The Principles of Graffiti Stencilling
Stencil graffiti, made famous by Banksy in the last five years or so, has actually been a form of street art for 25 years. You can employ paper, cardboard or other forms of surfaces (such as plastics) to create templated imagery and text. You merely cut out the design from your paper/cardboard/other surface, put said surface onto a wall (example), then spray or roll-on paint.
The basic principle of stencilling is creating outlines via cutting shapes, and spraying paint within these cutout shapes – producing clear-cut graphics on the surface underneath. Sometimes multiple layers of stencils are used on the same image to add colours or give the image some depth.
There are countless reasons for being a stencil graffiti artist. For a few, it is a great platform to communicate a political point. Other artists appreciate the publicity that their art can receive. Some simply want their work to be seen. Since the stencil stays unchanged throughout its use, it is easier for an artist to promptly copy what could be a complex piece at a very quick rate, when compared to other prescribed tagging methods, so without doubt, there is also a persuasive self-promoting reason to choose stencilling.
Banksy has used stencilling as a means to make a point, often quite succinctly, leaving the witness to get the message themselves. This is oftentimes why people enjoy his artworks so much, as they force the viewer to meditate on the significance behind the artwork. Banksy art is now being reprinted as graffiti canvas artwork, t-shirts and posters, such is the popularity of Banksy.
