Hearts T-Shirt Tutorial


This design uses a negative stencil.  Use of stencils is NOT cheating.  It helps to ensure uniformity of size and shape in stock designs, especially if there is more than one artist working a location.  I prefer to use stiff pellon to cut my stencils.  It is easily cut with either an x-acto knife or stencil burner.  I will use the x-acto when the stencil needs sharp edges, such as for a circle, five point star, straight line, etc.  Because the stencil burner actually burns the pellon, it doesn’t leave quite as sharp of an edge.  I use the stencil burner when the object is organic.  This stencil was cut using an x-acto knife.

3M’s Super 77 is used the first time or two that I use the stencil.  Because the Super 77 is a very high-tack adhesive, once there is an initial coating of glue on the stencil, I will use regular artist’s mount spray glue (also a 3M product.) This is a quick design that takes about 3-5 minutes to produce.  It is a scene painted inside of a double heart shape with a ribbon. Step 1
I start using pthalo blue.  I lay in the water and sky using dagger strokes.  I also lay in the color along the bottom of the ribbon. Step 2
A fade of fluorescent pink is added. Step 3
The next step is an opaque white starburst for the sun, and reflection on the water. Step 4
The beach, palm tree branches on the left, a little island on the horizon with a couple of palm trees on the right and some little birds.  All of these are made using dagger strokes. Step 5
The stencil is removed. Step 6
Pthalo blue is used to outline the hearts and ribbon.  A starburst is added underneath the design. Step 7
The names are added, pthalo blue is used for the drop shadow.  Flourescent blue is used for the drop shadow on the hearts and ribbon. Step 8




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