Take pictures of your kids. For this project I just used my cell phone to take the pictures and edit them. I had my kids one at a time stand in front of a plain wall looking to the side. I took a few shots of each of them just in case. It’s important that the angle is right when you take the picture.
I then used a simple photo editing app on my phone (Snapseed) to increase the brightness and contrast and to make the pictures black and white. This step is not necessary, but I feel like it gives you crisp clear lines. You do not need to be a skilled photographer for this! Then print the photos onto copy paper at the exact size you want your silhouettes to be. Mine were 5″x 7″.
Trim the photos and cut your watercolor paper to the size you want the finished piece to be. I cut my paper to be 5″ x 7″ and I made sure that the photos fit nicely inside. Then use the edge of a pencil (a softer one if you have one) to color the back side of the photograph. Make sure you get all of the area where the silhouette will be. You don’t have to cover the entire piece of paper.
Now flip the paper over and place it on top of your watercolor paper. Use tape to secure the photo (don’t skip this!). Now use a pencil (a harder one if you have it) to draw the outline of the silhouette. Make sure you press down pretty hard, and when you remove the photograph, there will be a pencil outline on your watercolor paper. Also remember you can make a few small changes. For example, I added a few hairs sticking up in a couple of places, and I evened out my daughter’s pony tail to not include the headband she was wearing in the picture. I also added eyelashes at the right place, even though they weren’t actually visible in the silhouette photos.
Prepare your watercolors. I decided to do blue for my two boys and pink for my little girl. There are so many fun possibilities! When you first start painting, make a really watery mix with just a little bit of pigment to create your outline. Go in with a somewhat small brush and carefully draw inside your outline all around the edge. I continued to add water as I went so the paper stayed wet as I painted.
Continue to fill in your silhouette shape first with a very light mix of paint and water. Then when the edges are complete, paint the whole center area as well. I added dabs of darker paint in some places and dabs of plain water in other places. Since the silhouette area was already wet at this point, the paint and water spread out to create a really beautiful uneven watercolor effect. I’d also recommend using less pigment and more water in general.
Use a small detail brush to touch up any areas around the edges that need work, and let your paper fully dry. You can then use a quality eraser to gently remove any pencil marks that are still visible. The eraser won’t remove your watercolors just the pencil marks.
Play around with different colors and techniques! I used some pink watercolors from a different set for my daughter’s silhouette. I also left some areas a lot lighter and made some a lot darker for a different look. Basically, you just want to make sure that you are very precise around the edges, and then you can do whatever you’d like in the middle.
It’s really neat how much each silhouette looks just like each of my kids!
Enjoy!
Take pictures of your kids. For this project I just used my cell phone to take the pictures and edit them. I had my kids one at a time stand in front of a plain wall looking to the side. I took a few shots of each of them just in case. It’s important that the angle is right when you take the picture.
I then used a simple photo editing app on my phone (Snapseed) to increase the brightness and contrast and to make the pictures black and white. This step is not necessary, but I feel like it gives you crisp clear lines. You do not need to be a skilled photographer for this! Then print the photos onto copy paper at the exact size you want your silhouettes to be. Mine were 5″x 7″.
Trim the photos and cut your watercolor paper to the size you want the finished piece to be. I cut my paper to be 5″ x 7″ and I made sure that the photos fit nicely inside. Then use the edge of a pencil (a softer one if you have one) to color the back side of the photograph. Make sure you get all of the area where the silhouette will be. You don’t have to cover the entire piece of paper.
Now flip the paper over and place it on top of your watercolor paper. Use tape to secure the photo (don’t skip this!). Now use a pencil (a harder one if you have it) to draw the outline of the silhouette. Make sure you press down pretty hard, and when you remove the photograph, there will be a pencil outline on your watercolor paper. Also remember you can make a few small changes. For example, I added a few hairs sticking up in a couple of places, and I evened out my daughter’s pony tail to not include the headband she was wearing in the picture. I also added eyelashes at the right place, even though they weren’t actually visible in the silhouette photos.
Prepare your watercolors. I decided to do blue for my two boys and pink for my little girl. There are so many fun possibilities! When you first start painting, make a really watery mix with just a little bit of pigment to create your outline. Go in with a somewhat small brush and carefully draw inside your outline all around the edge. I continued to add water as I went so the paper stayed wet as I painted.
Continue to fill in your silhouette shape first with a very light mix of paint and water. Then when the edges are complete, paint the whole center area as well. I added dabs of darker paint in some places and dabs of plain water in other places. Since the silhouette area was already wet at this point, the paint and water spread out to create a really beautiful uneven watercolor effect. I’d also recommend using less pigment and more water in general.
Use a small detail brush to touch up any areas around the edges that need work, and let your paper fully dry. You can then use a quality eraser to gently remove any pencil marks that are still visible. The eraser won’t remove your watercolors just the pencil marks.
Play around with different colors and techniques! I used some pink watercolors from a different set for my daughter’s silhouette. I also left some areas a lot lighter and made some a lot darker for a different look. Basically, you just want to make sure that you are very precise around the edges, and then you can do whatever you’d like in the middle.
It’s really neat how much each silhouette looks just like each of my kids!
Enjoy!
