Sketchbook prep for Variation 8The Silhouette was a form of portraiture that evolved in Europe in the 1700's. It is traditionally a profile portrait that is created by cutting paper. Real Silhouette artists are very adept at cutting fine detail into their portraits. My portrait of Herr Silverbeard is not quite as skilled, but it is still effective. I used black and ivory coloured papers. The picture here does not capture the texture very well, it looks flat, but in person, the papers create an added element to the overall image, the edges of the silhouette cast their own subtle shadow, giving it a multi-dimensional feel. It was tricky for me to cut a perfect oval, so, after several attempts I drew the oval frame using a fine ink pen.
Sharon Lacoste McDonagh, Herr Silverbeard, 2009Cut Paper & Ink 10 x 10 cm
