How does silhouette work?
A silhouette is a solid, dark image of a subject against a brighter background. Silhouette pictures usually show the subject in profile. The first silhouettes originated in 1850s France as a cheaper alternative to having a portrait painted. These silhouettes were paintings, sketches, and paper cutouts. A silhouette shows the shape of the subject without any detail. For this reason, silhouettes are particularly useful and work well as symbols in logo design. A style can define the visual and emotional mood of an organization and it is achieved through the use of images, typeface and color.
Why are silhouettes so powerful?
It works because our minds tend to register size, posture, shape and body language before processing other cues, like facial expressions or actions. Fundamental and enduring personality traits can be conveyed through silhouette more effectively, at times, than even dialogue. When designing characters, artists often use a silhouette to test whether the character’s basic design “reads” to the audience. From the silhouette we are able to see a distinctive and recognizable design without details and understand what the figure is saying with its overall form.