Creative Photoshop: Digital Illustration and Art Techniques, covering Photoshop CS3

Creating Stencil Art

Stencil graffiti is a form of urban art that offers quick and easy reproduction. Traditionally, a stencil is made from paper, cardboard or plastic. Usually the stencil is held tight against a wall or another surface and paint is sprayed onto it. Removing the stencil after painting reveals an instant application of the stencil art on the desired surface. Ideally, the paint will only touch the surface in areas where holes in the stencil are present. However, part of the signature appearance of stencil graffiti is the overspray effect that occurs around the edges.

In this chapter, we’re going to create a virtual stencil ...