Caricature exaggerates one or more features to create a cartoonish appearance.
Caricature is a unique art form that creates a cartoon representation of a subject. Caricature exaggerates facial features slightly to attain a comical perspective. Caricature art is easy to learn; however, when first studying, it is important to follow basic guidelines.
Instructions
1. Study one or more photographs of your subject. Look at the face from different angles, if possible. Notice unusual elements, such as a low hairline, small eyes, large ears or crooked teeth. Decide which feature or features you want to exaggerate.
2. Draw a faint vertical line to divide the page in half. This will serve as placement for the middle of the face.
3. Draw a faint horizontal line a little higher than the middle of the page. This will serve as the line of the eyes.
4. Notice placement and shape of the eyes. All subsequent features will be measured by the length of one eye. Pay particular attention to the space between the eyes. Eyes are approximately one eye length apart. Take this into consideration as you draw the eyes.
5. Measure from the line of the eyes vertically down the paper to determine where to draw the nose. The nose will be more or less one eye measurement down from the line of the eyes. Construct the nose using a modified U shape for the bottom of the nose and a smaller U shape very slightly above it to create the nose tip. Use shading to create the illusion of the nose shape.
6. Measure a half-eye length vertically down the paper. This is the line for the inside of the bottom lip. Create the mouth by drawing three U shapes: one for the upper lip, one for the inside of the lower lip and a third for the outside of the lower lip. Create the top lip by drawing two triangles back-to-back. Shape and shade both lips, using the darkest shading in the corners.
7. Create small laugh lines next to the mouth by drawing two right-angled lines. Shade the lines with the darkest shading closest to the mouth, then fading as the lines move farther away from the mouth.
8. Measure approximately one eye length down from the bottom lip and draw the shape of the chin. Leave the jaw line blank for now.
9. Measure a half-eye length straight out from the outside corner of each eye. Mark here to indicate the sides of the head.
10. Connect the marks at the sides of the head to the chin.
11. Create the forehead. Measure from the outer corner of one eye to the middle of the other eye, then turn the ruler vertically. Mark here to indicate the top of the forehead. Draw a semicircle to create the top of the head.
12. Complete facial details. Fashion the eyebrows by drawing a line the approximate shape of the brow, then filling it in. Pay attention to where the brows start and stop. Complete details of each eye, including iris and tear duct. Create faint cheekbones, if desired.
13. Create ears. Draw a flattened U shape to indicate the outside of the ear. Consult the photograph as a guide to placing lines and shading.
14. Draw the inside and outside shape of the hair. Fill in the hair by shading.
15. Complete shading and blending of all facial elements. Shade and blend under the chin to create a more three-dimensional appearance.
16. Add highlights. Use the eraser to remove shading and create highlights on the nose tip, along the length of the nose, on both lips, in and around the eyes and on cheekbones. Indicate highlights in the hair. Create eye whites by erasing only close to the iris, as slight shading at eye corners creates a rounded effect.
