the first step to recovery: stencils

ever seen a piece of art and said "i want that!"? with some patience you can make stuff way cooler than anything you can buy in a store (partly because you can say it's 100% yours). for the stencils i'll be posting you'll need:

• razor or exact-o-knife
• paint (i like oils for detailed work)
  
• thick brush and thin brush
• canvas or item to be stenciled
  
• picture or design you would like to see painted on something
• scotch tape
  

this stencil of rage's battle of los angeles cover was my first. it's simple but it made a boring bass case unique. i definitely recommend a simple design for your first stencil. that way you won't burn out and you'll build your confidence. just carefully cut out the design and tape it to the item to be stenciled. then slowly apply small amounts of the desired color using a thin brush for the more delicate areas. you may have to apply several coats over a period of an hour or two depending on the item being stenciled and the type of paint used. this whole process can take several hours but you'll feel so very good when it's done.

here's a more advanced beginner stencil on my guitar case:

-happy cutting