Ed Roth/Stencil1 & Pebeo at the IHSEA Sponsored by Blick + Bonus how-to, Elephant Canvas Art

This year’s Illinois High School Art Exhibition was bigger and better than ever, with 120+ high schools, thousands of students and families, dozens of art universities, 10+ vendors, and all 5 Chicagoland Blick stores represented. Ed Roth of Stencil1 was very fortunate to be a part of it through Pebeo!

Ed flew out to Chicago on behalf of Pebeo to demonstrate their 4Artist Marker, which can be used in many different ways.

The markers paint blends beautifully.

Using the markers and our Stencil1 Scallop Repeat Pattern stencil and Elephant stencil, he created a wood canvas artpiece perfect for any wall.

Here’s how he did it:

You will need a blank wood canvas(this was a gesso board), acrylic paint, large paint brush, small paint brush, the Stencil1 Scallop Repeat Pattern stencil and Elephant stencil, and Pebeo 4Artist markers and Pebeo medium mineral spirits.

To start off, cover the canvas with acrylic paint of your choosing with the large paint brush. Ed went for a distressed look. Next, using the Stencil1 Scallop Repeat Pattern stencil, finish off the background. Here, one way Ed used the 4Artist markers is by squeezing the paint out of the marker by holding the tip down, and using a paint brush to fill in the stencil. “I told many attendees “Think of these as a vessel to carry paint in as well as a marker’.” These markers are mineral oil based, so the end results come out glossy!

Next, grab the Stencil1 Elephant stencil. Because this stencil is a one layer stencil, you will need create the base layer or silhouette of the elephant design. This can be achieved by carefully tracing the outline of the elephant with the marker and filling in that shape. Ed scribbled it in in pink and white. Afterwards, he used the mineral spirits in order to blend the marker. Once dry, place the stencil over the base layer and fill it in with a darker color to complete your elephant stencil art.

As a final touch, grab a marker and bring it to the top of the canvas. Push down on the tip for some paint drips to frame your piece!

Overall, it was a resounding success with thousands of attendees and a tremendous amount of awards for students and instructors alike.  I am so proud and honored to have been a part of it with Pebeo, and am looking forward to a bigger, better, more amazing event next year.

Here are some photos from the event: