Place newspapers down to protect your work surface. Lay the canvas flat on the newspapers.
Paint the entire artist's canvas with a solid color for your background. You can choose to work on any size canvas you desire. Look for stencils large enough to cover the surface of the canvas. Paint the front and sides of the canvas and allow to dry for at least 60 minutes. You can choose either a light or a dark colored background, painting the designs in the opposite for contrast. Choose paint colors that match the decorating scheme of the room where you will be hanging the art.
Decide on the placement of your stencils. If you are using more than one stencil, you can choose to overlap designs on top of each other. This will give the piece a strong sense of depth. Plan your design by sketching it on paper to use as a reference when stenciling.
Place your first layer of stencils on the canvas, and add a piece of painter's tape to secure the stencils to the surface. Use a T-square ruler to measure and place the stencils if necessary. A T-square will help you to place the stencil in the correct position as well as place the stencil edge along the ruler edge to level the stencil.
Pour your acrylic paints onto a paint palette, or use a paper plate if a palette is not available.
Dip the tip of your stencil brush into the paint, and then dab the brush onto a folded paper towel to remove the excess paint. You want to dry brush the paint onto the canvas, meaning the brush should only be slightly wet with paint on the tip. Dry brushing will prevent excess paint from seeping under the stencil.
Paint your first layer of paint over the stencil onto the canvas. For a textured appearance, dab the brush over the stencil opening. For a smooth appearance, apply the paint using a swirling motion. When painting around the edges of the stencil design, keep the brush upright to avoid pushing the paint underneath the edges of the stencil. Fill in the entire stencil opening with the first layer of paint. Allow to dry for about 30 minutes.
Use lighter and darker shades of paint colors to create highlight and shadow areas on your design. Use the dry-brush technique to brush around the edges of the design with the light and dark shades. Allow to dry for about 30 minutes. Carefully remove the tape and the stencils from the canvas.
Add the second layer of stencils, if desired, and apply the paint using the dry-brush technique. Add as many layers of stencil designs as desired to fill the canvas with your design. Remove the tape and stencils.