How to Make a Silhouette on Black Paper

Silhouettes allowed people to be captured at a certain point in their life before the camera was invented. Create silhouettes of your children, other family members, friends or even pets. Frame the silhouettes and use them to decorate your walls, or give them as gifts to family and friends.

Things You'll Need

• Camera
• White backdrop like a wall (optional)
• Scissors (small are best, but any size can be used)
• Black paper
• Pencil
• Double-sided tape
• White paper
• Picture frame

Instructions

1. Take a picture of the subject of your silhouette from the side against a white backdrop, such as a wall, to make it easier to cut out later. Have the photo developed at the size that you want your silhouette to be. So, if you want an 8- by 10-inch silhouette then you want the developed picture to be an 8-by-10.

2. Cut the person's profile out of the picture. Take your time when doing this step; the more detailed the cut the better the silhouette will be. Smaller scissors will work better for this step.

3. Trace the cutout profile onto a black piece of paper with a pencil. You will be able to see the pencil enough to cut out the profile, but it will also blend in enough so that it won't matter if some of the pencil is left on the cutout silhouette.

4. Cut out the silhouette from the black paper. Again, take your time so that you get the most detail in the silhouette.

5. Use double-sided tape to adhere the black silhouette to white paper.

6. Place the silhouette in the correct-size picture frame.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut out shapes from other pictures, such as action shots of people jumping or walking, to create silhouette pictures of a different kind. Follow the same steps to create these pieces of silhouette art.

References

• Time Out New York: Paper-silhouette Art