Thank you for booking a sitting at my virtual studio day.
Please log in two or three minutes before the time of your first sitting (see “your times” on the e-ticket). I’ll see you in the Zoom waiting room and will admit you as the previous sitting finishes.
Preparation Notes
It’s going to be fun!
Cutting a silhouette is a surprisingly rapid process. I know you’re going to enjoy the experience!
If possible, I recommend logging in with a laptop or tablet rather than a phone. A larger screen will enable you to see the action better, as well as the finished silhouettes.
If you’re at all unsure about your silhouettes I’ll cut them again (it’s far easier to do this on the day than after I post them…) So you do need to be able to see them properly.
Please log in from a well-lit room with a stable internet connection, so that I can see you. Ideally, the camera on your device needs to be at about head height as you pose. This may mean placing your laptop on top of a pile of books, or attaching your tablet to a tripod (if you can).
I’m sure you’ll figure something out!
Finally, if you can’t make your sitting for any reason, please let me know. It may be possible to change your time to another, either on the same or a different day.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in my studio
Are you bringing a friend?
Finally, do you know anybody else attending the same studio day? If so, why not get together with them and watch while you each have you silhouettes cut? It’s fine to have more people logging in for each session, it all adds to the fun.
Just let me know on the day who to expect at your sitting, so I can admit them when they arrive in the waiting room.
The first moments of cutting a silhouette are the most important
The first moments of cutting a silhouette are the most important, it will either work or not.
Charles holding his scissors in his hands
Holding scissors in hands as Charles talks to a client over Zoom
Cutting a silhouette of a Collie dog over Zoom
Hands cutting a silhouette of a dog using a pair of scissors
Charles' scissors cutting a complex pattern in paper
Scissors cutting a complex pattern in paper under a magnifying glass
Adding Details of Hair with Scissors
Details such as loose hair and eyelashes can make a big difference to a silhouette
Charles hold up two silhouettes to the camera so the client can see them
Hold up two costume silhouettes to the camera so the clients can see their portraits
Hoping up a Silhouette to the Screen
One of the advantages of working live is the ability to compare directly the silhouette and subject.
Holding up a silhouette of a lady holding a fan
Holding up a silhouette of a lady holding a fan in the virtual studio
Charles holding up a silhouette of a cat, cut over Zoom
Fingers holding up a silhouette of a cat so the owners can see it over Zoom
Charles Burns in his virtual studio at Mays Barn
Charles Burns in his studio at Mays Barn, with a view of the beams above
Profile photograph of Charles Burns holding up a silhouette
Silhouette artist in profile holding up a silhouette of a woman with an earring
Profile Portrait of Charles
Charles considering whether or not the next pose will really work.
Blurred Hands in fFont of a Screen
Charles's hands can move quite fast when cutting paper
Detaching the Silhouette from the Off-cut
Taking the silhouette out of the off-cut marks the end of the "first cut"
Charles Burns in his studio with some famous silhouettes on the wall behind
Charles Burns with scissors at the ready and some famous silhouettes on the wall behind
Cutting a silhouette of a woman with a book with scissors
Hands cutting a silhouette of a woman with a book and a pair of scissors making a hole in it
