can then use as a stencilled piece on a background of your choice, or photograph and incorporate into a digital illustration.