As I was packing my Studio Suitcase for my residency in Mexico, I thought my big learning curve would be centered around how to use my Silhouette cutter. But once I sat down to work, it was clear that the real challenge is in WHAT to cut, not so much HOW to cut. Hmmm… it was time to adjust my thinking.
Now I’m not one to just sit down and draw a design. For inspiration, I purchased a bunch of downloadable images from artist Cynthia Emerlye over at EmerlyeArts.com. Cynthia creates amazing drawings and sells them as Adult Coloring Pages. But for me, they are a fantastic jumping off point for my own experiments.
I really liked the large flower in this design, so imported the drawing into Adobe Illustrator and set out to see if I could turn it into a stencil. Illustrator has a new, easy-to-use(!) tool for making curved lines, so this was a good way to get some practice.
I did manage to create a stencil design and cut it out with my Silhouette cutter. I cut this from label paper (sticky back stuff) and promptly learned that I had TOO MUCH DETAIL.
Note to self: Just because you CAN duplicate this level of detail with a good software tool does not make it a GOOD IDEA. It was definitely time to think about distilling the design down into simpler forms.
At this point I thought I should try to simplify the entire flower at once, but that also turned out to be too complex. Rather than getting frustrated, I gave myself permission to work on one single flower petal. If I could do that, the rest would be easier.
After doodling a bit on paper, I went back to Adobe Illustrator and took advantage of the Layers feature. It’s a bit like having a light box in software. You can put one drawing in a layer and lock it. Then make a new drawing over the top on another layer.
After four versions of this flower petal, I felt like I had done a pretty good job of distilling the image down into something that would be both easier to cut and easier to paint. My next big challenge is to create an entire new flower using my streamlined petals. Wish me luck!
In case you are wondering, I did paint out the overly complicated flower. The level of detail made it very challenging.
The worst bit was trying to peel the blinking stencil up after I finished painting! Those narrow bridges were a pain in the fanny and I had to use a tweezer to pick it up!
The painted flower is quite lovely and will probably look great with embroidery, but I won’t be doing this one again. This is one case where simpler is definitely better.
Resources:
Cynthia Emerlye’s art can be viewed at EmerlyeArts.com. Click over to the Adult Coloring page to see her amazing drawings. Downloadable designs can be purchased in her Etsy Store.
I use Adobe Illustrator for my drawing experiments because I subscribe to their cloud software solution for my business. There are much simpler drawing programs available if you are inclined to play with the process of design simplification on your computer. (You can also do this by hand using a light table or mylar transparencies.)
Your Turn:
Have you created your own stencil designs? Do you have hints you can share about how you create designs that actually work?
Leave a comment below or over on our Facebook page. I would love to hear your thoughts.
I have created my own stencils, though it’s not a major part of my art. Specifically, I’ve adapted my Challah cover (Jewish ceremonial Sabbath bread covers) designs for stencilling after first doing them as appliques. I aim for simple smooth lines without long thin extensions or unsupported loop-backs. I use bridges if a line is getting too long (ie I cut my lines as series of dashes rather than one undivided line), and I like my bridges to be no less than 1cm wide.
The reason you had such difficulty with the Emerlye-inspired flower is that you did it as one single stencil. With that level of detail, separating it into 2 or 3 and using register marks to place them correctly (only necessary when the stencils are not transparent) would have worked better, though you’d have had to wait for the Paintstiks to dry between stencils. For instance, at a quick glance I’d try putting the outer petals, inner petals, innermost circle and stamens or outer ovary into one stencil, the middle petal and ring of circles into a second stencil and the stamens or outer ovary (whichever you didn’t put in your first stencil) into a third. Then you have shapes instead of thin lines to pull off.
Thanks so much for your detailed comment, Judith. I totally forgot about cutting the stencil in layers. Having spent the last 10 years concentrating on rubbing plate designs, I am finding it challenging to switch gears to working with stencils.
I am enjoying the learning process. Changing my surroundings has made it easier for me to think about new things. I arrived here in Mexico with one suitcase of studio toys. There is nothing like narrowing the options to concentrate the mind! 🙂
Hi Shelly, have enjoyed following your progress. I to have started to design my own stencils after years of photographic screen printing. It is a totally different way of thinking and yes, it is a challenge to switch gears.
I am using Inkscape, which I’ve dabbled in for several years now and the Silhouette software. For some reason, I can’t wrap my head around Illustrator.
I don’t draw well, so finding inspiration for designs is also a challenge for me. I’m off to check out these adult coloring pages.
I totally understand about Illustrator. I would not use it at all except that we have to send .ai illustrations to our manufacturers. Since I use InDesign and Photoshop, I simply subscribe to the service that gives me access to all of them. I am better at editing than drawing, but the new Curviture tool really makes it so much easier!
Definitely check out the coloring pages. Cynthia’s drawings are quite amazing — and a great jumping off point for those of us who are not as good at drawing. 🙂