Silhouette Storytelling

I discovered the fascinating art of Béatrice Coron when I was looking for a fresh way to teach about negative and positive space. Coron uses silhouette art to tell stories and she constructs dresses, masks, metalwork, capes, and glass windows as well. Coron’s work was perfect for a positive and negative space lesson.

Students were fascinated by the stories Coron tells with black-and-white silhouettes. Each vignette draws the viewer in for a closer look at the scene. Students especially enjoyed the humorous touches Coron added in surprising places. We also watched an engaging TED Talk in which Coron explains the method and thought process of her work (see Resources).

Composition
Once students understood how silhouettes could be used to tell stories, they began to brainstorm and sketch ideas for a composition. We discussed themes to explore such as identity, underwater, sports, song lyrics, and everyday life. Doing an internet search of silhouette people performing activities sparked ideas too. We also discussed the use of windows and what might be occurring on the other side of a window to help organize the composition.

Making Connections
As students worked on their rough drafts, I explained that all the parts of the composition had to connect in some way or they would fall off when they were cut from the black paper. Lines had to be thick enough to cut around.

Students went back to Coron’s work to study how she also uses lines as a design element to balance negative space. Once students had their images and connecting lines in place, they shaded in the positive shapes—everything that would stay. The light shapes, or negative space, would be cut out.

Transfer and Cut
Students next used a 6B pencil to cover the back of their rough draft paper. (They could also use transfer paper if available.) Students lightly taped their rough draft composition onto a black sheet of paper and outlined the shapes.

At this point, itʼs important to explain to students that they will outline the light or negative-space shapes and should not draw through any of the shaded areas, which will stay and need to connect.

After the transfer, students carefully cut out the negative space using craft knifes. I demonstrated how to hold and cut properly with the knife and went over safety procedures. As students cut, their images began to emerge, and this inspired them to continue. I was amazed at some of the intricate work students achieved—tiny hands and feet appeared, and stories began to play out through their work.

Final Display
We displayed the finished works in the hallway. Side by side, they looked like windows telling different stories. The black-and-white designs could be seen from a distance and were quite striking and attention-getting. I found this to be a satisfying and in-depth project for teaching positive and negative space while telling stories. And thanks to Béatrice Coron for her inspiring work!