When an object is filled in with a continuous tone, hiding some of the visual aspects of an object, that object is “silhouetted.” A silhouette is a wonderful design tool because it has the effect of reducing objects to pure compositional elements, allowing the artist complete control over the reader's navigational path.

Silhouettes can be used as powerful design tools. They can evoke a mood or help frame a composition.

Silhouettes are usually black, but this is not a requirement. A white figure against a black background is also considered a silhouette. As long as most of the figure's details are obscured by a solid tone — or even a continuous pattern — the effect is the same as a silhouette.

Silhouettes have tremendous compositional capabilities. When an item in the background is silhouetted, it can become an effective frame for a foreground image. As a background image, a silhouette creates a focused area of high contrast, into which you can place items of importance. A silhouette in the foreground can also become a frame, or it might simply become a focus point.