Painting with stencils Stenciling is an ancient craft, used since the time of the Egyptians who painted with stencils in the tombs of the pharaohs. Throughout history, the stencil fell into disuse and both peasants and kings used it to decorate walls, churches and furniture. Again, it's a trendy and elegant choice for adding personality and panache to home decor, and crafters use it to embellish many decorative objects. Artists also use stenciling, creating stylized patterns and quickly completing multiple images on one medium. These can be the basis for further painting and used as a template for placing objects in a painting. Stencil to buy The craftsman, needing perfect letters and numbers, buys sets of pre-cut stencils. The stencils produced give professional results, without discrepancies or painterly quality. They are perfect for signage and other items that require a professional, non-artsy look. There are countless stencils of popular designs. Fruits, flowers, vines and leaves are popular among craft sets. Animals, simple shapes, geometric shapes and borders are also in fashion. Technology has made significant advances in the production of commercial stencils. Laser cut stencils available with intricate and large patterns have expanded the scope of the crafter's work immensely. Stencils to Create Crafters and artists want a creative and painterly look to their work. Commercial stencils, while impressive in the size and complexity they achieve, are not what any artist wants to include in their unique work. However, stencils are useful tools, and many crafters create their own. A crafter can design a stencil for the line of items he sells. Now he can freely recreate the central part of the paper rolls and use waste paper to experiment. The artist uses two basic movements to apply paint. You can tap the brush up and down slightly, holding it at 90 degrees to the holder. This method is known as stippling or stippling. Another method of applying paint is to swirl the brush in a circular motion, starting outside the perimeter of the cutout and working toward the center of the area. Multiple layers of paint add color depth as well as shading and highlighting. When the paint is dry, remove the Mylar. The piece is ready for the next segment of painting. Whether this comprises the completed work, or is a step in the painting process, it is a valuable addition to the artist's skill set. It is useful for crafts and home decoration as well as fine arts and paintings. With minimal tools and investment, it can add variety and interest to your work.