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AirbrushNewbie
Guest
Is it considered cheating if i use stencils?
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Stranger375
Guest
No mate it is not cheating, most famous artists use stencils to lay out the desing. You just should not totaly depend on the stencils cause then you end up with a stencled look that will jump in the eye of the person who
watches your artwork. If you do a skull, just slightly dust over all the parts of the stencil to have the placement of the nose, eyes, teeth and everything. From this point you should try to darken up everything freehand
and also add freehand shadings. From time to time you can lay the stencil over again to sharpen up some areas again that went too soft. There are also stencils that are called freehand shields, those are a great way
to sharpen up your artwork. There are also other stuff to use with the airbrush like hair brushes or colored pencils, all that stuff is no cheating its just mixed media.
To be honest when i started out i also used those step by step stencils where you lay numerous of stencils and spray the different parts. They are cool to get some painting when you start out, but as soon as your
freehand abilities get better you dont wanna use them anymore.
watches your artwork. If you do a skull, just slightly dust over all the parts of the stencil to have the placement of the nose, eyes, teeth and everything. From this point you should try to darken up everything freehand
and also add freehand shadings. From time to time you can lay the stencil over again to sharpen up some areas again that went too soft. There are also stencils that are called freehand shields, those are a great way
to sharpen up your artwork. There are also other stuff to use with the airbrush like hair brushes or colored pencils, all that stuff is no cheating its just mixed media.
To be honest when i started out i also used those step by step stencils where you lay numerous of stencils and spray the different parts. They are cool to get some painting when you start out, but as soon as your
freehand abilities get better you dont wanna use them anymore.
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Bossman
Guest
There is a guy in Germany? that goes by the name Uli Bast that is the best stencil airbrush artist in existence, IMO.
Uli Bast - YouTube
He can do things with his stencils that would be virtually impossible for a freehand airbrusher. And he can scale from a zippo lighter case to the side of a semi if he wanted to. Semi might be a bit large since he laser cuts his stencils. And he can do it FAST.
Uli Bast - YouTube
He can do things with his stencils that would be virtually impossible for a freehand airbrusher. And he can scale from a zippo lighter case to the side of a semi if he wanted to. Semi might be a bit large since he laser cuts his stencils. And he can do it FAST.
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Hab
Guest
Stranger said it well. I don't think stencils are cheating either. I wouldn't depend on them. They are just another tool in your arsenal, just like transfer paper and tracing or using a projector and anything else you use to get the job done. If you use stencils they can look just like a stencil or you can go off and make them look custom with some free hand. You can also use them to fill in back grounds or add to your own art.
wickedartstudio
Mac-Valve Maestro!
I've had a few other artists tell me "stencils are cheating" over the years. There are also arguments over what is truly "freehand airbrushing"... Some say you can't have a line drawing underneath to be "freehand" and you can't use stencils either... What difference does it make? In the end does it matter how you got your artwork to look the way it does? Like Hab said, it's another tool in your toolbox. If you decide you don't want to use them that's ok, but I would encourage you to at least try them before making a decision. If there are artists out there who refuse to use stencils having never even tried them... well, they are limiting themselves and their work in my opinion. Just my 2 cents...
BTW... I use stencils frequently
BTW... I use stencils frequently
AndreZA
Air-Valve Autobot!
I laugh at people telling me it is cheating. There are very big names in the industry that claim they do everything freehand. Then you see they use projectors anyway. Or they use their hands as a shield. A stencil is just to speed up the process of blocking in the "land marks". What you do after that is all your own. Other big names make their own stencils out of photo copies and create the most amazing portraits. It's still a stencil and they only use it to get all the proportions right.
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Tony
Guest
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Stu-Art-Designs1244
Guest
ive watched alot of his vids and tbh i really dnt like the look of his work, it still looks far to stencil like to me. i like the look of free hand, kinda makes it art if u know wat i mean
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DiToni
Guest
Only in combination with anabolic steroids
Stencils , mask, spray shields are just tools of the trade. there are time that you need or want that hard line that you get from a stencil. there are times you have to do 100 skulls and while you could free hand each one , if it was a paying job you would lose money.
Now the real question is if you can use that stencil (tool ) and make it look as if you did not.
Now the real question is if you can use that stencil (tool ) and make it look as if you did not.
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AirbrushNewbie
Guest
Thanks guys! That definantly answers my question.
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EDGECRUSHER
Guest
I'm all for stencils!
As long as you make them yourself! Then no one can say it isn't art or YOURS. Not to mention I'm just too cheap to pay 50-100$ for a few plastic stencil sheets.
P.S. If a freehand person says they use shields, that's a stencil to me.
As long as you make them yourself! Then no one can say it isn't art or YOURS. Not to mention I'm just too cheap to pay 50-100$ for a few plastic stencil sheets.
P.S. If a freehand person says they use shields, that's a stencil to me.
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Madbrush
Guest
I'm all for stencils!
P.S. If a freehand person says they use shields, that's a stencil to me.
I totally agree, after all a shield is just a freehand stencil, unless of course you use your hand in which case it's just a "free hand",
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rick
Guest
No and yes, I'm a freehand person, but i say no, its fine for mapping or anything, just don't overuse it so it looks stencilized.
Stencils have gotten a bad name, people tend to use them only, when its a aid.
Stencils have gotten a bad name, people tend to use them only, when its a aid.
AndreZA
Air-Valve Autobot!
I think airbrushing in general got a bad name because people are over using stencils.
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rick
Guest
I agree, i freehand pretty much everything, but if i don't want to draw, i use them too map out and for other stuff, but it won't be a stencil because you paint inside it, it gives a sharp line, some just slap em on and blow some color and that's it.
So be free to use stencils, if its you who makes the art then its not cheating.
RebelAir
Air-Valve Autobot!
Yes its cheating LOLOL..Just joshing, as above m8, use what ya like to use, the only ones cheating when using stencils are those who try to suggest a stencil wasn't in fact used and in that sense they're only cheating themselves as most don't really care how an artwork is created, they either like or dislike the final result..
Dunno on that one LOL, I consider a stencil completely different to a shield..A stencil IMO is an actual picture or complex design, a shield is a basic shape..Not that I care who uses what as I mentioned above but I do find stencil work pretty much creates a near finished piece for you where as a shield just assists in a pictures creation, it doesn't paint it for you LOL..Maybe a fine line but just a thought and again it doesn't really matter if one chooses to use either or as its their choice in their own creation..and freehanding itself is in the eye of the beholder,whether you follow greylead reference lines or not, I still see it as freehanding personally..Stick a big sticker or stencil down and then I would'nt consider that a freehand art work unless its finished of with such, but again just an opinion...
after all a shield is just a freehand stencil, unless of course you use your hand in which case it's just a "free hand",
Dunno on that one LOL, I consider a stencil completely different to a shield..A stencil IMO is an actual picture or complex design, a shield is a basic shape..Not that I care who uses what as I mentioned above but I do find stencil work pretty much creates a near finished piece for you where as a shield just assists in a pictures creation, it doesn't paint it for you LOL..Maybe a fine line but just a thought and again it doesn't really matter if one chooses to use either or as its their choice in their own creation..and freehanding itself is in the eye of the beholder,whether you follow greylead reference lines or not, I still see it as freehanding personally..Stick a big sticker or stencil down and then I would'nt consider that a freehand art work unless its finished of with such, but again just an opinion...
AndreZA
Air-Valve Autobot!
If you use a stencil correctly, it can be different every time. Just look at the latest Airsick Stencil lighting tutorial. Same skull, three different looking pieces. I was one of those that bought stencils and thought it would make me an airbrush artist. There is still a lot of work do do after you stenciled in the shapes.
