Silhouette

Silhouette: The Art of the Shadow
$65.00
Elegant and enigmatic, the silhouette is the simplest of art forms?but that simplicity belies a rich and varied past. In this first major work on the art of the silhouette, art historian Emma Rutherford draws from dozens of American and European sources to create a fascinating history of the art form?and to illuminate the compelling social history hidden behind its shadows.

Silhouettes : Rediscovering the Lost Art
$18.95
I am a portrait artist. For promotional events, I do quick sketches of children in stores throughout the year. I was often asked if I could do silhouettes - I didn't think I'd ever figure out how and I couldn't find an artist willing to reveal the secrets. Luckily, on an internet search one day, I stumbled across Kathryn Flocken's book. I was thrilled when it finally arrived and even more thrilled to find that it was exactly what I needed. She assumes you don't know anything about the art and tells you step-by-step how to hold the paper, the scissors, what your eyes should be looking at, posture, what you should be thinking about while cutting... It goes on to give you practical tips on the business aspect of it all and other ideas. I later had the pleasure to meet her in person and watch her at work! I was fascinated and inspired and so pleased to meet someone finally willing to share her knowledge!

I have to say, I've read other books about how to cut silhouettes and was shocked to discover "short cuts" that were not true to the art. Sometimes a parent who may not have an artistic eye may not catch that their silhouette of their child is actually a very generic template with only hair and minor details added. Being a portrait artist, I am fanatic about wanting to capture the individual's true profile - not just a pretty generic shape. I'm so glad I read Kathryn Flocken's book first so I learned the traditional method that makes her technique more of a fine art form than just a craft. I highly recommend her book and her supplies as well. I now use what I've learned to make money cutting silhouettes in addition to my paintings and sketches.

Silhouettes, How to Cut for Fun and Money
$15.00
This book gave me a quick overview and on the surface I thought it was going to answer all my questions regardng cutting, supplies and getting started, but it only scratched the surface and began immediately to begin the juices flowing with the questions I needed answered. Such as how to format a base to the knowledge I'd need to cut the finer aspects of the hair, glasses, nose, chin and other details of cutting that make the difference. This I found in a second book I was offered prior to checking out on the Amazon site. This book was a good reference book, but alone, not thorough enough, but OK for starters.

Silhouette Designs for Artists and Craftspeople
$6.95
This is my favorite stencil book and CD. I have a computerized plotter that lets me use the CD silhouettes to create vinyl patterns for sandblasting glass and for making copper overlays for stained glass items. I love the wide selection of patterns in this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone.