Caricature drawing is different from the portrait drawing. The simple answer to the question being asked that how to draw caricature is that there is no set rule for it. There are no standard theories, methods and processes on how to draw caricatures. It is a simple reflection of the degree of fun a person can put into a simple drawing to make it look similar but at the same time strikingly different compared to the object of drawing itself.
There are primarily three main postulates on how to draw caricatures that are to be kept in mind for eminent caricature drawing. These have been listed here:
- Similarity: what is the fun of drawing a caricature if you can’t tell who it is supposed to be? All good caricatures incorporate a good likeness of their subjects and only then are they considered successful.
- Embellishment: Without some form of exaggeration, or a deviation from the exact image of the subject’s features, all you have is a portrait. The level of exaggeration can vary to any extent, but there must be at least some departure. A straight portrait is not a caricature. This is the most important aspect of your lesson on how to draw caricatures.
- Proclamation: I personally believe that a caricature must editorialize in some way or the other way. The artist must be trying to convey something about the subject or something through the subject. It can be anything that has something to do with the situation the subject is drawn in, it may just be a play on their personality through expression or body language or it might just be as simple as making visual fun of some aspect of their persona or image. Exaggeration itself can be accomplishing this in some cases but if it is not then some statement is required. The best caricatures say something more about the subject than just saying that they have a big nose or even a bigger belly.
A caricature doesn't necessarily have to be a cartoon, do not presume it to be so; it could be a painting, or a sculpture, or even a photograph. You could draw what you thought was a portrait, but if the proportions are incorrect, and it is still recognizable as the object you were drawing, and then it could be seen as a caricature. I think a caricature becomes a caricature if and only if the artist intends it to be a caricature regardless of thinking about how to draw caricatures. Keeping all of this in mind you may now enjoy the exciting journey of caricature drawing. I am sure now your caricatures would not look like portraits any more.
