Make Airbrush Stencils

Airbrushing is a unique art form that allows artists to paint without using a brush. Some airbrush artists choose fabric, such as T-shirts, jackets or other types of clothing, as their canvas; while others choose hard surfaces, such as car bodies or walls, to display their designs. Because the paint is sprayed from an airbrush, you must make the appropriate airbrush stencils to create clean lines and keep your paint from over-spraying on areas other than the design. In this article, you’ll discover how to make airbrush stencils for either fabric or hard surfaces.

Steps

Create a Stencil Design

  1. Create an airbrush stencil design either by drawing the image on paper, creating the design on a computer or by scanning an existing image onto the computer.
  2. Resize the design, if necessary.
    • Crop, enlarge or shrink a computer design using whatever existing photo software you have.
    • When photocopying original drawings or hard copies of images, use the copier to enlarge or shrink the design. This technique is best for simple designs, as photocopiers may blur intricate details.

Make Airbrush Stencils for Fabric Surfaces

  1. Transfer the design onto your stencil surface.
    • Print designs from your computer onto glossy photo paper. The weight of photo paper makes a sturdy stencil that can be reused, and the glossy finish makes it easy to wipe off excess paint.
    • Use tracing paper to transfer original drawings or hard copies of images onto a piece of poster board. Poster board also makes a sturdy, reusable stencil.
  2. Place the photo paper or poster board on a piece of cardboard or foam board and cut out the image with a sharp utility knife to create the stencil.
  3. Flip the completed stencil over and lightly cover the back of the stencil with a spray adhesive. Let the spray sit for 1 to 2 minutes before applying the stencil to your fabric surface, or the adhesive may leave a residue on the fabric.
  4. Use masking or painter’s tape to secure the edges of the stencil to the fabric, and to protect the fabric from over-spray from the airbrush.

Make Airbrush Stencils for Hard Surfaces

  1. Print your finalized design onto regular printer paper or use a photocopy of original or hard copy designs.
  2. Purchase Frisket film either in rolls or by the sheet. Frisket film is a transparent sheet with a slightly sticky backing that can be placed directly onto hard surfaces and removed without damaging existing paint jobs.
  3. Cut a piece of Frisket film that is large enough to cover your entire design.
  4. Remove the paper backing from the Frisket film and place it over the printed or photocopied design.
  5. Use a sharp utility knife to cut out the image, making sure that you have a piece of cardboard or foam board underneath.
    • Keep the pieces of Frisket film that you remove from the stencil. You can put them back in place while airbrushing to keep over-spray from affecting your overall design.
  6. Clean the surface you are going to airbrush to make sure there is no dust or dirt before sticking the Frisket film stencil directly to the object. The Frisket film stencil can be reused, but if the surface you stick it to is dirty, the Frisket film will pick up the dirt and lose its ability to stick.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer
  • Photocopier
  • Photo paper
  • Tracing paper
  • Poster board
  • Spray adhesive
  • Masking or painter’s tape
  • Paper
  • Frisket film
  • Utility knife
  • Cardboard or foam board
  • Paint mask

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Sources and Citations

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