Stellar Stencils

This week I’m inspired to share some lovely examples of stenciled walls. I love how many different designs there are!

stencil :an impervious material (such as a sheet of paper, thin wax, or woven fabric) perforated with lettering or a design through which a substance (such as ink, paint, or metallic powder) is forced onto a surface to be printed

:something (such as a pattern, design, to print) that is produced by means of a stencil. Merriam-Webster

The origin of the stencil

The oldest-known stencil was found in Spain. It is a hand stencil that is more than 66,000 years old. At that time, the paint was blown over the hand to leave a handprint on the wall. In 2000 B.C., the Egyptians used leather or papyrus stencils for the first time, mainly for decorative purposes.

The Chinese pioneered the creation of a paper stencil around 105 A.D. Soon after, they applied this practice to much more delicate surfaces, such as silks and porcelains. The Japanese improved the technique by joining delicate stencils with human hair or silk. Their method of dyeing fabrics with this type of utensil is known as Katazome.

Much later, in medieval Europe, stencils were used to more easily decorate church walls. In addition, stencils spurred the mass production of manuscripts, playing cards, and illustrations for books, fabrics, and wallpaper. Even armies around the world have used this technique to mark helmets, vehicle equipment, or propaganda.

This technique allows us to save a great deal of time. It is possibly this reason why it is also very common in the world of street art. In the 1960s, artists from the United States and Europe, such as John Fekner, began to practice it. His works inspired the Parisian Blek le Rat, who has been baptized as "the father of graphite with stencil," or the British urban artist Banksy.

Another article you may enjoy: Expressive Embellishments 7.15.2020 Til next time friends be well and I’ll see you over on Instagram!