Smart Cookies

Stencil graffiti, made famous by Banksy in the last 5 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 simply cut out the shapes from your cardboard/paper/other surface, place said surface onto a wall (example), then spray or roll-on paint.

The definitive principle of stencilling is making outlines via cutting shapes, and spraying paint within these cutout shapes – making clear-cut images on the surface underneath. Sometimes multiple layers of stencils are applied on the same picture to add colours or give the image some depth.

So why do some people prefer to be a stencil artist? For a few, it is a great platform to shout out a political message. Other stencil artists treasure the PR that their artwork can receive. Some just desire their work to be seen. Because the stencil remains uniform throughout its use, it is far easier for an artist to speedily repeat what could be an intricated piece at a very quick rate, when compared to other traditional tagging methods, so without question, there is also a strong self-promoting reason to choose stencilling.

Banksy has used stencilling as a means to make a point, often rather succinctly, providing the viewer to get the message themselves. This is often why people enjoy his artworks so much, as they make the viewer think. The graffiti artwork of Banksy is now being reproduced on canvas, t-shirts and posters, such is the popularity of the street artist.