"Silhouettes are an increasingly popular form of capturing portraits with a history that goes back hundreds of years. In this unique how-to book, silhouette artist Charles Burns teaches the basic techniques needed for making silhouettes: learning the proportions of a profile, tracing a shadow, reducing an image, drawing and cutting freely, and his own 'natural waves' technique. You'll learn to create scissor-cut portraits, painted silhouettes, hollow-cut silhouettes, silhouettes painted on glass, caricatures, and more, as well as how to use color, appliqué, and three-dimensional effects in creative and innovative ways and how to mount and display your creations."--Page 4 of cover.

Choose from 153 decorative silhouette motifs: lovely ladies with elaborate headdresses, graceful wood sprites, ships in full sail, floral vignettes, a Chinese dragon, and much more. Suitable for professional and amateur uses, these designs come in a variety of sizes and will answer virtually any need for distinctive, royalty-free art.

Whether as thoughtful gifts or charming home decorations, silhouettes are both lovely to look at and fun to make. No wonder this fine art continues to enchant us today. This delightful kit has all the tools and inspiration a crafter needs to create intricate, beautiful silhouettes of both people and animals: an informative book that explains all the necessary techniques, as well as a history of silhouetting around the world; and includes sample patterns; paper, mats, and more. You'll get great results immediately!

Crafters will learn four beautiful ways to make their own silhouettes: by casting a shadow and tracing along the edges.