Above: Lauren Muney of Silhouettes By Hand freehand-cuts the silhouette portrait of an enthusiastic little boy - while attired in Early American-era clothing. At the Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery / American Art Museum, Washington, DC

Silhouettes Galleries: Photos and Video

Silhouette-portraiture is a historical skill and trade which has been beloved in many western societies for centuries. Countries like Great Britain, Germany, France, and its former colonies such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and others have had silhouette portraiture as an inexpensive portrait style before photography was invented. For many countries in Europe, North America, and Australia, silhouettes represented our fore-families. Our heritage is seen in these faces.

Many offerings in just one rare skill

Silhouettes By Hand silhouettes are still made the historical, heritage method. Silhouettes By Hand silhouette portraiture is all of these:

a visual art,
a ‘performance art’,
a public program,
a public art opportunity
a private event offering,
a pop-up interactivity
even a portrait for that you can order for yourself from your own home.

The galleries below include Silhouette images, Instagram feed, Museum Programs, and Other Events, Silhouette-Event example, and a live-broadcast video from a museum event.

How are Silhouettes created?

Silhouettes are created "freehand" with only scissors. The only tools are the scissors and the paper. There is no shadow cast, nor drawing with pencil or pen in advance. In this video you can see no lines on this white side of the paper.

Creating silhouettes in this way - especially with astounding resemblance to the sitter - is a rare skill. There are few people in the world who work this way. Watch this video (50 seconds):

This silhouette was cut by "Silhouettes By Hand" in less than two minutes during "A 19th Century Christmas" at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, Tacoma, WA. (The video is sped up just a little for people who cannot wait). Silhouettes are a great way to experience the past - first hand!

On PreserveCast podcast : the history and future of hand cut silhouettes with master artist Lauren Muney. Watch in realtime as she cuts PreserveCast host Nick Redding's silhouette.

Sample Silhouettes

The photos below span 7 years of Lauren’s 14 years of cutting silhouettes. Each of these portraits is hand-cut with only scissors and paper, without drawing, tracing a shadow or using any type of machine.

Not Clipart

These are not clipart - these are actual portraits made from people sitting live for their silhouettes, or from a photo for their Silhouette Order. Even the horse portrait was created live! (We think he liked it!)

NOTE : The portraits in these galleries are not for sale.

You too can order your own silhouette and frame or mat, or book Lauren into your event.

Freehand-scissored silhouette portraits are some of the most difficult- and fascinating - portrait forms, done by only a handful or people in the entire world. To learn more about your artist, visit the About page.

Recent Instagram images: @SilhouettesByHand

Some events beg their imagery to be shared: immediate, timely, striking. To follow Silhouettes By Hand, to see more images and read the captions, go to the Instagram Profile Page

I don’t want a machine telling me what to do… nor across my face 🤣

I worked a holiday company party last night for a very important company. I asked the event coordinator how she found me, and she answered, “I asked ChatGPT for unusual party ideas and it said Silhouette Artist; and then your name comes up as t

Festive holiday 🎄 company party 🎉 Baltimore, MD, USA - silhouettes cut freehand with only scissors ✂️
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#holidayparty #companyparty #eventplanner #eventplanning #eventplanningtips #silhouetteartist

Throwback photos from cutting silhouettes at a guest artist appearance in Washington DC earlier in 2024. Each silhouette was cut freehand only with scissors— with the visitor talking, engaging, participating, enjoying, wondering, experiencing,

Throwback to April 2024 when I was cutting silhouettes at @colonialwmsburg during my experimental archeology fellowship with @exarc.1 - studying how soot + beer = black paper
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Silhouettes cut freehand with only scissors. Yes, the second silhouette

These great faces are the stars of @maxwellmansion in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA— a few of the staff who make your experience there great. Why did I ✂️ (cut with scissors) the staff’s silhouettes? :
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I’ll be there for New Year&rsq

It’s party time for the holidays! 🎉Here are a few of the happy faces which were thrilled to have Silhouette cut at @johnshopkinsu ‘s @homewoodmuseum for the Holiday Open House 🎄
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Each silhouette was cut freehand with only ✂️ by me! Wha

Cut freehand with only ✂️ without drawing or machine.
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#silhouetteartist #silhouetteartwork #losttrades #losttradesfair #handmade #freehand #humaninterest #humanity #historictradesandskills #historical #luxuryevents #luxuryeventdesign #meeting

An international corporate event last week was gorgeous, creative, and thoughtful enough to have me cutting silhouettes live for the guests.
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It’s so joyful for the guests to have their silhouettes made live, and I am overjoyed to voice the re

Silhouettes freehand-cut live, in person, at @mdrennfest in Oct 2024 during my guest artist visits.
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Each silhouette took 90-120 seconds -in other words, quick for the sitter!
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#losttrade #losttrades #heritagecraft #heritagecrafts #traditional

I’m so happy to see my #pealefaces (the frieze of silhouettes) on the walls of an ever-enhancing, ever-engaging @thepealebaltimore — you can see the top of the walls here, where 287 faces of Baltimore modern-day folks are surrounding you

Wedding guests at a delightful wedding event I just worked, signed the guest book with extra set of silhouettes. I cut two copies, and arranged with the bride how even the guest book could benefit from this HANDCUT, live experience at the event.
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(Re)share of my own freehand-scissored ✂️ work; cut live in person at @colonialwmsburg in April 2024.
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This is the printer Pete Stinely- hopefully anyone who knows him would recognize him 😉
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In ten days I will be back in Colonial Williamsburg to

Cut this beautiful soul’s silhouette at the Maryland Renaissance Festival (@mdrenfest / @mdrennfest ) this past weekend. I am a Guest Artist for one more weekend, Oct 12-13.
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He was visiting from Arkansas, and fit in perfectly 🥳
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#mdr

It’s always good to see the masters of the craft. Physiognotraced profiles, meticulously reduced and engraved, at @harriton_house in Bryn Mawr, PA, USA , during the “Farmstead Fair” event. I didn’t see the artist’s name

I didn’t have time to breathe last weekend at @mount_vernon , much less snap photos, so this is all I have of images of the ✂️ silhouettes that I made for customers! Thanks to all the many folks who came out for the event, and had a silhouette

@thepealebaltimore unveiled their new shop this weekend for their 210th birthday— and with my 287 Peale Faces portraits lifted higher and brighter in the room.
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“It’s like I’m surrounded by the community” one visitor fr

It’s always wonderful to be featured in @mount_vernon’s socials, and more importantly, to be with George — and all of the traditional craftspeople— on the mansion grounds for one of the greatest artisan shows in the United Sta

Silhouettes By Hand on Facebook

Are you on Facebook? So is Silhouettes By Hand - Follow all the news, photos, event reminders, media mentions, and fun

Museum Programs with Silhouettes

Lauren's favorite events to participate are museum events, bringing history to life with engaging, immersive experiences. These artist residencies connect the public to the silhouettes directly. Read more about her interest on the About page, or go to the Museums Page for more information on booking.

At Claude Moore Colonial Farm museum

At Riversdale Museum

Cutting silhouettes at the Star Spangled Spectacular (2014), Baltimore MD's celebration of the US anthem and history

At George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Museum

At Jamestown Settlement museum

At Homewood Museum, ca. 1806

At Homewood Museum, ca.1806

At George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Museum, at the Colonial Market & Fair

Presentation of "Heads in History"

Other Events: Corporate and Social, Weddings, Non-Profit, Galas

Thank you to Bravo! Events and photographer Eli Turner for the beautiful photos in purple.

Corporate, Non-profit, Social, and Festivals all benefit from the rare skill of silhouette portraiture. Not only do guests take away their memory, but it's a fascinating activity for others just watching. People love Silhouette By Hand's hospitality, experience, and rare craftsmanship at their Wedding, Corporate event, Non-profit special event, or private party.

Photo By Eli Turner for Bravo! Events

Silhouette-Event Experience

As an illustration of an event, the photos below show Lauren Muney's appearance at an event at Brookside Nature Center, Montgomery Parks (Maryland), Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in December, 2017. Photos in this gallery provided by Montgomery Parks; Tony Ventouris Photography.

If you want to book Silhouettes By Hand into your own event, read more on the Booking page.

A more relaxed encounter with a Silhouette artist...

In this special evening, Lauren Muney visited with Springfield, OH's Mother Stewart's Brewing Company, to talk about tradition (and beer) ... Mother Stewart's was was made from an old coffin factory, and is named after a local temperance worker - ie: a woman who tried to get beer banned...