How Does Banksy Create His Art?
Stencilling has actually been around for 25 years, even though many people think Banksy contrived it. You can apply paper, cardboard or other types of media (such as plastics) to make templated imagery and text. You merely cut out the shapes from your paper/cardboard/other surface, put said surface onto a wall (example), then spray or roll-on paint.
The basic principle of stencilling is making outlines via cutting shapes, and spraying paint within these cutout shapes - creating unmistakable images on the surface underneath. It’s also feasible to apply multiple layers of stencils to produce an illusion of depth or even add colours.
There are countless reasons for being a stencil graffiti artist. For some, it is a great platform to shout out a political message. Other stencil artists value the publicity that their artwork can acquire. Some just desire their work to be seen. As the stencil remains uniform during its use, it is far easier for an artist to promptly duplicate what could be a complicated piece at a very quick pace, when compared to other prescribed tagging methods, so without question, there is also a powerful promotional reason to get involved with stencilling.
Banksy has applied stencilling as a way to make a political statement, often rather succinctly, leaving the witness to get the message themselves. This is oftentimes why people enjoy his work so much, as they make the viewer think. Banksy artwork is being reproduced on posters, t-shirts and canvas, such is the popularity of the street artist.
