This tutorial is going to show you how to paint your own art canvas using our Banksy Dynamite Ice cream Girl stencil. The canvas I will be working on is a 50x50cm deep edged box canvas.

It is also going to teach you how to best cover large areas with your spray can to achieve a smooth finish. You will also learn how to spray your stencil to achieve an image that is not crisp and clean but more mirrors a urban graffiti stencil feel.

What you will need:

• A stencil
• Repositionable Spray Mount
• Spray Paint - Black and colour of your choice
• Canvas
• Protective spray mask, goggles,gloves

Unlike working on a wall, if you are painting your own canvas it is easiest to work on the floor. Put down some newspaper or cardboard to protect the surrounding area from spray particles. Work in a ventilated area and make sure you have plenty of room so you are able to move around the canvas.

Shake your spray paints well to mix up the paint pigment. And always practice first on a bit of cardboard to get a feel for how the can sprays and to make sure that the paint is spraying cleanly out of the nozzle.

We are going to spray the whole of the canvas in turquoise. To do this we are going to use the cross hatching method of filling in large areas. Start the spray action outside the canvas area and travel horizontally over the canvas releasing the cap when you are clear of the canvas on the other side. Work at pace using this process, working from top to bottom, sweeping your arm back and forth moving your way down the canvas.(1st image in sequence)

Then do the same but move around the canvas so that you are spaying vertically. Work from top to bottom, left to right, sweeping your arm back and forth moving your way down the canvas.(2nd image in sequence)

Now do the same but continue the process and spray the canvas both ways diagonally. (3rd/4th images in sequence) By working in this way you can build up a seamless smooth surface. I would perhaps do one more vertically sprayed layer (1st image in sequence)and that should be enough. This same method may also apply to painting in single large areas of open stencil. Finish off the canvas by spraying around the sides. Leave to dry.

We would recommend using repositionable 3M spray mount to adhere your stencil to the surface. Spray the back of the stencil following the instructions on the can, then allow to dry for around 30 seconds until the stencil becomes tacky. Apply your stencil to the canvas surface and press it down onto the surface. Because we are going to be creating an image that has imperfections and has a urban graffiti stencil look it is not necessary to spend attention making sure all the stencil parts are stuck down as we are not looking to get nice crisp clean edges if you are then pay particular care to ensure that all the little pieces of stencil detail are stuck down.

Spray your stencil quickly and loosely sweeping your arm back and forth over the stencil. Do not cover all parts of the stencil,even if it looks like it hast been painted you would be surprised how little spray paint you need to create the image. You can spray some areas denser than others. Remember that less is more, you can always take off your stencil to see what results you have and then if you want to add more paint here or there you can re apply your stencil and add more.

What is good about this way of working with your stencil is each result is completely different, you have so much more freedom and the results are much more interesting and in line with actual graffiti art - if that's the look you are wanting.

Just a few ideas - You can experiment with repeating the image in different stages e.g One very lightly sprayed , the 2nd a bit more sprayed and next even denser etc. Over lap your images and experiment with colours. Images can be placed horizontally or vertically. You could even create your own feature wall by repeating the stencil. The possibilities with just one stencil are endless.

I would recommend using spray paints with our graffiti range of Banksy stencils. But also interesting results can be achieved with a foam paint roller using the paint roller stencil method. If you want to use this method then the important thing to remember is to roll off all the excess paint from your roller onto some kitchen towel , you want your roller to be slightly damp - not wet! before you apply the paint. Build up your layers as desired.

Please see our Stencilng basics tutorial in our HOW TO shop page if you have not already for more information on stenciling techniques.