HSEAD STANDARDS MANUAL

STENCILING ON TIN – Members

Trays (minimum length 15”), boxes, etc.  (Designs used for wood articles will not be accepted if used on tin.)

1. Design – 10% of points

Choose typical, well balanced design composed of MANY DIFFERENT UNITS shades one behind another.  ONE PIECE STENCIL DESIGNS will not be accepted.  If the design is a scenic design, it must contain sufficient different units, shaded one behind another, for judging.  If the number of units must be counted, there is usually not enough to show ability.  Choose designs of proper scale for the article.  The article must be of authentic size and shape and correct for the category.

2. Cutting of Stencil  – 20% of points

The stencil must have clean cutting with no rough edges, angular curves, or broken areas.  Veins must be free and fine but discernible.  Ovals and circles must be true.

3. Stenciling and Overall Feeling – 25% of points

The decoration must show skillful stenciling with bronze lining powders (or equivalent) and create the illusion of a third dimension by skillful smooth shading of unit behind unit.  Highlights must be well pointed.

Overall feeling must be pleasing without conspicuously brilliant or harsh areas or dull, weak ones.  There must be no loose powder adhering to the background.

Central motif must be well placed; the relationship of the lesser units must be made meaningful by careful placement and shading; all other decoration must bear a proper relationship to the whole with good balance of light and shadow.  All repeat motifs must be of the same brilliance.  Avoid overcrowding or obvious blank areas.

Metal leaf painting will be judged here according to the Requirements for Metal Leaf Painting.  In this particular category, metal leaf motifs may be skillfully outlined with black paint if such outline appears in the original design.  Modeling of metal leaf motifs may be achieved by etching.  (On stenciled trays, metal leaf motifs were often applied through a stencil.)  Blooming around a silhouette (reverse) stencil usually extends to both stripes on the flange of the tray with the blooming fading to a faint shadow at the ends. 

Suggestion: he theory of all stenciling is highlight to shadow with powders blended smoothly.

4. Color – 15% of points

    Decoration must show skillful use of transparent color of proper tone which is free of specks and evenly blended.  Freehand brushstrokes and foliage, if any will be judged here.  (Painted brushstrokes over a stenciled unit are not considered a color wash.)

5. STRIPING – 15% of points

Enough striping to show ability must be demonstrated.  It must follow the lines of construction, be straight, sure, of even width, and of good opaque color.  See The Striping on Stenciled Trays. 

6. FINISH – 15% of points

Finish includes the application of the background paint and the varnish coats, both of which must be free from specks and brush mark ridges.  The final finish must have a smooth, hand rubbed surface with or without high gloss.  Raw (not rubbed) varnish, dull-type varnish, and sprayed finishes will not be accepted.  All work must be done by the exhibiting member.

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