Making Masks with Silhouette Stencils

Some time ago, I did a write-up at StencilGirlTalk on the topic of making your own masks using stencils, then applying the masks with the stencils in a technique that I call "Seeing Double."

Here on my own blog, I'm bringing out more greeting cards that I've made in much the same way....

Above: I've used masking tape to secure my 6"x 6" Heron and 6"x 6" Cats stencils to sturdy cardstock. 

Above:  Since this cardstock is black, I used a white pencil to trace around the shapes that I wanted to cut out to be used as masks.

Above:  I've used fine-detail scissors to cut out the three shapes I chose.  



Above:  I've placed the heron mask atop a greeting card blank.  On the left you can see the masking tape I used for covering the back of this card with scratch paper to protect it from the watercolor spray.  I used two spray colors (purple and orange), allowing the paint to dry between the two applications.



Above:  On the left, you can see the mask that I have lifted off. On the right is the card cover with its silhouette of the heron.

Above:  Here I have placed the stencil atop the masked-off silhouette.  In placing it, I made sure it was off-register with the image underneath.  After using masking tape to secure the stencil, I sponged on a layer of magenta acrylic paint blended with gel medium.  The reason I blended these two media was that I wanted a translucent paint that would allow the original image to remain visible.



Above:  Here, in the finished 6"x 6" greeting card cover, you can see that both images are clearly visible.



Above:  Here's another 6"x 6" greeting card, created with my Cats stencil and corresponding masks.  Again I used the masks first, followed by the stencil.  (I chose to mask off the stencil's upper left corner so that 4 cat shapes would appear; the stencil itself has 5 cat shapes.)  After the misty-look paints had dried, I used a marker to outline the two white shapes I had made with my two masks.

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