Fingerpaint Silhouettes

Why

Use shadow and light to fingerprint bright silhouettes. What fun with a friend! And there’s no mess with Crayola Color Wonder™!

Steps

1. Silhouettes are made with light to outline a person’s profile. Most shadow portraits are made with dark paper, but these are lots more colorful! Here’s how a friend and a grownup can team up to create a Fingerpaint Silhouette of you.

2. Ask an adult to help you tape Crayola Color Wonder™ Paper on a wall. (If the wall is wood, protect the surface with recycled newspaper.) Hang the paper as high as your head is when you stand sideways with one shoulder close to the wall. Ask the adult to shine a light (without a shade, or use a bright flashlight) on your face so it leaves a clear shadow on the paper.

3. Ask your friend to outline your portrait by tracing around your shadow with Crayola Color Wonder™ Fingerpaint. Now it’s your friend’s turn—and maybe the adult’s too! When everyone has a silhouette, carefully remove the paper from the wall.

4. Fill in the rest of the portraits and their backgrounds with more colors. Air-dry the fingerpaint.

Safety Guidelines

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.

Adult Assistance is required for this arts & crafts project.

Color Wonder™—Wash hands well with soap and water after use.

Related Crafts

Crafts

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Supplies

crayola supplies
  • Color Wonder™ Fingerpaints
  • Color Wonder™ Paper
household supplies
  • recycled newspaper
  • flashlight
  • paper towels
  • masking tape
  • light from a lamp

Where & When

"We cut the colorful silhouettes out and glued them on sturdy mat board for a grandparent’s gift."
Ronit Y., mother of 5- and 7-year-old.

"This was a good ice-breaking activity for the first day of summer camp. Kids worked in teams with one person holding the flashlight, another was the artist, and a third was the ‘model."
Miguel L., camp counselor.


Interesting Info

Silhouettes got their name from a French Finance Minister named Etienne de Silhouette. He was so hated before the French Revolution that peasants dressed in black and called themselves silhouettes, people without color or substance.