Holly: A Drawing Editor for Designing Stencils

Stenciling is a form of artistic expression in which you print images on target objects (for example, fabric or a postcard) by applying pigment over a plate with holes. A stencil contains two types of regions. A negative region is an empty space through which paint can pass; a positive region is the surface surrounding the negative region. Creating stencils can be difficult because they must satisfy specific physical constraints. In a valid stencil, the template is a single, connected piece of material (see Figure 1). Sometimes islands-isolated unconnected positive regions-are inadvertently created and must be connected by bridges to the main part of the stencil. So, stencil design normally requires knowledge, experience, and skill. Consequently, most people simply buy ready-made stencil plates rather than make their own.