# **‘Dolphin Girl’** *40 x 120 cm - 2016* Another one that took me a full month to make.. ![spray20final.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQD33k7Rj5bSoAWCC8RDLRiAQatRwFMyEcpgbJsLMgg7w/spray20final.jpg)
#### _**-Cutting the stencils-**_
After making/printing the design I cut through it, moving it from layer to layer. To make sure the positioning on the layers match I take the newly cut layer, position it on the *fresh* one and trace the insides of the cuts. This used to be very time-consuming, but I found a new method which saves me a huge amount of time (but that’s for another post, *teaser!*). This is what a fresh layer looks like after tracing it: ![cut01b.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmeiQ8BdkNH1nuGKw4t5gd6jqV1gLAdPmKCi15ZXWDFFGg/cut01b.jpg) Which makes it easy to position the design: ![cut01.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYkEHuQHRKobLy6MBm11s2oRRas8wrSEyjGrwc7gJtewd/cut01.jpg) Then I cut through both the design and the fresh layer: ![cut02.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcX6uuvRBFzuQ745jsjGew1mhX6boUzoUrMFJu54eGLa9/cut02.jpg) Repeating the process: ![cut03.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQWWJLggT3wczPrXnAKszkp8CsmtqGTifLKrgVqEf12nN/cut03.jpg) Of course, I number the stencils. As the first stencil I cut is the last one I’m using in the *spraying-proces*, I mark it *‘Final’*, giving the others a *‘F-1, F-2, …’*-code. ![cut03b.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSJmfa16Z8Yj7xbx9ivWcfaAuWtdBHuZCajGCy75uoR2R/cut03b.jpg) More cutting: ![cut04.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdYh7k4wvZgWeezvm2jsUm34jcnvFKDKrDAuLdjiMJtUs/cut04.jpg) With a lot of colors I try to limit the number of stencils as much as I can (saves me a lot on paper). So during the cutting I mark down the different colors used, with a reference code to a list I made beforehand of all the colors I’m going to need: ![cut02b.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmUZUg977pbvfzW3bkCrRRhFMCjsR7t9p15qhnYmnPseSp/cut02b.jpg) Almost done cutting, as you can see masking-tape is my friend (makes it easier to move the design to a new layer as one item, or it can get confusing): ![cut05.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmc82mJwUrmNLYmB8NMYLaYrwM5P1bbbzN3FxquM6FmUNf/cut05.jpg)

#### _**-Spray painting the canvas-**_
Gathering the materials; Cans, caps, weights and the canvas: ![spray01.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcU1BYjyS68NGQHqFZjrywXv3x2eQCCNY1RSXy28EwzL2/spray01.jpg) And so it begins. Notice the light spot in the dark blue part, that's one of my *anchor-points*. I cut them in each stencil so I can perfectly position each following layer: ![spray02.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmT7MsSJnaEGrQz5j2rf7mviyzpRn4Wjp9c6bEgxXXcrtE/spray02.jpg) ![spray03.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNuhnaHDVutp1McqyKYWeu6EteyUcinJrmJsUM1ZbS8dM/spray03.jpg) ![spray04.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWctrst6wGY1eao7e1DL1innV2HXwjhSFX4j7rZC7FB3L/spray04.jpg) ![spray05.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPUSrRpurk2Dc16jiNeYn1UAmdWZg67jvgRgbjexT2Mo5/spray05.jpg) ![spray06.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRczSGvdVa5SWyr4BaJD5VZqnsttQevGoKJJ8xYgG1sc3/spray06.jpg) ![spray07.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbXRzJMDz1vW7dbb4PwbFt96sAF8Aqi166KJnFpkttZbu/spray07.jpg) ![spray08.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSMZCEw5JF7aRYWmq116PhrZfbJDZnBbKPXU6n5coFLtr/spray08.jpg) ![spray09.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPfbsCyMVtQVABW7mxPyAsm1Smer5zSGvd5WQHvmZx92P/spray09.jpg) ![spray10.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXcRbr1XV9TqhngM2tCpf79mQR7PcDXNZabbyhUmduTrL/spray10.jpg) **And the final result:** ![spray20final.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQD33k7Rj5bSoAWCC8RDLRiAQatRwFMyEcpgbJsLMgg7w/spray20final.jpg) I was very happy with how it turned out (and that it was finally done, haha). Unfortunately two months later, *10 days before Christmas*, a fire started in my neighbor’s kitchen which burned my whole apartment down. I lost exactly 20 works, including this one and am still waiting for (and if I even get) the insurance. So sad to say this piece is lost forever, as are the stencils.. But don’t feel bad as there is plenty of art in the world! And coming from street-art, I’m used to pieces disappearing.. 😜 **Hope you enjoyed it!** **😉 Take care of yourself.. *and each other*! 😉** ![Untitled-12.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcA2HPKUVrpDKi38RsengDG7hHrdgBKv7jWhfTMGJRX35/Untitled-12.png) [www.stencilart.be](http://stencilart.be)