Caricature Research

I have been doing some research on drawing caricatures. There isn't too much information out there. Many people have posted demonstrations and tutorials. With different art styles, I have found that many younger people post on art sites like DeviantArt or SheezyArt. I find that not too many youths find interest in caricature, or that they, like many, draw others in an outdoor type situation. Many caricaturists give away their art because they draw others, so its web activity is small. When finding this, I decided I might try to see if I can write something to help.

Wow, I wish I could draw like that. Many people say this. I am even guilty of saying this myself at times. Many people believe that they can't draw because they aren't born with a noticable ability. Most people are not. The majority of artists just have to practice.

So... What do I need to draw? Most people think they need to go out and buy something to be able to draw. You don't have to. When I first wanted to draw or paint, I would always go out and buy everything I could find for a certain art style. I remember buying a $100 worth of prismacolor markers, without even practicing with regular markers to know what I was doing. All you need to start drawing caricatures with is a pencil and an eraser. You want to work your way up to being able to draw a caricature without erasing. Its more impressive to see someone whip out a pen and sticky note pad and be able to draw a caricature on the spot. Its also good to practice drawing with a sharpie or a black marker. All you need to draw on is regular sheet of paper. Be mindful which marker you use though. Sometimes a sharpie will go through the page and onto the surface it is on.

Well, sounds easy. What do I do to start? It can be easy, but it might not be. I personally became very stressed out at how much time and patience it took to see any improvement with some art styles. It does come, but it takes time. With drawing caricatures, I have seen progress arise at a faster pace, but back to business. There really isn't a particular place to start. The best way to start is with a pencil, eraser, and a sheet of paper. It would be a good idea to have a few photos nearby, or a computer. Magazines are also a great idea. At the bottom of this, there will be a few links with some good sites that have great instructional info. When I first started to draw caricatures, I thought about what was hardest for me to place one the head or draw. Sometimes it would be eyes, and a few times it would be noses. So, I started with the eyes, which let me see how the head should be sized, or where the nose should be placed. Starting with the eyes really made the dominos fall. You don't have to start with the eyes though. You could start with the head shape, or even the ears. Well, I wouldn't recommend starting with the ears. For bodies though, you don't need to do much. When drawing a caricature, most of the work is on the head and the facial features. A simple cartoon body should do.

Well, what you said helps, but I need something else to practice with. This happens at times, and it can be helped. Some people will use technolegy. With some photoshop programs you can distort facial features to get an idea about what shape to draw the head as. Some people talk to others and get some suggestions from people. They don't have to draw, they just have to give an opinion.

Now I can draw, so what do I do next? Many people have fun going out and drawing people they see at parks, or theme parks, or malls. I live in a small town that has a large amount of tourism during the summer. It gives me a lot of practice (and maybe a few extra bits of money) to be able to go out and draw people. Plus, it is also neat to see the persons reaction to their drawing.

Cool, so anything else? Well, you can spread the gospel. You can go and create a website or create a blog. Even going on a populated place like MySpace will help spread the word. If there were more places to visit for caricature information or examples, it might be easier for others to learn.

Remember, the best thing to do is practice, practice, and practice. I am sorry for not giving an instructional step-by-step demonstration of anything. I have found that you-tube and veoh have good instructional videos.

Time for links:
http://www.drawing-faces-and-caricatures-made-easy.com/

http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/?p=1782 A very good link.

http://soundofsanity.deviantart.com/art/Caricature-Tutorial-32420503

http://www.animatedbuzz.com/tutorials/caricature.html

http://www.sketchme.com/

http://www.ehow.com/how_2052422_draw-caricatures.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2omUHQcvhwk

I hope this has helped. Thanks!

Guess I will be here...

Ok, so I guess I will be here for a while. I am not much of a blogger I guess. I am just going to mostly post my pics here. I guess I might give a brief intro about myself. I am into different styles. I like manga, chibi (a form of manga used for comedic purposes), cartoon, caricature, watercolor, pastel, pencil, pen... obviously a variety. I currently draw most of what I draw at home, sitting at my desk. I love to sit and spend a while drawing something just as much as I like to draw little doodles of the people around me. I do have a tablet, but its a little 4x5, so I won't do much digitally.

I do like to just talk too :) I might be a little random at times. My scanner is an eternal pain in the butt. It never does what I want it to, so most of my pics may have come from a camera.

Well, that about somes it up. Thanks!
SketchBlogger