How To Draw Caricatures

Caricatures are portraits that exaggerate or make the nature and peculiar features of a person or a thing in order to create an image that will be easily recognized. Caricatures of political figures may be found in cartoons. Caricatures of famous persons may be found in entertaining magazines. The word “caricature” itself comes from an italian "caricare" – to load. In other words, a caricature is, so to say, “an overloaded (with details) portrait”.

A Traditional Caricature

1. Chose a person the caricature o0f whom you’ll draw.

2. Choose a pencil.

3. Draw a small body that is dresses the same way your person usually wears when he or she is spending time doing something that’s his or her hobby. For example, breeches for horseback riding.

4. Draw a big head. Here, you’re exaggerating its size. For example, if a person has a wide forehead, point it out by drawing a forehead that’s way too big. If a person has a narrower forehead than the one a man usually has, draw a very narrow forehead.

5. Draw hair. If a person has a bit curly hair, the hair on the picture should be very curly. If a person has long hair, draw the hair that gets to the floor etc.

6. Draw bright eyes. If a person has long eyelashes, make them be very long.

7. Draw the nose. The nose may be straight, long, pointed, thick etc.

8. Draw mouth. Draw lips (not very detailed, more like sketched). They should be either thin or very plump, appear to look like one simple line or not, etc. If a person has even teeth, exaggerate it. If a person has big teeth, make them be gigantic. If there are uneven teeth, criss cross them. Allow yourself be a bit crazy here!