How to Create 5 Prints with 1 Stencil in 30 minutes

Hello everyone! Jane Bellante gratefully back with another fun tutorial for you. Today, I’m going to show you how to make 5 prints from the same stencil in about 30 minutes. This quick, creative process is perfect for making unique art pieces, cards, and journal entries! Let’s dive into the details.

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Supplies You’ll Need

• Always Reaching Stencil by Carol Wiebe
• Gel plate
• Alcohol inks (I used cranberry, monsoon, and eggplant)
• Brayer
• Computer paper or mixed media paper
• Craft acrylic paint
• Pan pastels (optional)
• Makeup sponge
• Distress spray oxides (Vintage photo and Lost shadow)

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Step-by-Step Tutorial

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Step 1: Set Up Your Gel Plate and Alcohol Inks

1. Start with a clean gel plate and three alcohol inks. For this tutorial, I’m using cranberry, monsoon, and eggplant.
2. Drip the inks onto the plate and use the brayer to spread them quickly since alcohol inks dry fast.

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Step 2: Add the Stencil and Lift Some Ink

1. Place the stencil on the inked gel plate.
2. Press down with a piece of computer paper to remove a small amount of ink. This helps create a faint negative print, as alcohol ink dries quickly.

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Step 3: Add a Thin Layer of Craft Acrylic for the Final Pull

1. Apply a thin layer of craft acrylic paint on top of the ink. This layer helps bind the inks to the paper during the pull.
2. Place the paper over the stencil, ensuring a good grip, and let it sit until fully dry before peeling it off.

 

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Step 4: Second Print with Pan Pastels

1. Place the stencil back on your gel plate, and apply your pan pastels.  I thought I would use all four colors here, but I ended up just applying two colors—orange and magenta—for a bright, blended look.
2. Use a makeup sponge to apply pan pastels to the plate; they blend beautifully!

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Step 5: Pull Multiple Prints with Pan Pastels

1. With a thin layer of craft acrylic paint, you can take multiple prints from pan pastels. These prints gradually lighten with each pull, creating a soft gradient effect.
2. Take two to three pulls, or leave some pastel residue on the plate for future layers.

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Step 6: Distress Spray Oxides for a Final Print

1. For the last print, skip the gel plate and use distress spray oxides (Vintage photo and Lost shadow) directly on the stencil.
2. Place the paper over the stencil to absorb the spray, then press it down to create a beautiful, textured effect. Pull up the stencil to reveal a unique print!

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Finished Results

And there you have it—five unique prints from the gorgeous Always Reaching stencil in about 30 minutes! Each technique adds a different layer of creativity to your work. Experiment with colors and textures to make each print uniquely yours.

You can watch the full video tutorial right here: 

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Thank you for joining me on this creative journey! Feel free to share your results with me on social media or tag me. You can find me at janebellanteart.com and follow along with @janebalanteart on all platforms. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!