Our "Intro to Street Art" Workshop gave students an overview of the history of Graffiti and Street Art and provided instruction on using spray paint and paper stencils.
Student Work 2013: Intro to Street Art
Students honed their stenciling and spray-painting skills in this series of three 1.5 hour workshops. Instructor Gabriel Pons lead the class in developing their designs, cutting paper stencils, and perfecting their spray-painting. Working on various media, including wood panels and vinyl records, students leave the course with a work of art and the knowledge to continue making on their own. Below is a selection of photos from our 2013 series of "Intro to Street Art" classes:
Want to be introduced to the street art? Come join us at PONSHOP with your ideas and we will supply all materials, instruction, and history of street art. Click Here to view our current class schedule. For further questions, contact PONSHOP.
Student Work: Intro to Street Art, July 2012
"Intro to Street Art" has been one of the most popular workshops this summer. In three 1.5-hour sessions, students were given instruction on how to design and cut their own paper stencils which were then sprayed onto a 24"x24" masonite board. Congratulations on a job well done!
Street Art/Skate to Create: December 2010
Wrapping up 2010's art workshop series was a great duo of kids with a lot of heart and plenty of enthusiasm for creative work. Rama and Sam did up some stencil designs on a vinyl record and skateboard deck, respectively. They started with idea sketches and then developed full scale stencil patterns for spray painting. Check the images below. Nice work boys!
It took some time getting used the shape of a 12-inch vinyl record as a canvas, but soon enough, Rama (photographed in motion) had a direction.
Sam did several variations of his animated character before cutting the stencils.
"Meatwad get the money see.." 3-Layer stencil action on vinyl record for America's most wanted...
Sam used a 2-layer stencil and plenty of color to render this cartoon character on his skate deck.
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as adults. Our classes are available each and every month of the year. For a current schedule, Click Here.
Intro to Street Art: October 2010
The goal of Frank's "Intro To Street Art" piece was to create something that was positive and optimistic. Check out the images below to see his progress. Good Work!
Frank shows off his stencil after the first pass of color.
Here he is with his finished piece: One stencil used twice to create a drop shadow effect for his "Live" text.
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the winter and through spring. For a current class schedule, Click Here.
November 5, 2010: Stencil Kit Release Party
For November's First Friday event on November 5th, PONSHOP's "Do-It-Yourself" Stencil Kit was released to the public. Throughout the night, PONSHOP co-owner Gabriel Pons performed demonstrations where he cut stencils from the kit...
He showed the proper way to cut out stencil designs using razor blades...
...and did some spray painting on the Public Wall in the garden.
Of course, Pons got some help from past students who have taken the PONSHOP "Street Art" classes, some even brought original designs of their own.
By the end of the event, the entire board was covered. Here are some close ups:
The span of the mural wall incorporated a collaboration of designs that speaks to the diversity of Street Art. Thanks to all those that participated.
To try these designs yourself and gain a basic knowledge of stenciling, our Stencil Kit is on sale for $25. This includes six different designs for a total of ten stencils with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to intermediate. Available exclusively at PONSHOP (718 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA).
Street Art: September 2010
September was the return of famed PONSHOP student Finn. Along with fellow student Daniel, they did up some great work using spray paint and stencils.
Finn used a haiku inspired by summertime as the basis for his piece.
Daniel utilized two stencils to render this bird in flight.
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the summer and through the fall. For a current class schedule, Click Here.
Intro To Street Art: August 2010
This was Ingrid's first time designing and cutting a stencil. In this 3-session workshop, she chose her favorite sketch and transformed it into a 24"x24" spray paint piece. Nice work!
Ingrid cut three separate stencils to create her final composition.
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the summer and through the fall. For a current class schedule, Click Here.
Intro To Street Art: July 2010
July's heat ushered in a new crop of students for the "Intro To Street Art" workshop. These students worked on a 24"x24" panel using spray paint and stencils. Below are some pictures taken throughout the three 1.5 hour sessions. 
Students had an opportunity to experiment with spray paint on scrap pieces of wood before committing to their panels. Perri (right) made a set of letter stencils to achieve a multi-colored design.
Below are their final pieces - good work kids!
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the summer and through the fall. For a current class schedule, Click Here.Skate to Create/Street Art Workshop: June/July 2010
David (above) and Nico came in for a three-day workshop in Street Art and Skateboard design respectively. Below are the pics of their work. Both came with an abundance of ideas and enthusiasm and they gave each other tips and encouragement along the way. Good work guys!
David brought the funk by doing a spray paint/wheat paste piece.
David mashed LEGO with the Statue of Liberty with Disco and this is the result...
Nico's deck design (below) was inspired by mythology. He used three stencils to achieve his graphic.
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the summer and through the fall. For a current class schedule, Click Here.
Intro To Street Art: June 2010
I was really proud of my "Intro to Street Art" students in June. They worked hard to achieve their designs.
Check 'em out below:
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the summer and through the fall. For a current class schedule, Click Here.
Street Art Workshop: May 2010
May's "Intro to Street Art" students, Noah and Rickey, jumped right into their projects by practicing their lettering on a small scale then mocking up their boards with a couple passes of spray paint. Noah (pictured below) used freehand and stencil techniques to complete his composition.
Rickey (above) experimented with a variety of different colors before finalizing his "Rico" piece.He also used paint pens to give an outline to his letters. Below is a pic of his original mock up.
detail w/classic crown motif
PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the summer. For a current class schedule, Click Here.
Intro To Street Art: March 2010
March 2010: My "Intro To Street Art" student needed very little introduction to using wheat paste collage, markers, and spray paint to create her own 2-foot by 4-foot masterpiece. Savant a.k.a "Sam" (16 yrs) not only had an opportunity to use new tools and media to express herself, she also got some tips on practicing her lettering, cutting stencil patterns and using spray paint. Check the images below to track her creative process:
After covering her board with collage materials found in comic books and magazines, Savant drew and cut a 4-foot long pattern to be used for the first layer of spray paint.
Once she sprayed her background and "Sam" Stencil, she returned to the painting with a thick marker to highlight elements in the collage.
Her stencil "signature" turned out quite well considering we had to spray it in 35 degree weather...Good Job!
Gabriel Pons holds art workshops for children and adults monthly. For a current listing of PONSHOP classes, Click Here.
Intro to Street Art: September 2009
I had the pleasure of working with Simon throughout the month - facilitating him in the art of spray paint and stencil-making. Originally, he was one of my "Adult Drawing" students, but on his own initiative - he came to me with some sketches and an idea, and we took it from there. Below is a detail of his Oarfish painting. Congratulations Simon!
For a current PONSHOP class schedule, click here. Classes in Street Art, Skateboard Design, and more are held every month.Intro to Street Art: August 2009
My "Street Art" student, Hunter, gave it his all last month - ripping out an arsenal of stencils to construct his painting. From sketch, to stencil, to spray paint, he got the job done. Below are more progress pics...
Hunter used a modular brick pattern to array on his board during the second session.
Cutting stencils (above) can be the most painstaking, but he pushed through right on schedule.Hunter's "Phoenix" graphic pays tribute to his local soccer team.
Detail (click to enlarge)
Intro to Street Art Workshop: July 2009
July's "Intro to Street Art" workshop boasted some of the hardest working students to date. Not only did they bring fresh new ideas to the table, they also worked overtime on their pieces to take them to the next level. Nice work students!
Trey did a contemporary take on the traditional silhouette figures using collage and stencils.
He paints up the background during the final session...
Detail (click image to enlarge)
Mira created a cool "Twilight Zone" style cat using spray paint and stencils.
She sprays on the final layer of black onto the stencil (above).
Detail (click image to enlarge)
Josh came to the first class full of ideas, enthusiasm, and a whole kit of tools at the ready. His piece (above) was executed with wheat paste collage, acrylic, and spray paint with stencils.
Josh's sketches and notes (above) kept his work on point and on schedule...
Detail (click image to enlarge)
For a current PONSHOP Class Schedule, Click Here
Intro to Street Art: May 2009
Holly brought a lot to the table for her Intro to Street Art class: she loved to draw and doodle, had a good sense of humor, and was willing to try new things - specifically cutting stencils and using spray paint. Below are some snapshots from her classes. Good Job!
After doing some thumbnail sketches on paper, we took it to spraypaint and mocked up the background.
Holly made a large 48"x24" stencil of her name and applied it to the board.
She had the luxury of being able to paint her piece twice: the second time around she hit it with markers and sprayed the stencil again with highlights and shadows.
(Finger Painted)Intro to Street Art: April 2009
Painting, Spray Painting, Drawing and Cutting - when my students have an idea, I help them use anything it takes to achieve their vision. David's private workshop was no exception. In his series of classes, he had an opportunity to learn some of the fundamentals of making a mixed media piece. Nice Job David! See below for the progress pics....
Students are provided a 48"x24" masonite board that they then prime and begin painting.
David used a variety of spray paints to give his background more depth and interest.
He used an enlarged copy of his robot sketch for the foreground figure.
For a Current Schedule of all PONSHOP classes, Click Here.
Winter Workshops: Skate to Create/Intro to Street Art
Bitter cold, strong winds, and darkness by 5:00 didn't stop my students from kicking out some creative designs this winter. Sure, there are challenges to spray painting outside in cold weather, but that's all part of it - adapt and overcome (and have some fun at it...)
Below are some snapshots from my "Skate to Create" and "Intro to Street Art" winter sessions. These guys worked hard and it shows in the finished product. Congratulations! and hopefully we'll see you again this spring....
Skate to Create: David's first skateboard is self-made. He drew and cut all is stencils and selected and sprayed his favorite colors (above and below). Click images to enlarge.
Intro to Street Art: (below) Brad had a 48"x24" board to attack with paint, spray paint, markers and paint pens. After learning the fundamentals of stencil-making, he went at it 110% - working non-stop until the end of the workshop. Good job Bradley, see you soon.
Josh (below) is a guitar rocker and took that energy to his board by carving up some letters with the fundamental outline and fill. He then made a two piece stencil to adorn the top of the "Kelly". Check his progress below...
Intro to Street Art: October 2008
Alec participated in the October "Intro to Street Art" workshop and had an opportunity to turn one of his sketchbook drawings into a 48"x24" painting. I gave him instruction on some fundamentals of spray painting (can control and safety while painting) while letting him explore creating lines and fills with spray paint.
During the final class, Alec made one additional stencil for the "Oblivion" Text.
For a current PONSHOP Class schedule, click here.