learning to draw caricatures

[lynn]

I don't know if anyone has started a thread like this before, but I thought that it would be neat to find out where or how everyone on this forum learned to draw caricatures. I am just learning, so I am learning through this site and today I bought the books: Lenn Redman's "How to draw caricatures" and Jack Hamm's "Cartooning the heads and figure". I'm hoping that these books will help me greatly improve. I plan on studying them out to the fullest.

So the question: How did you learn the art of drawing caricatures?

[toonMom]

I started by taking Mauri's online caricture class.

[flatcap]

i began by drawing and selling cartoons, the more i got in to cartooning the further i wanted to go. And learning to draw caricatures seems to me to be the next step up. I find it a lot more challenging. I'm learning slowly by using this board, reading caricature books and drawing carics every day. I try to spend at a minimum 4 hours a day drawing. Some days my drawings go well, and some days i can't get nothing right. Mistake after mistake and i have to force myself to keep sitting at my easel and keep going. I'm hoping that the bad days are the days i really learn and that there will not be many more of them, as i'm in danger of dissapearing under a mountain of screwed up paper. In my next life i want to come back as tom richmond.

[lightshifter]

I started by finding this board and as a result of drawing portraits. I always wanted to do caricatures, but had a hard time finding any thing with instructions and help intill I found the great folks at Virtual Art. The C&C in invaluable.

[horate]

Opdebeeck on caricatures, is my "GURU" ...hehehe, ...he impulse me with his knowledgement, ....i ve read an interesting interview of him here :
fabricarica.2it.com.br/?ref=entrevista_opdebeeck_eng

and if you wana learn spanish,(?) i ve had the chance to made him one interview years ago, it was funny to know the mundane face of an artist.
www.portalelcan.net/entrevistas/opdebeeck2.php

[Jan]

I've always been interested in caricatures. Since the first time I went to a carnival and watched these artists at work, I've always been fascinated. I love drawing but not just anything. Portraits, landscapes, stuff like that never really interested me. So I've been constantly looking for ways to learn how to draw caricatures. What I do is just study the techniques of other artists and I don't think there is anything wrong with that to help develop your own style. There are a lot of celebrities out there that are always getting caricatures made of them. Bruce willis, angelina jolie, steven tyler, Jack Nicholson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger... these celebrities are constantly being drawn and I think it would be smart to choose one of these popular celebrities and compare each artists style and things they chose to draw in common. It may help point out things about a person's face you might have never noticed before. ^_^

[chrisneuenschwander]

Where you learned to draw caricatures huh? okay, well, me personally learned at a theme park, on the job. I was given a few pointers, how to use the material and was let lose 3 days later, drew literally thousands of faces, and have been working in theme parks for a little more that 3 years now. Personally I think its the best way to learn. It forces you to draw, and draw LOTS! commiting to lines, and learning how to quickly sketch a face out. If anyone has a SERIOUS intrest in learning how to caricature, I strongly suggest going out and trying it out. put the books down, they are good and informative, but nothing beats good practice. along with the practice, you are also surrounding yourself with other artists which is an invaulable tool. Its lots of fun aswell...

-Chris

[lynn]

That is great advice Chris, but unfortunately I am bound to books and websites like this. Where I live, there are no theme parks or such. Not even anywhere remotely close to me. There are no artist groups around either. So, in my case, I cannot take this great advice.

[lightshifter]

Lynn

Carry a sketch book and do people anywhere you find them There is a wealth of subjects out there I go to restaraunts, coffee shops, book stores etc. Don't be shy most people are indifferent to what you are doing or if they do see you drawing and want to see the work are usually very complementary. They like the sketches often even if you think they are bad. Most are not artist and are easily wowed by someone drawing them. I have even sold a few sketches this way, and it is a fun way to meet people. And a great teacher.

[Mauri]

Lynn

Hi,
Great question! I think one of the best ways for me was to watch other caricature artist. I use to go and video tape them. I have a whole collection of artist from steve fason to Kurger. next time you go on vacation take your video camera. I also think that how to draw caricature books and anatomy books help a lot! I also think it is a good idea to take a life drawing class this will help you to "SEE" in the round. If you do not have access to this then draw as much as you can when you are out and about. My brother and I go once a week to the borders and hang out in the store having a cup of joe sketching those unexpecting victums There really is no way to learn how to draw except draw, study,and recieve feedback then repeat! You will see yourself move up in terms of levels. Remember Art could be ever so funny if it wasn't such a deadly serious business!

Mauri

[donpinsent]

my first caricatures, when i was about 15 years old, were pretty much direct copies of mort drucker and jack davis's drawrings from mad magazine. there's nothing wrong with mimicking established artists, as long as you give credit, and as long as you are using it only as a stepping stone to developing your own style. once i had drawn enough of my own copies of their drawrings, i had begun to see how they were seeing their subjects, and why they were making the choices they were. that enabled me to start working more from photographs, sometimes still refering back to the mad artists to see how they handled certain things, but mostly trying to rely more and more on my own observation skills, until i didn't need to refer to theirs anymore. it may be a slightly unconventional method of learning the art, and you'll probably never find a teacher who would recommend this process, but... well, it worked for me.

[Mauri]

Don,

That's a very good point. That is a great way to learn to see! It helps me to see how other artist handle certain faces.



Wow, you started drawing caricature at 15 I guess that explains how you got so good! ;D Don, are you going to the caricature convention this year?


M

[jong]

just a little less than 1 and half years ago i started to draw. i started out mainly with portraits, which i think helped in going over to caricature, but after a while i didn't like it that much because i was reproducing something that already existed. so last summer i started doing some caricatures, because they seemed more interesting and challenging and creative. my first ones were more like portrait heads stuck on small bodies. the main way i learned was through looking at different caricature sites and then just sketching from pictures of celebrities.

[purchasewoods]

I started with Mauri's class with Universal Classes. Just ahven't been brave enough to post anything yet. I have also started to purchasew caricature books. I want Mauri's new cd but I have to wait a bit for that.

[Jan]

mauri said:

Wow, you started drawing caricature at 15 I guess that explains how you got so good! ;D

I started attempting to draw caricatures last year, and I just recently turned 16. Hopefully, with practice and help (from the members of this forum) I can one day be as good as Don and all the great caricaturists here, too.