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Wednesday 16 May 2012

The tools of a silhouette artist

What is on display here is the basic tools of a silhouette artist.  Note that there is no pencil or pen included.  What you are looking at is a wallet sized folding card where the silhouette is mounted - a pair of surgeons scissors and a folded sheet of silhouette paper.  (there are two in the the photograph).
The silhouette paper is black on one side and white on the other.  I fold it black side in and cut the silhouette of my subject's profile on the white side.  What I am really doing is 'drawing with scissors.'  I am right handed, so much of the work is done with my left hand which is holding the folded paper.  A silhouette artist spins the paper round in his/her fingers while the right hand operates the scissors.
The whole process takes around 90 seconds on average to perform.  There are only a handful of working silhouette artists in the UK.
If you would like to learn more you can contact me at my website.
www.weddingcaricaturist.com

4 comments:

  1. Am not surprised there are so few people doing this.... strikes me as being a very difficult thing to do....have watched a video of you working and it really is incredible!!

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  2. Thanks Judith. It is a fun art to try. Once you get the knack it becomes easier.

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  3. Can we see a finished piece please? It sounds wonderful.

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  4. Thanks Ana. An earlier blog named Canada Bound has a double silhouette.

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Thanks for taking the time to look and comment.