Cutting Freehand Silhouettes
Nov 14th, 2008 by Artsy
Cutting Freehand Silhouettes by Katherine Courtney
A silhouette is a picture of an object or person showing the outline only, filled with solid shadow or to appear in profile. Here is a short demonstration of how to cut a freehand silhouette. Most people actually “see” in silhouettes or block shapes, and this demo can help refine those skills. There is no drawing of the silhouette before cutting it out. The actual cutting of the silhouette by a good artist usually takes about 90 seconds.
Silhouettes cut by Vince Tultera at Disney World:
The most important tool is the scissors.
Surgical scissors 6 1/4 inches long with small very sharp blades are best. You hold them with your thumb and the middle finger (instead on the usual index finger) for better control. You will find them only at a medical supply store or, if you are lucky, at a flea market.
Usually special paper with lots of black ink is used. This is not easily found. There are only a few manufacturers that make it and it is not available at art suppliers. Instead start out with black construction paper and experiment with various kinds of papers.
The sheet of paper should be 8 X 5 inches. It is folded in half, with the ink side in, so that it measures 4 X 5 inches.
Three cuts are made.
First Cut: Start at the bottom and cut the neck, up around the chin, mouth and nose to the top of the head.
Second Cut: Across the bottom, cut the shoulder line.
Third Cut: Start at the bottom and cut up the back of the head. Now you can make any small correction cuts.
Use wallpaper paste to adhere it to a stiff piece of paper. Place a little bit of the wallpaper powder in a glass, add a little water, stir it up well and use a small brush to apply it to the paper.
Silhouettes cut by Sue McNulty. She has worked at the Disney Parks in Orlando FL, Japan and France. These two silhouettes were cut from special printed papers from Japan. The first is so large that I could not get the whole thing on my scanner.
I liked this next one so much that I bought it. It measures 8 inches by 11 inches and is in shades of lavender and blue.
Self portrait of Sue McNulty. She uses it for her logo.
Learn more with: "A Short History of Silhouettes", "How the Head Changes with Age", "QUICK SKETCH PASTEL PORTRAIT"
I’m a silhouette artist working for Visage Silhouettes based out of Reading in the UK. I found this a very intresting post on this very rare and often forgotten about art-form. Great to see I’m not the only one keeping this alive. If your intrested in this art you can learn more on my blog:
http://visagesilhouettes.blogspot.com/
I am just starting in silhouette art and I love it. Your info here is outstanding. I learned more on these few pages, because it was explained so clearly than in 2 whole book I carry everywhere.
Thanks so much and God Bless You!
Freehand- fineley detailed silhouettes are difficult to find, and as a former silhouette artist at Disney World and Astroworld, I know the differences between average silhouettes and flattering cuts. My sister, Cindi Harwood Rose, the world’s fastest silhouette artist, still amazes me with her speed and accuracy. Her work is flattering. Although I also cut silhouettes, mine do look like the individuals, but are not as flattering as my sister, Cindi’s shades. Silhouette-cuttin pre-date the photos, and I am also a master photographer, and Opthalmic photographer, and have taught and practiced both.