1- Drawing And Digital Caricatures
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1- Computers And Digital Caricatures
New Technology Always Means Dawn Of New Art Forms
 

Whenever a new technology shows up a new art form is sure to follow. Computer generated art and digital caricatures appeared almost as soon as computers had screens: from pictures constructed out of text, to Photoshop-type master pieces. From two-dimensional animation and now on to the explosion of 3-d programs -- all the way up to computer- generated feature length movies you can hardly tell apart from reality. (I'm thinking of Pixar's latest: The Incredibles, and the whole second set of Star Wars movies). 

 

Awesome opportunities for caricaturists

In a word, the computer has made it's way into everything we do - caricatures no less. In fact there's some awesome computer generated art being done on the spot at regular drawing gigs with 3 tools: Corel Painter, a Wacom drawing board and a "Pixel pencil" (and of course, a lap top computer, so, well, four tools :-). Check these links out below for more info and some great sites.

 
 
2- Drawing faces, caricatures, portraits
 

Caricatures crack me up - What about you?

They crack me up - even bad ones. If they even look a little like the person they’re supposed to be, I still get a kick out of 'em. And well done portraits, they can truly be a thing of beauty. Have you ever thought it might be in you to create any of these?

Now get happy: did you know drawing faces or caricatures, or drawing anything for that matter is completely within your grasp?

Those amazing party caricaturists

Lots of people tell me what a charge they get out of caricatures, and how impressed they are when they see a caricaturist entertaining at a party or a convention or at the state fair.

 
 
 
 
3- Why Is Drawing Celebrity Caricatures
An Awesome Way To Learn To Draw Caricatures?
 

Drawing celebrity caricatures...

1) ...is a great litmus test: people can agree if your drawing really looks like who you're trying to draw. They don't even have to know you (say for instance if you're involved in an
on-line sketch or drawing discussion group)...

2) ...and celebrity / people-in-the-news types of art work is in high demand. Every newspaper, magazine, or periodical at some time or another - if not in every issue - has used some kind of caricature or celebrity cartoon to add humor or express an opinion. Many businesses and corporate newsletters employ them too, in fact many more would use them in their in house publications if only they had someone in house who could draw them.

Lots of people tell me what a charge they get out of caricatures, and how impressed they are when they see a caricaturist entertaining at a party or a convention or at the state fair.

 

3) ...are ubiquitous on the net - they seem like they're everywhere! So you have a constant pool of good, not so good, excellent and even awe-inspiring caricatures out there on the web - you can see for yourself all the different ways people have drawn the same person.

Like I said there's an amazing amount of duplication out there on the web: the pool of people being caricatured is amazingly consistent. Follow the late night comedians or the pulp / gossip magazines: it seems like once someone has been in the news, they keep popping back in.

Point? You have time to practice the same person over and over until you really come up with a whole new, all original, wild and crazy version of that celebrity your local newspaper (or celebrity) will drool to get their hands on. And if they don't, you have yet another addition to your showcase...which leads to the next good reason.


4) ...Celebrity caricatures are great for promoting your own state fair or local mall "kiosk" / boutique drawing business. Next time you walk by a caricaturist at the mall or at your state fair, notice the array of drawing samples he/she has: the majority are always of celebs.

Why? Consciously or unconsciously you judge the level of their work by two things:
how hilariously they exaggerate their celebrity subjects or by 2) the artistic quality of the artwork (for example, they're really good at air brush, or their mastery of the pencil grabs you, or their watercolors just plain glow). But even if you admire their technical skill, how much the picture actually looks like the person being caricatured registers most markedly. And marketably.


5) Finding Celebrity caricatures is made even easier since the web is full of celebrity photos. You thought there was a lot of celebrity caricatures out there? The sheer volume of celebrity photos absolutely dwarfs the number of drawings! Which only underscores the relative shortage of caricaturists: it's much easier to snap a picture than it is to draw a likeness. Point here is, with all those photos, you'll never run out of material to draw. It's literally right at your fingertips.


6) Not on the web all the time?

Magazines are loaded with glossy, professional, beautiful celebrity photos. Go to the library, the corner store, the drug store, the barber shop, the hairdresser, Starbucks, your family doctor's office - publications and advertisements loaded with celebrity shots are everywhere.
(It's almost dizzying, almost too much - way too much if you think about it). I mention this again so you never have to be without material to draw - so in a free moment you can quiz yourself "what makes this face work?".

7) Second to last reason...

it's safer drawing celebrities. Drawing celebrity caricatures can keep you out of trouble with your family and friends :-) Yes, I've heard of even accomplished caricaturists who've alienated their own family members and friends by drawing caricatures that - though everyone else loves - the person being drawn is unhappy. Want to avoid strife and malcontent? Stick with "third person" caricatures everyone can agree on or criticize without feeling like they're in the hot seat (still, the vast majority of people enjoy being caricatured :-)


8) Last but not least caricaturing people in the news, celebs, politicians....

is your way to get even! Love 'em or leave 'em be, caricaturing all these folks can be your defense: a little healthy rebellion. Or it can be a way to make you feel like you're at some kind of par with all these folks who're "famous for being well known". It can be your way of getting your opinion some air time. And that in itself can be a small antidote to the celebrity obsessed time we live in. It can keep you sane...and who knows, maybe your caricaturing will make you a celebrity yourself...and we'll have to caricature you:-)

 
 
 
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