This is a two-session online workshop.

From cave art to street art, stencils have been in use for as long as forty thousand years. Though associated more often with industrial methods than artistic ones, stencils can be used with a vast range of media, and on just about any surface.

This workshop introduces foundational techniques for designing and creating multi-color and multi-part stencils. We’ll demonstrate a number of principles and practices for translating complex color designs into cut paper stencils, including various registration methods for precise alignment and repetition; cutting duplicate and triplicate shapes; using the negative and positive parts of a cut, and more. 

In the first session you’ll learn a range of techniques and tricks; in the second session we’ll apply those same techniques to translating a two- or three-color design into a stencil. 

Materials to Bring: 

• X-acto knife or equivalent, with a sharp blade
• Cutting mat
• Pencil
• Blue painter’s tape
• Hole punch
• Paper for cutting stencils: light to medium-weight sketch paper, 60 lb. (90 gsm) or lighter. Have at least six sheets, around 9 x 12 inches.
• Paper for stenciling on. Any drawing paper should suffice. Have at least a dozen sheets around 9 x 12 (they should be the same size as your stencil sheets).
• Stencil brushes. Inexpensive round stencil brushes are fairly easy to find, sometimes in a pack of three. Ideally have two larger (about 5/8") plus one small (1/4"). Blick carries the Scholastic White Stencil Brush, and Arch carries Silver brand Stencil brushes (1821S). For Silver brand, get two larger (#12 or #14) and one small (#6).
• Stamp pads in at least three colors. The brands Ranger Archival and Color Box both are available in a variety of colors. 
  You may use acrylic paint in place of, or in addition to, stamp ink. Heavy-body acrylic is preferred (such as Golden, Utrecht, or Liquitex Heavy Body). Have at least one opaque color and one translucent color.**
• Paper towels
• A cup or jar for water
• A small porcelain dish to use as a palette if using acrylics

**Note: If you have other media you prefer for stenciling, and you know how to use it, you are welcome to use that instead. 

Workshop Fee: $90
Tuition assistance is available, apply here.

Date & Time: 2 Saturdays :: June 19 & 26, 2020 :: 2-4pm Pacific time

Location: Online over Zoom

SFCB online workshops are recorded; all registered students will have access to the videos for a limited time.

Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class.

REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START DATE OF THIS WORKSHOP.

About the Instructor | Tim Svenionus

Tim Svenonius is a mixed-media artist whose work explores the intersections of history, memory and myth. A voracious reader and an avid researcher, his work is shaped by deep investigations into arcane histories and lore. He has worked for two decades in the museum field, as a designer, writer, and producer of digital media. In 2015 he self-published a monograph, A Book of Lost Latitudes, which explores the role of the whale in mythology and literature, through evocative drawings and found texts.
 

Past Student Reviews:

“Tim (has an) ability to break down a complex process into an understandable process. I liked following along with the demo. Great examples working from simple to more complex designs.”

“I learned so much watching Tim work and listening to him talk about the way he makes his decisions and how he plans the order of the stencils and what parts of the image will be on each stencil."

“Every project was properly paced with time given to complete each step. It helped that it was a two-day workshop and the video of the classes is also enormously helpful.”