Famous silhouette artist Cindi carves paper profile heirlooms

Famous silhouette artist Cindi carves paper profile heirlooms
Wedding silhouette entertainment!

Sunday, December 27, 2015

How to hand-cut a cameo silhouette!

How to make a silhouette portrait of your dog, cat, child, self, or loved one.

There are many ways to make a silhouette of yourself or a loved one, all being different, some basic, and not exact.  Many are merely black and are shadows cast on walls, with black construction paper behind them. This idea is the subject sits sill the light casts a shadow, you try to sketch it (without your hand getting in the way), next you try to cut it from your markings although, you may hold a scissors wrong, or not follow exact lines.  Or perhaps your subject did not pose correctly, and smiled.

Teeth are cute but they often can make a nose longer, and a chin appear double!  I know we threw away the crude one a school teacher did when I was 8!  Plus, all the kids in her class looked the same!

No, all children do not look the same, nor are all fingerprints the same or snowflakes.

Another way is to darken a profile photo on your computer.  It will still be a double reduction.  We are 3 D, a photo is 2 D, and now you will double minimize someone you should make "more than who they are not less.

Another way is just to copy a fairly nice straight-on profile shot.  Make sure the lips are relaxed and there is no smile.  See the top head the back of the head the bottom of the head, the neck and bust-line.  Tape black paper behind the photo and cut that out.  It still won't be exact since you are not skilled at drawing with scissors, and unless you order real silhouette paper from Blick or a school -supply the construction paper will fade in time and not cut as smoothly.

Normally this type of work is just black and often it is caricature style and again, minimized.  

The best way, is to not do it.  Leave it to a real portrait artist who can draw great profile portraits with a pen, pencil, pastel, paint brush.  If they are one in the over 2 million portrait artists who have learned by their own talent to hand-cut a profile of a person or pet, then you are better off going with them.  The best silhouette artists worked for Disney.  The key to look for is the inside cuts.  Novice artists can claim they are from generations of silhouette artists which has nothing to do with their skill.  You want to see they can go inside the silhouette and cut the necktie, bow-tie, earrings, lashes, tux, necklace and any detail that makes it you.  The Disneyland and Disneyworld silhouette artists, the only true master silhouette artists can do that, and they also can do groupings (not singles pasted on one sheet)-- heads cut into heads.  Don't be fooled if they tout a cheap price on the net.  The work could be great, but perhaps they are sketching and cutting losing details, or not able to do the prized groupings.  I suggest resume readings.  The customer recommendations are often written by their spouse and their friends, you can tell by the language, is that the language people would really use.  Language like "Cute Boo came in and giggled with glee to get a ___________ silhouette!  Sure, huh.  At best they say, "Cindi was professional, early, did accurate beautiful work, was kind and made my event a hit.  

Just study the internet, see who you like and check out the works in the stores.   Are they fat, is the bodice simplified to not look human, is the face in proportion, do all their children have the same face:

As for you, and your craft project, just do it.  Everyone will applaud you and clap.  For more information please see.  http://www.silhouettesbycindi.com






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