Cutting Freehand Silhouettes
Nov 1st, 2013 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.
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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/
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.
There is a full-body silhouette on the cover of the latest book by Mrs. Texas’s Kym Jackson and Theresa Roemer.
The artist, Cindi Rose, was there in person, with Dystany’s child, and Miss USA, Crystal Stewart. You can see it on-line, on Kym Jackson and Theresa Roemer’s new book, Nude, Unveiling your inner beauty.” It has lots of details, which must be harder to do.
Suse, your work is interesting, especially the Japanese one, I had my silhouette done at Disneyworld, too, in 1971. The silhouette-cutting artist was named “Cindi”, but she did not sign it. She just had a name tag on, and I remember it because my twin sister is named Cindy, but with a “y”, and she had an “i”. I think she was 19, and told me she graduated college early. Cindi silhouetted my parents and all four of us (brothers and sisters) together, one face cut into another face. It looked exactly like us, and it took her a few minutes. I came back the next day, and a Chinese man was at the silhouette store, and he said he did not do groupings, I wanted to have one of Cindy and me done, we are twins.
Silhouette artists Cindi Rose, Vincent Tutera Rico Prosperoso, Suzy McAlpine, cut-out profiles while I managed the art studios. I did caricatures, and also worked in Disneyland and Disneyworld for Rubio artists, Now, I have art business, in Fla. Vincent is still in the park, Rico’s work is famous.