Jan Dressler of the Dressler Stencil Company shows how to create the illusion of a tasseled drapery, using stencils created for trompe l'oeil painting. Materials:
Tasseled Drapery Frieze stencil kit
Tasseled Drapery Frieze paint kit (includes acrylic stencil paints in blue, gold and black)
Stencil adhesive
Stencil brushes
Small detail brush
Acrylic paint additive
Small paint roller
Blue masking tape
Paper plate
- Thoroughly clean the surface to be stenciled. The tasseled drapery can be stenciled on any surface that has a base coat of latex paint.
- Plan the stencil layout on the surface to be stenciled. If the tasseled drapery is to be stenciled at the top of a wall, measure down from the ceiling, and draw a line where you want to the top of the stencil to be.
- Most trompe l'oeil stencils have two to four overlays. Tiny registration holes in each overlay keep the stencils aligned. Spray the back of the first stencil with stencil adhesive, and set it in position on the wall. Using a pencil, mark the registration holes on the wall (figure A).
Note: - Stencil adhesive works well for keeping stencils with large areas to paint in place on the wall. It is rather messy, however, and is recommended for use only when necessary. It was used only with the first stencil overlay in this project; blue masking tape was used to keep the other overlays in place.
- The first stencil overlay is the base coat of the drapery. The area is fairly large, so a paint additive is added to the light-blue stencil paint to extend it. Use a paint roller to ensure good coverage for the base coat. Roll from the outside edge of the stencil to the middle (figure B). Let the first coat of paint dry, and remove the stencil.
- Put the second overlay in place, line up the registration holes, and hold the stencil in place with blue masking tape.
- Pour a small puddle of each color of stencil paint onto a paper plate. The second overlay forms blue-and-gold stripes on the drapery. Dip the stencil brush in blue stencil paint, remove the excess with a paper towel (figure C), and dab on the color with a stencil brush (figure D). Apply the gold striping with a small stencil brush (figure E).
Tip: - To achieve a trompe l'oeil effect, apply the paint with a stippling or pouncing motion with a very dry stencil brush. Use a separate brush for each color of paint. Used brushes -- even those that have been cleaned -- contain residues that may discolor the paint you want to apply. Dip your brush in the paint, and work the paint into the brush by wiping it on a paper towel with a firm circular motion until a faint powdering of paint is left when the brush is pounced on the paper towel. If you would like to darken your stencil, repeat the pouncing technique without reloading your brush.
- Remove the second overlay.
- Put the third overlay in place, line up the registration marks, and hold in place with masking tape. Dab darker blue paint on the fringe stencil of this overlay (figure F). Paint on the additional gold detailing (figure G). Let the paint dry, and remove the overlay. Now the drapery is ready for hand-painted detailing.
- Use a small detail brush to paint black lines along the folds of the drapery (figure H). This gives a true trompe l'oeil effect (figure I).
RESOURCES :
Stencils
Dressler Stencil Company
Renton, WA 98055-4930
Phone: 425-656-4515
Fax: 425-656-4381
Email: dresslerstencils@msn.com
Website: www.dresslerstencils.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
