Shadows on Paper

• 1). Tape a piece of black paper that is large enough to fit the entire silhouette to the wall.
  
  
• 2). Have the subject stand sideways about a foot in front of the paper. The farther away she stands from the paper, the more enlarged her silhouette will be.
  
  
• 3). Turn out the lights and have someone aim a flashlight or lamp at the subject's head to create a crisp shadow. Having the light source at the same level as the subject's head will minimize warping of the shape.
  
  
• 4). Trace the shadow on the paper with the white pencil. The most important parts are the chin, lips, and nose, so trace these first in case the subject moves.
  
  
• 5). Cut out the silhouette carefully. Don't bother erasing any visible pencil marks because the silhouette can simply be turned over.
  
  
• 6). Glue the black silhouette to a piece of white paper using a thin, even layer of glue. Glue all the way to the edges to avoid peeling.
  
  

Computerized Silhouettes

• 1). Take a picture of the subject from the side. Have him stand against a white wall for the best contrast.
  
  
• 2). Upload the picture onto your computer, and open it in your picture editing program of choice.
  
  
• 3). Remove the background from the image. In Photoshop, for example, use the Magic Wand tool.
  
  
• 4). Remove the color from your image. In Photoshop, select "Image," then "Adjustments" and then "Desaturate."
  
  
• 5). Increase the contrast and lower the brightness until the image looks like a silhouette. In Photoshop, this function is also under "Adjustments."
  
  
• 6). Fill in any light areas with the fill tool set to black.
  
  
• 7). Set your image to the desired size and print it. If you want a larger image than your home printer allows, take the file to a print shop.
  
  
• 8). Cut out the silhouette and glue it onto new paper, paint the background for more texture, or leave it as is.
  
  

Fabric Silhouettes

• 1). Follow the steps above to print out a silhouette in the desired size. For this purpose, the silhouetted image does not have to be completely filled in, but the edge should be distinct.
  
  
• 2). Cut out the silhouette carefully.
  
  
• 3). Apply iron-on adhesive onto felt or suede, following the manufacturer's directions. Do not remove the paper backing.
  
  
• 4). Trace the cut out silhouette onto the paper backing with a pencil. It may help to tape the silhouette down along the bottom edge so it doesn't move while you trace.
  
  
• 5). Cut out the silhouette with fabric scissors.
  
  
• 6). Peel the paper backing off the adhesive and position the silhouette on top of white background fabric with the adhesive side down.
  
  
• 7). Iron the silhouette to secure it to the background, following the manufacturer's directions for the iron-on adhesive.