Silhouette Portraits!
A lot of people don’t know that in addition to performing my One Man Side Show I also hand cut silhouette portraits. A silhouette portrait is a cut of the profile of a person’s face on black paper that is then usually mounted on a white background. You might have had your portrait done in school where they taped a piece of paper on the all and shined a light on your head and traced the profile of your head on the paper then cut it out. The way I do silhouette portraits is very different, I cut them by hand and eye, here’s an example:
This style of portrait cutting is a lost art, very few people in the United States (and the world) do this anymore. It’s so low tech when you consider that everyone has a camera in their phone that they carry around and can use computer programs to get different effects with. That said whenever I cut silhouette portraits at an event I’m always amazed at how quickly I get a line of people and how many kids are amazed that you can even do this! I guess skill can still trump technology and it’s appeal is how low tech (and cool) it is.
In preparation for this summer I got a bunch of new mounting cards for my sillhouette portraits. In the past I’ve used a white card, but I recently ordered some with a fancy board and my info on the back. Here’s the card without a portrait:
And here’s the card with a silhouette (not mounted):
Finally here’s the portrait on the card:
For more information about having me cut silhouette portraits at your next event feel free to contact me!
Louie
P.S. Vote for me as the Best Live Entertainment For Kids in the Parent Map’s 2012 Golden Teddy Awards. To vote enter the name (Louie Foxx) in the first category at http://www.parentmap.com/article/2012-golden-teddy-awards-activities-for-kids
Tags: events, louie foxx, seattle magician, silhouette portrait
