portrait pantograph invites public to draw faces on a window

portrait pantograph invites public to draw faces on a window
all images courtesy of tim denton

british designer tim denton has created the portrait pantograph which transforms a disused shop window into a creative place where passers by could pose for a minute and have an image of them traced directly onto the glass and simultaneously onto a piece of paper. the drawing machine is comprised of a simple system of levers that connects a mechanical linkage in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces mirror movements with a second pen. attached to the transparent frame, the device is used by people on the inside of the glass, who sketch the image a potential stranger on the other side. the urban project — commissioned by transported in lincolnshire — encourages collaboration, community, and creativity and engages the public in conversation about unusual artistic experiences in unexpected places.

image being transferred from window to paper

posing outside the shop on the high street

looking out from inside the shop 

a portrait produced by the pantograph

examples of the portraits

portraits 

a portrait

portrait with poser

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.