Project - Caricature Exaggeration

[toonMom]

Medium: pencil or black marker
subject: any person
reference image: use your own

Directions:
Choose a person to draw a caricature of and do 3 drawings of them, each time exaggerating more. The first drawing should focus on the likeness, the second one you should stretch it a bit and the third one should really be stretched. Post all three drawings and the reference you worked from. These don't have to be finished works, just sketches.

I would like to see this project take off. I know there are several of us here that always talk about how we need to stretch our work more. It's time to quit talking and start doing. Even if your drawings aren't as good as you would like them to be, still post them and lets work this out together!

Start drawing!!!!

[WATCHTHEBIRDY]

I'm in! The purpose of this exercise is to teach your eye to see exaggeration.
When it comes to caricatures, seeing is almost as important as drawing.
The key to success in this exercise is to use each drawing as the subject for the next drawing,
pushing everything a little bit further each time. Here is my quick example:

img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/arteaser/FACE-1sized.jpg[/img]

[toonMom]

Thank you so much for posting those! They will be a great learning tool for many members, I'm sure.

[lifedoesntimitate]

This sounds really fun!! I've actually seen some amusement park caricaturists do this sort of thing. They give you the option of some, more, or lots of exaggeration. I don't know why I never thought of doing this though.

watchthebirdy - that's really awesome. I think the first one looks a little like Pierce Brosnan, though. But still, great job.

[Caricature Shop]

This is a great exercise! I'm definitely in.

Birdy provided an excellent demonstration.

Now to look for a reference photo...

[caricatureman]

hi im sorry i cant do it i have no way of posting
but i will do it enyway and wachthebirdy,great job!!

[lightshifter]

Here is my attempt at the project. I am not much of a Caricature artist but am trying. Mostly I do sketch book portraits in coffee shops and book stores.

[WATCHTHEBIRDY]

LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN [/COLOR]



img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/arteaser/TB-2SIZED.jpg[/img]
Small squinty eyes get progressively smaller and squintier, prominent chin gets progressively more prominent, wide jaw gets progressively wider. In each sketch, the most prominent features of the previous sketch are "exaggerated"! Hopefully, this will teach you to "see" the exaggeration when you look at a subject and not have to go through all the steps.

[lightshifter]

love your work Birdy. Makes me want to keep trying.

[ScottG]

Great job David ...and Lightshifter.....very inspiring to me...

[ScottG]

Maybe I should try and stretch more on the next one..

[WATCHTHEBIRDY]

That's the secret, Scott, it's all about learning to exaggerate. Exaggerate to the point where you don't think you can possibly exaggerate any more and , then, go one step beyond! ;D

[chris]

Great Work Birdy! Great idea Mom! I think that this will really help me too.

[Larry]

[WATCHTHEBIRDY]

Very nice try, Larry, but try to be more consistent. The nose got smaller in drwg 2 then went back to normal size in drwg 3. The glasses got smaller in drwg 2 and then became larger that normal in drwg 3. The hat was great: it got smaller and smaller. That was a good example of the kind of exaggeration that this exercise is meant to teach.

I did some quickies for you to study.
Look closely at how things change from drawing to drawing.




THE ULTIMATE GOAL, OF COURSE, IS TO BE ABLE TO DO DRAWING NUMBER 3 DIRECTLY FROM THE SUBJECT!