How to Make Wall Silhouettes
A wall silhouette can be a fun decoration for a home or even a business. No matter what kind of building you are decorating, you will be able to find an appropriate silhouette. Unlike many other decorating schemes, a silhouette is easy to do on your own, saving a lot of money over the price of a professional painter.
Things You'll Need
- Computer with photo editing program
- Video projector that connects to a computer
- Thick chalk
- Paint
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose the kind of silhouette you want for your wall. If you are decorating a day care, you might want a silhouette of children playing. If decorating an employment service, you could use silhouettes of people in postures of typing, negotiating or using a telephone.
-
2
Browse image databases on the web for appropriate pictures. The images you choose don't have to start out as silhouettes; you will convert them to silhouette form during the project. Copyright should not be an issue; altering an image into a silhouette should be sufficient unless it's a well-known, licensed character.
-
-
3
Download the image and simplify it using a photo editing program. Remove as much background as possible without losing image quality. Darken the shades of the portion of the image you want to keep. Lighten the portion of the image you want to lose. Convert the image to black and white.
-
4
Follow the directions for your projector and connect it to the computer, which will allow you to project whatever is on your monitor screen onto the wall you want to decorate. Set up the projector at a distance that makes the projected image an appropriate size. The farther the projector is from the wall, the larger the image will be.
-
5
Use chalk to trace the outline of the image onto the wall.
-
6
Fill in the image with paint that goes with the color scheme of the room.
-
7
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for multiple silhouettes.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
For a quick party decoration, just fill in the outline with chalk. This can make a fun effect that washes off easily after the party.
Because Step 4 requires you to move your computer, this project is much easier to accomplish with a laptop than a desktop computer.
Avoid using licensed characters, such as Disney properties and mascots. If in doubt, turn the picture you want into a silhouette using photo editing software. Print out the image and show it to several friends. If they recognize the character, use another picture.
