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STEP#2:
Enlarge the Drawings & Create Stencils

The original small drawings of the three fishes provided the proper layout and proportions. These were approximately 6"wide x 4" high] and were then used as guides for enlarging to the final size fishes.

~  If you have access to an opaque projector, you can put the small line drawings in the machine in order to enlarge to the size you want.  You trace the lines to create both the pattern for the cardboard cutout shapes, and also to create stencils for areas of the interior design details [fish faces].

     
               Catfish face stencil [Click image for 10-inch version]

~  Cynthia did not have time to search for/find "stencil film", so she improvised by using pages of transparent loose-leaf "binder" divider pages cut with an X-actor knife. A couple of pages were taped together with transparent tape to create the correct size.

    
                 Sea Bass Stencil [Click image for 10-inch version]

~  A solid background color is painted over the front-sides with a small 3-4-inch roller. Allow painted surafce to dry thoroughly before placing the stencil ontop of the painted cardboard fish cutout shape, and tape the stencil in-place.

~  A sharpened white chalk was used to draw along the stencil cut-out areas which indicated where to paint once the stencil was removed. [At first she tried applying paint to the stencil, but the paint creeps beneath the stencil, which is not wanted, so she then used stiff, flat brushes to paint within the chalk lines.

    
                  See traced lines for Sea Bass face ready to paint.

~  Any chalk lines remaining after the painted areas are fully dry, are easily removed with a dampened cloth or paper towel.

Click here for Step#3: Painting & Finishing


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