Where Do You Start?

[toonMom]

When drawing caricatures, what feature do you start with?

In Mauri's class he had us start with the eyes, then the nose, then the mouth, chin, cheeks and go from there. I now start with the nose and then do the eyes or sometimes the mouth and then the eyes. I don't think there is a right or wrong way though.

How do you work?

[itsadam]

I work from the eyes, nose, mouth, chin, jaw, cheeks, ears, eyebrows and finally hair. Then add a neck and some shoulders. Done.

Its instinct for me to work my way from the middle of something, I usually do it with most things I draw. It helps make sure that you can fit all of what you want around the middle on the paper I suppose.

But I agree theres no set way in which order to draw, its whatever feels best to you.

[lifedoesntimitate]

For me, it kind of depends on what kind I'm doing. For a front view, I usually start with the eyes and the eyebrows. Then I do the nose and mouth. Then I go for the cheeks, then jaw line (first the left side, then the right to see something of a frame developing) then the chin to connect them. Then, if the hair obscures the ears, I'll do the outermost part of the hair, and then finish the hair. If the ears are visible, I'll do them first and then the hair.

For a 3/4 view, I'll usually start with the nose since it will most likely obsucure part of one eye and depending on the exaggeration, it will also obscure some of the cheek. I then do it pretty much the same as before. I'll do the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, etc.

For a profile, the nose, upper lip, teeth (if applicable) lower lip, chin. Then eye, and eyebrow. Then ear and jaw line. Then forehead. Then top line of hair. Then neck and bottom line of hair.

But, I've seen people do the outline of the face first and then fill it in, or alternate, or actually have different progressions every time they draw, so no, I would say there is no absolute right or wrong way.

-- Eric

[dedder]

I usually make small and light "pointouts" , showing where everything goes. (nose,eyes,mouth....) By someone with a "special " face, I draw the contours first.

[martine]

i usually start with the eyes then the nose then the mouth then ears then hair then the neck n body..........

[Courtius]

I think a distinction is necessary between quicksketch caricatures and caricature illustrations. When doing 3 minute ink quicksketches for the public it is very important to have a formula or routine for drawing and stick to it. Because sketchiness or unsure procedures have no place in caricature when you're performing for the crowd. I learned the outside in approach at the theme parks, so that is what I have stuck with. Where you draw the entire head and hair shapes before moving inside the face. I think that is the best method for newbie artists to improve quickly. To me, the first key thing to recognize in your subject is his silhouette. The big shape of his head. Once that is established and the cheeks, ears, jaw and chin are in place, the rest of the features just get "plugged in to the correct spots relative to each other.

Although. The best caricature quicksketch artist I personally know, Steve Fishwick, last year's Silver Nosey winner at the NCN, draws inside-out now, starting with the eyes, nose, and mouth, and he gets great results from it. But he spent the first 15 or so years of his career drawing outside-in.

Whichever way you prefer for quicksketch, stick to it until you perfect it.

Now caricature illustration, on the other hand, is much less reliant on formula. But it's still important to have a procedure and plan of attack. What I have been doing lately is, similar to my quicksketch approach in that I start with the general silhouette of the head. This is where I get my headshape, sweep of the pose, and general composition in. Then I will, very lightly, with charcoal or graphite, refine my headshape a little more, then I lay in my center line for the face and the general placement of the features. At this stage, it is important to not actually draw the features, but lay in the placemarkers where the features will be. I don't want to devote lots of time rendering out an eye if it is badly placed, or violates the perspective of the head angle.

Once I am happy with my lightly sketched, and geometric-looking lay in, if I am satisfied with it. I will continue to lightly draw in more specific shapes for the features, all the while paying attention to anatomy, exaggeration, likeness, perspective, and how the shapes flow and lock into each other.

The final step is the shading and rendering. Like I said, I don't like to waste my time beautifully rendering a bad drawing.

The way I approach a caricature illustration drawing is much the same way I approach a traditional portrait drawing.

For a great head drawing tutorial, visit Ron Lemen's (aka FredFlickstone) tutorials on the Concept Art.org website. He is actually one of my fellow instructors at the Atelier I attend classes and teach at. Here is a link to a page that lists all of Ron's thread's and tutorials. Look particularly closely at Head Tutorial 1 and 2. Then check out the rest of his work. His digital paintings are friggin amazing:

www.conceptart.org/forums/search.php?searchid=162826

I could try to explain my procedure for head drawing here, but Ron does it so much better, and with amazing drawings.

[Larry]

Hi Court, and Thanks for detailing the procedures you use for both quick sketches and illustrations. I am rather new to this drawing business, having started sometime in July or August this year. My motivation for trying to learn to draw is a caricature done of me early this year at a public gathering for which a caricaturist was contracted. The drawing of me was spot on, but unfortunately I never got the artist's name and I couldn't decipher it from the scribble on the drawing. However, a few weeks ago I found out his name when I viewed the photos of the event on the sponsor's website. His name?...Steve Fishwick!...so imagine my surprise when I saw your mention of him in your post. The other drawings he did that day were equally brilliant. It was a real pleasure watching him work.

Here's the drawing Steve did of me.

[toonMom]

Thanks for taking the time Court. I couldn't get to the link though, I got a not found message.

That's awesome Larry, I bet you feel really lucky now!

[Larry]

Yes toonMom, I feel lucky that I found out who the artist is and lucky that he drew a caricature of me. Of course, I'm elated to find out that someone else on this board knows him as well, and considers him one of the best quick-sketch artists around.

[Courtius]

Larry

That is a great sketch. Hold on to that one. And it is just awesome that you decided to start drawing caricatures after having a good one done of yourself. I have never heard of an artist getting started that way before. I will have to let Steve know about that. He would really appreciate it.

Steve was the manager who hired and trained me at Sea World and gave me my first party gigs. He's quite an inspiring artist to know, not just because of his skills, but his whole attitude about art.

Toonmom. You're right. I tried the link just now, and it didn't work. It worked when I posted it yesterday. Must be because it was a link to the search results for all of Ron's Threads on that site rather than to an actual thread. Anyways, here is a post directly to his Head Drawing Tutorial. www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14119

Once you're there, you can navigate around to find all threads started by Ron (aka Fredflickstone)

Hope it works.

[toonMom]

Thanks Court, I'm gonna have to print that one out!

[Caricature Shop]

For live gigs I start at the top of the head (but I'm still considering the shape of the head and any features).

For studio work it's basically the shape of the head. I kick it and punch the mass until we have the contour we are looking for with the pic.