How to Paint a Stencil Design That Actually Looks Good
A few small slip-ups while painting may not seem like a big deal who’s ever done a DIY project that went one hundred percent perfectly, right? But when you’re using stencils, trust us, you need to be careful. As professional Phoenix painters, we know a few simple tricks to keep you from getting paint outside the stencil. Keep reading for our advice.
Paint from the outside in
Don’t put your brush in the center of the area bordered by the stencil and then paint outward. This method is practically certain to get some amount of paint underneath the stencil. Instead, you should start painting at the outermost edge of the area the stencil encloses, and work your way inward.
Use contact adhesive, not tape
The problem with taping your stencils to the wall is that you’re likely to end up with some areas that are more securely fastened to the wall than others. Try it; you’ll see. If you forgo tape for some sort of contact adhesive, you can ensure that it’s spread more evenly across the back of the stencil before securing it to the wall. This way, paint will be less likely to seep under.
Tap, don’t stroke
Of course it’s tempting to drag the paintbrush back and forth in long strokes isn’t that how people paint in the movies? But long strokes can tear the stencil, or at the very least flick paint underneath it, resulting in a messy, unpolished look. It’s much more effective to apply paint by gently tapping the brush against the paint surface.