Hand Shadow Ideas

The hands and fingers are exercised and different finger positions are practiced to help aid in forming shadows. The light source to be used should be small and bright. The best shadows come from light proceeding from the smallest possible point. We suggests to use a white or light colored wall, sheet or table cloth for a small audience as in a private home. If a wall is dark colored, the sheet or table cloth can be hung against it. If performing for a large audience such as in an auditorium or on a stage, he suggests a screen or other thin cloth attached to a frame. In a nightclub, hall or small theater, he suggests a nylon screen on a pliable aluminum frame. It is a screen sometimes used for projection screen, but the light must be stronger like a small spotlight without the projector, lenses, or diffusers, or a motion picture projector with the front lenses removed.

The best part about hand shadow is that everything you need to get started is easily obtainable. In fact, most of it is probably already in your classroom. First off, you’ll need a light source, such as a projector. Next, you’ll need a shadow screen where the shadows will appear for your show. This can be anything from a white bed sheet to simple butcher paper as long as it isn't too thick for light to pass through. Either can be hung from a simple frame or from the ceiling. Overhead projectors are perfect for hand shadow because you can create light and shadow two different ways by using the glass picture plate of the projector onto any type of screen or by utilizing a hand shadow screen as with other light sources.