I have always loved old-fashioned silhouettes of people. In fact, my original logo for my boutique, Lucy & Lloyd featured a man and woman's silhouette.
After Maddux was born, I considered hiring someone to do his silhouette, but I had a hard time finding an artist who was within my price range. I wondered if it was something I could pull off on my own, and after doing a little research, I found
this great tutorial. Still, I couldn't seem to find the time to sit down and actually create something. With a one year old, it felt a bit overwhelming.
Then, my super crafty sister-in-law Megan posted
this on her blog, and I was sold. Last week, I finally sat down and created my silhouette, and I absolutely love it!
Here is what I did:
1. First, you will need black acrylic paint. I bought two, unsure of how much I would actually need, but I only ended up using about half of one bottle.
I used a foam paintbrush, but I'm sure any kind would work.
2. I found a profile picture I had taken of Maddux and sent it to Walgreens to be printed off on photo paper. I chose 8 x 10.
3. I used some very fine manicure scissors to cut out his silhouette. I was extra careful to preserve as much detail as possible, in particular his curls and eyelashes.
4. I then started the process of painting the cut out silhouette, using long, even strokes.
5. I let each layer dry before starting the next. I wanted it extra black and thick, so I ended up painting 4 layers.
6. After the silhouette was completely dry, I mounted it to a piece of scrapbook paper that I liked, using double-sided scrapbook tape. The frame is a record size frame that Nate had that I repurposed. It is actually a little too big, so I may go back in and make a black, scalloped border. I'm also thinking about adding his name to the bottom.
I really love how this turned out! It was super easy, and we now have a cute piece of handmade art that captures Maddux's sweet one-year-old profile.
