38: White cloud backdrop section.
38
39: Finished backdrop sections.
39
Start with the stencils with the largest clouds toward the top,
holding them an inch or two away from the backdrop to soften
the edges. Spray along the edge of the stencil, shaping the
tops of the clouds, and allowing the lower portion of the cloud
Getting Real column - 15
37: Painting the clouds, storm clouds to the left.
37
I then painted the clouds using Krylon flat white spray paint
as described in the original article. The detail in commercially-
available stencils seems too coarse for the multiple puffy
clouds of the Midwest and South. I created stencils by project-
ing a slide with clouds from that region onto card stock. I then
cut the pieces apart in layers and affixed them to additional
pieces of card stock. The layers are numbered in sequence so
that I can start with the top larger clouds first and work my way
down to the smaller flatter clouds at the bottom. I made two
different sets (36).
It was very convenient to take the pieces outside and to fas-
ten them temporarily in place on our white fence. Also it’s a
great way to dissipate the fumes and white overspray, on a
white fence, will be not be a problem. The exception was my
first effort to paint storm clouds using light and dark gray spray
paint on the left (Watts, OK) end of the backdrop. I used a drop
cloth behind the Masonite in this area to protect the fence
from dark gray overspray (37).
MRH-Jan 2013
