Thoughts about the art and practice of silhouette portraiture, in all its myriad forms, in both traditional and experimental forms.
WHEREVER I TRAVELin the world, I always try to meet other silhouette artists. There are not many of us and I’ve always felt it’s important to make a connection if I can. This is partly because I’m fascinated by silhouettes (and always keen to have my own cut out) but also because I love seeing
In November 2022 I was invited to give a short talk about my work at a TEDx meeting in Arendal, on the south coast of Norway. The video of my talk has just been released and have great pleasure in sharing it here (time: 15 mins approx) In the days before photography silhouettes were the
If you’ve seen me cut a silhouette, you’re probably more familiar with this shadowy art than most. But how much do you really know about them? My question today is more about silhouette imagery, as used in advertisements, illustrations and popular art, than about the craft I practice. It’s the concept, or idea of a
I’m often asked if there’s an easy way to make a silhouette. If you have a mobile phone, yes there is! Here’s an easy project you can do at home during the holidays to make silhouettes of your family. Try it out with your children, parents, friends or siblings. I will show you how to
AS AN ARTIST interested in science I’ve always been fascinated by symmetry. As a silhouettist I rely completely on symmetry, my art would literally not exist without ti. I’d like to share some of that fascination by exploring a certain weird symmetry which infuses our lives. .
IS IT POSSIBLE to make a caricature likeness in silhouette? This question vexed me for many years. I decided to try…
I BEGAN PLAYING with an en grisaille portrait many years ago. At the time, I was experimenting with traditional techniques for adding gold details (known as embellishing) and began scribbling pencil notes on my white copies. I began to find these white copies more interesting than the finished silhouettes!
CAN ONE CUT a face-on silhouette? What happens when you’re not in profile? For years, like most silhouettists, I tended to avoid these questions.
I’VE JUST GOT BACK from two days cutting silhouettes at Whitby Goth Weekend. What an event, I think I must be a closet Goth!
Classic cameo silhouettes THE SIMPLEST of silhouettes is the classic cameo, often called a bust-length silhouette. This kind of silhouette was popular all over England during the Georgian and Regency periods. The majority of silhouettists working today still predominantly make cameo silhouettes.
SOMETHING WHICH struck me after the “Off With Your Head!” speed-cutting contest was just how entertaining it had all been. With Cindi Rose and I cutting back-to-back, silhouettes began filling the room within minutes. Everybody went away with at least one portrait and most got two. Wherever I looked there were people laughing, joking and comparing profiles.
AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE was set for us by a client in Germany. He wanted each of 250 conference delegates to receive a silhouette – cut from their own corporate-blue paper – during a conference dinner. My initial proposal (based on tried-and-tested advice to allow two minutes per person) was to book four artists. He replied
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS people most often ask when they see me cutting is “How many pairs of silhouette scissors do you get through?” I get the impression they’re expecting to hear that I use at least six pairs a night! When I explain that I’ve been using the same pair of scissors for the
