How to Draw Caricatures

HOW TO DRAW CARICATURES These kinds of things always start out with a definition,

but

“caricature”

is

a

hard

thing

to

pigeonhole into a single sentence. How can you, when the word encompasses the elegant, minimalist lines of Al Hirschfeld to the lavish, value and color soaked paintings of Sebastian

Kruger to the graphic,

geometrical collages of David Cowles and everything in between? Despite the wild differences in style and technique, “caricature” is the tag that is placed on any of these works of art without hesitation. Obviously there is a connection beyond a common technique, school or format. So, what are the universal elements

PART

ONE:

BASIC

THEORY AND THE FIVE SHAPES

all caricatures have that identify them as caricatures? I would say there are three essential elements that transcend style and medium and must be present in a caricature: •

be, then it is not successful. All good caricatures

This is the first of a series of articles I will post here on The MAD Blog about my theories, methods

and

concerning

how

caricatures.

A

incorporate a good likeness of their subjects. •

lot

of

doing

live,

quick-draw

caricatures. However all of that can be applied to more studio orientated caricature work and I have

also

added

points

and

concepts directly from the less time-constrained

world

of

caricature illustration. Therefore this is not instruction for just the live caricaturist but for any artist interested in caricature for any purpose.

form

of

vary wildly, but there must be some departure. A

information is part of what I teach derived partly from the approach

some

have is a portrait. The level of exaggeration can

this

my theme park artists, so it is

Without

representation of the subject’s features, all you

draw of

Exaggeration-

exaggeration, or a departure from the exact

processes to

Likeness- If you can’t tell who it is supposed to

straight portrait is not a caricature. •

Statement-

I

believe

a

caricature

must

editorialize in some way. The artist must be trying to say something about the subject. It might be 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, it might be a simple as making visual fun of some aspect of their persona or image. Exaggeration itself can accomplish

this

in

some

cases.

The

best

caricatures say something more about the subject than that they have a big nose. By my ‘definition’, a successful caricature therefore looks like the subject, is exaggerated to varying

degrees and also has something

that third item is often turned way down or ignored

to say about the subject… some

completely,

sort

illustration, it’s an important part.

of

editorial

comment.

In

but

in

the

case

of

caricatures

for

“live” caricature at a theme park,

TEACHING SOMEONE TO SEE I’ve

been

with

they draw a square… well,

compared to Mr. Normal,

at

that is all about seeing and

the

theme parks for over two

not drawing. The ability to

minimal. So why is he so

decades

see,

easy?

young

working

caricaturists now,

and

I’ve

and

after

that

the

difference

would

Because

you

be are

learned one very important

ability to exaggerate what

SEEING a difference based

lesson… it’s impossible to

you

humorous

on perception, and that is

teach

draw

effect in a caricature… that

giving you your springboard

teach

has to be developed. For

for

them to DRAW… that isn’t

most that means a lot of

observation of what makes

so hard. Learning how a

drawing

this person different from

face looks and works by

looking.

learning

Have

someone

caricatures.

I

to

can

anatomy,

expression

how

and

a

lot

of

a

you

ever

been

where

face

comes

the

One

and running. The obvious

features, how the angle the changes

caricature.

“normal”, and you are off features

at

the

for

walking along at the mall or

is

changes

see

ever

are

easy

and

along

observations… it’s Johnny

somebody

with

and Susie Normal or, worse

perception of features, how

some

hair grows and falls about

distinct face that maybe

Supermodel that are the

the head… those are things

sports a gigantic nose or a

challenge. That is where

that can be taught. Drawing

Cro-Magnon brow or some

developing

caricatures, on the other

other obviously out-of-the-

“see” becomes important.

hand, is a lot more about

ordinary

There is no face that defies

seeing

what

the

Caricaturists have a term

caricature,

person

in

you

for that kind of face… it’s

sometimes have to dig a

personal

called a “field day”. Think

little deeper to find the

is

about it for a second… why

keys to unlock the more

good,

is that face so ripe for

difficult

caricature compared to the

caricature, the old adage of

next

“practice

unique

makes

front and

interpretation about

than

making

confident

marks

paper.

can

I

of it

on

explain

the to

crazy,

incredibly

features?

guy’s?

Are

really

the

yet,

Johnny

and

an

Susie

ability

you

just

puzzle. makes

to

In

perfect”

someone exactly how to

features

that

has never been truer. The

draw a circle, but if I place

different? If you took a ruler

ability to see doesn’t spring

a circle before them and

and measured the size of

up overnight, and I often

ask them to draw it and

Mr.

tell

Shnozzes’s

nose

eager

young

caricaturists about

they

500

so

impossible

to

help

them

are general concepts that

bad

develop their ability to draw

apply

caricatures in them they

them. There are many ways

approach of a caricature as

have

first

and techniques to help an

well as specific tricks and

before they start noticing

artist develop their ability

tips for individual features

the subtle things that hide

to see what is in front of

and

inside the “ordinary” face.

them,

recognize

elements

Although

makes

what

to

or

have

draw

“impossible” someone caricatures,

out

I

say to to it’s

it’s

they

what see

to

the

overall

important, that

I

main will

be

sharing over the multiple

teach

unique and then amplify

parts

of

draw

that uniqueness to create a

articles.

not

successful caricature. There

this

series

of

THE FIVE SHAPES The human face is perceived by many as an incredible complex object. There are about 52 muscles in the face, depending on your source and its categorization. Age, sex, race, expression (the face is capable of about

5,000

expressions)

weight

and

environment can all play a role in the look and perception of a given face. Sounds pretty complex. Not really. Every building, no matter how complex, starts out with a foundation and framework. Look at this simple drawing: Place

these

shapes

in

their

proper

relationship, and you have a human face. It really is that simple. Drawing the shapes accurately, so they recognizably represent the subject’s features, is the basis for a good likeness. Beyond that is nothing but details…

things

like

dimples,

wrinkles,

eyelashes, cheekbones, etc. They are the decor

to

your

building…

the

millwork,

furniture and drapery that makes the place Show that drawing to any human being in

unique and filled with life. Without the

the world and ask them what it is. Barring a

strong foundation, however, it can all come

language barrier, they will tell you it’s “a

tumbling down.

face”. No other information needed. In it’s

What does that have to do with caricature?

most simple form, the human face is made

Everything. I mentioned a single word in the

up of only five simple shapes:

last paragraph that really is the secret to caricature as a whole no matter what technique

or

approach

you

intend

to

practice: RELATIONSHIPS It’s the manipulation of the RELATIONSHIP of these five simple shapes that create the foundation for your caricature. In fact, I’d argue that 90% of the entire caricature

resides in how you relate these five simple

demonstrate

how

you

can

change

the

shapes to one another. It is the foundation

relationships of the five shapes and create

upon which the rest of your building is built,

very different caricatures:

where the real power of exaggeration is realized. Make it good and almost all the heavy lifting is done, the rest merely referring to details. What do I mean by “relationships”?

I

mean

the

distances

between the five shapes, their size relative to one another, and the angles they are at in relationship to the center axis of the face. Distance. Size. Angle.

In traditional portraiture, the head is divided into “classic proportions” (we’ll get into that more next time), meaning the relationship of

the

features

are

within

a

certain,

accepted range of distance to one another, size and angle relative to the face and head shape. You achieve your likeness in a classic portrait, in it’s most basic form, by correctly drawing the shapes and then the details of each feature according to the model in front of you while staying within the framework of the “classic” proportions. Of course each face varies minutely here and there, but still you do not stray far from the classic formula. In a caricature, like a portrait, the likeness is also achieved by drawing the features as they really look… but you change the relationship of the features based on your perceptions of the face. The relationships you change are as I listed before: distance, size and angle. Look at these

VERY

simple

drawings

that

No detail, and all the shapes are basically the same with the exception of the head shape (again, more on that later… MUCH more) but all are distinctly different and when the details are added will make for highly varied caricatures. The difference is the relationships between the features, and how

they

have

been

exaggerated

and

changed. Caricature is not about choosing one feature and making it bigger, it’s about all the features together and how they relate to one another. Here are some quick studies of the 5 shapes beneath a few caricature sketches:

The relationships differ in distance, size and angle from one another. The bigger the differences are from “classic” proportions, the more exaggerated the caricature. It’s much easier to see the differences when the details are removed and only the 5 shapes are left. It’s also much easier to create those

differences

at

this

simple,

fundamental level. It’s easy to get caught up

in

details

when

the

important

information rests beneath the rendering. How does one determine the “correct” changes to make to a given person’s feature relationships to make a good caricature of them? Well, that’s the trick, isn’t it? That is were that pesky “seeing” comes in. In his book “How to Draw Caricatures“, Lenn Redman

uses

a

concept

called

“The

Inbetweener” as a basis for almost every

perceive the face, and exaggerate that

observation.

classic

perception. The result may be different than

portraiture relationships used as a point of

how others perceive that face, but if the

reference for making observations. Every

three

caricature begins with the observations the

definition are present it’s still a successful

artist makes about the subject, and how

caricature. Hirschfeld used to say he once

their particular face is perceived by them.

drew Jimmy Durante without a nose at all,

MAD

yet it was still recognizable as Durante.

It

legend

is

basically

Mort

the

Drucker

has

been

elements

we

described

in

our

quoted as saying that there is no “one

That’s not to say that any observation is

correct way” to caricature a subject. Any

appropriate…

given subject can have several difference

someone with a small, button nose a

interpretations

gigantic

with

respect

to

the

after

potato

all

you

schnozz

can’t

and

give

call

it

exaggeration of the relationship of their

“exaggeration”. That’s not exaggeration, it’s

features… and each may be as successful

DISTORTION. You can, however, choose NOT

as the other. That’s one of the unique things

to exaggerate the nose’s smallness but

about caricature as an art form. Portraiture

rather find something else to exaggerate.

is basically absolute… Your drawing either

That is the caricaturist’s task, to find what it

looks like the person with the correct

is about the subject’s face that makes it

features, proportions and relationships, or it

unique and alter those relationships to

does not. Caricature is subjective to a point.

exaggerate that uniqueness.

The artists’ goal is to draw how they

PART

TWO:

RELATING

THE

FEATURES

Previously

I

relationships

mentioned between

how

features

are

the

most important jobs, and one of the most

the

difficult to “learn”. The actual difference

driving force behind caricature: “Caricature

is

one

humans does not add up to much in terms

feature and making it bigger, it’s about

of physical measurements… a “big” nose

all the features together and how they

may be only a fraction of an inch larger than

relate to one another.”

a “normal” nose. Yet we can see different

Actually caricature is about changing the

feature relationships on almost everybody,

relationships between features, meaning

some which seem very pronounced. That is

their distance, size and angle relative to one

because we spend basically our entire lives

another, from what they truly are and what

looking into people’s faces… we go it when

is

what

we interact, work, play, go shopping or to

relationships to change and how much to

church… we are social beings and our faces

change them is one of the caricaturist’s

are both our identities and our method of

considered

not

about

“normal”.

choosing

between the relationship of features of most

Deciding

communication. minute

Our

differences

ability becomes

to

observe

very

relate to one another. Consciously making

fine

those observations, especially for those

tuned. Mostly it’s unconscious, but we see

faces in which the unique aspects are not

that fraction of an inch larger nose as “big”,

obvious, is the most difficult part of drawing

or we see this person’s eyes as large or this

caricatures. There are some techniques and

person’s mouth as small based not on

methods you can use to help make those

physical measurements but on our overall

observations.

perception of the features and how they

CLASSIC PORTRAIT PROPORTION AND OBSERVATION It’s important to start somewhere, and the

width of an eye, from corner to corner, as

best place is with what is considered

the primary frame of reference:

“normal” relationships of features for two reasons.

First,

knowing

these

classic

proportions will help you as a caricaturist to observe where your subject’s face might differ by providing a point of reference to compare it to. Second, once you’ve made these observations you can use that same point

of

reference,

the

classic

portrait

proportions, as a guide to get as far away from as possible to create your caricature. Let’s start out looking at the classic human proportions in traditional portraiture (this is boring, but it’s important). One method that has been used for centuries is by using the In this method, the head is five eye widths wide, with a single eye width between the eyes, and between the outside eye corners and the outside of the head. The nose is one eye width wide, and therefore the nostrils are equal to the corners of the eyes. Another simple method for establishing the “normal” relationship between eyes and mouth is via the equilateral triangle that should be formed by the points of the outside corners of the eyes, and the center point of the bottom of the lower lip. Every book on learning to draw the human face has some similar method of standardizing the proportions of the average face. Do human faces really conform to these exact relationships? No, of course not. That’s the point. There are differences from this face to that, some very slight and some more pronounced, and the caricaturist exaggerates these differences to create a caricature. Knowing what is supposed to be there is half the battle of seeing where things are different.

Again, making these observations is the trickiest part of doing caricature, but the good news is you don’t have to come up with a shopping list of deformities in order to do a caricature. In fact, all you have to do is come up with one good observation. Just one and you can use that as your cornerstone and build your caricature around it. It could be as simple as: this person has a skinny face… or big eyes… or a small mouth… or a square jaw… or a bent nose… or whatever. More than one is better, but just one will suffice?

ACTION AND REACTION Why

is

only

one

observation

enough?

Because “no feature is an island”. What I

leave the rest of the face untouched, we have a bizarre looking result:

mean is that all the features relate to one another fundamentally, and you cannot make a change to one feature without it affecting the others. This is one of the few constants you can rely on with respect to drawing caricatures: Action and Reaction. In physics every action causes an equal an opposite reaction. In caricature the action of changing the relationship of a single feature to the others causes the others to react in often predictable ways. You cannot change the eyes without affecting the nose, mouth,

There is awkwardness to the “caricature”

head shape, etc. and how it affects those other features follows (for the most part) a predictable path. Say we make an observation about our subject that the eyes seem far apart. If we move the just the eyes farther apart and

We can’t ignore the effect on the other features. The act of moving the eyes father apart forces the other features to react. Typically when the eyes move father apart, the nose moves closer to the eyes, the mouth moves along with the nose, the head becomes wider and, in turn shorter:

components to any caricature: The head shape and the “T” shape. These are the two elements of a face I look at first and try to make observations them

I

about,

can

push,

because

with

stretch

and

exaggerate the face to great effect with relative ease.

The features work

Hmmm… looks like

better together here

my brother…

When I talk about the “T” Shape I am

Head shape is often Additional

the most affected, and

observations

can

is not coincidentally a

change the path of the

big focus. In fact part

reaction.

our

three of this series will

observations are that

deal entirely with head

the eyes are far apart,

shapes. For now we

but the mouth is also

will

far

interior features and

from

Say

the

nose.

Because of that action,

stick

with

the

their relationships.

of

the

becomes smaller:

head

the

geometric shape

created by the eyes and nose as a single unit. In simplest terms they create a capital “T”. Sometimes the “T”

can

be

short

and

wide,

sometimes it can be long and thin, or somewhere in between. The angle at which the eyes rest to the center axis of the face can change the “T” into shape. I treat the “T” not as a set of

THE “T” SHAPE

simple lines but as a contour shape

and therefore the top part

of

more of a “Y”, or more of an arrow

the lower part of the face must be longer,

speaking

with thickness, therefore the stem (or I have talked a lot

nose) of the “T” can be thicker or

about simplifying the

thinner at one end or the other, and

face by boiling it down

the arms (or eyes) of the “T” can also

into the 5 Shapes, but

change in thickness to accommodate

it can get even simpler

big round eyes or narrow, squinty

than that in terms of

ones. Imagine a contour capital “T”

both

making

drawn around the eyes and nose in

observations

and

varying relationships.

playing

with

in the

relationships features

to

caricature.

of make

In

fact

a I

believe there are two absolutely crucial, key

The shape of the “T” reacts to changes

you

relationship

of

make the

to

the

eyes

and

nose. In most cases the eyes and nose

work

in

a

predictable

tandem within their relationship. Imagine that the eyes and nose are connected by a string that travels through

a two wheel

pulleys located in the center of the eyes. The length of the string is constant. If the person’s eyes are moved farther apart, the string pulls the nose closer into the eyes. If the nose is made longer, then the eyes are drawn closer together. All of this takes place within the “T” shape.

The mouth, nose and chin have a similar connection. They have a constant amount of distance between

each

other.

If

the

mouth is perceived as being close

to

the

nose,

the

chin

moves a little farther away as a reaction. There are similar rules that apply to the head shape, which we’ll get into next time. This is extreme simplification, but

I have said before the

simpler

you

can

make

the

shapes you are working with, the easier it is to exaggerate them and create your caricature. If you imagine a shape as simple as

a “T”,

it’s very easy to

exaggerate that “T” shape and then plug in the features as they really look within your simple shape

and

you

have

your

caricature. Take a look at these caricatures and the “T” shapes within their head shapes:

The “T” Shape and head

anatomy, expression, skin,

details

shape combine to create

hair and other details work

moment and fill up a few

the base of your caricature,

to create the likeness and

sketchbook

over them the 5 shapes

bring

underlying

nothing but the head shape

further

the

structure to life. It’s still all

and “T” shape of the faces

the

built

you

define

relationships

of

the on

these

features, and over the 5

foundations.

shapes

I

the

features

would

themselves are drawn and

exercise

things like bone structure,

rendering

simple

see

pages

when

for

a

with

paging

through a magazine. Draw

suggest to

caricatures

as

forget and

an

one quickly using just your

about

initial observations and first

drawing

impressions

of

the

face.

Then look back at it and try

it

again,

to see where it differs from

exaggerating your first try.

caricature in a given face

the “normal” template of

Do this with a dozen faces a

develops.

classic proportion, then try

day,

and

this

see

how

PART THREE: THE IMPORTANCE OF HEAD

time

ability

to

“see”

the

your but it’s really the “T Shape” and the head shape together as a

SHAPES

whole that acts

are

the

basic

foundation of a caricature. With When I first started drawing live caricatures I felt that

those

the eyes were the most important part of the face,

relationships established, the rest

and I put a lot of emphasis and focus on them. I still

of the caricature quickly follows

think the eyes are a crucial element, but over the

suit.

shapes

and

their

years I’ve come to believe that the head shape is the most important part of a caricature. The head shape is the fulcrum upon which a caricature

hinges.

The

heavy

lifting

of

all

exaggeration is accomplished via the shape of the head, and it is more easily accomplished that way. Considering that the head shape is a single shape, it is easier to recognize how that shape differs from “normal” and it is easier still to draw a corresponding simple shape that exaggerates those properties as opposed to the more complex multiple relationships of the features. By stretching and exaggerating the head shape, you create the framework within which your other features and their relationships are drawn to achieve your caricature. I have spoken of the “5 Shapes” and the importance of their relationships already, but digging a little deeper it’s accurate to say that the head shape is “Shape 1″ and the other four shapes are planets to it’s sun, working within it’s all encompassing field of gravity. If a caricaturist can “see” and exaggerate the head shape, all the other features fall into place and follow along. In the last lesson I talked about the “T” shape being a focal point of the basic caricature,

CLASSIC PROPORTION

SEEING THE HEAD SHAPE I

talk

endlessly

about

seeing

shapes within the features and the face,

and

the

importance

of

drawing those shapes accurately to capture likeness and to create a convincing

drawing.

Again,

it’s

difficult to teach anyone to “see”… that ability is developed over time via practice and hard work. Still, there are a few techniques and tricks I have learned that can help artists to better see what is in front of them, and better interpret it in their drawing. Many work for any feature or “shape” within the face, but some are specific for individual features.

Head

shapes

have

several of these tricks for both initial

observations

exaggeration.

and

As

with

Redman’s

‘”Everyman”

above and below the

observations and come

concept, it’s important to have an

eyes, and how those

up with a simple head

understanding

two areas relate, is a

shape:

of

classic

human

proportion an anatomy to have a

crucial

part

of

springboard from which observations

head

can be made. This is important both

relates to caricature. I

This is an old portrait

for helping to see what makes a given

will refer to it often.

artist’s

shape

the

as

it

face unique by comparing it to those “normal” proportions, and for helping

SIMPLIFYING

to exaggerate those unique aspects

SHAPES

1. Squint Your Eyes: trick.

your

eyes

or

them

so

you

are

through

your

looking

by giving the artist a “starting point”

Squint

eyelashes

close

at

your

from which to depart as much as

The

is

subject. This eliminates

possible.

really made up of a

the details and forces

lot

different

you to see only vague

including

shapes and forms. That

cheeks,

makes it easier to see

head

shape

of

features cheekbones, brow,

jawline,

forehead,

chin,

hair,

etc.

the simple shapes and drawn them.

While these are all important

elements

2.

Points

of

of the whole, at this

Reference:

stage

to

I look for these with

treat the head as a

every feature I draw.

single

and

What I mean by “points

keep it as simple as

of reference” is finding

possible.

Simple

a specific point or part

shapes are easier to

of a feature to use as

The classic adult head is an oval,

draw,

and

an anchor point from

slightly flattened along the top. The

manipulate than ones

which you can make

head is exactly divided in half at the

with a lot of complex

your

eyes, meaning there is equal distance

elements to them. It’s

Each

from the horizontal line of the eyes to

easy to get hung up

unique

both the top and bottom of the head.

on the details and not

reference,

The head is five eye widths wide, and

be able to see past

general

the widest point is typically at the

them

horizontal

or

temples, but can be anywhere from

underlying

dividing

lines

the cheekbones to just above the

foundation.

always be used for this

ears.

more

Here are some tricks

purpose.

accurately the “mass” of the head

to help make initial

The

distance,

or

we

need

shape

control

to

the

observations. feature

has

points

of

but

in

things

like

vertical can

With

the

head

shape,

the

This is a strange but effective way of grasping a

horizontal line create by the eyes

simple head shape, and for exaggerating it at the

is a good point of reference. Using

same time. Try to associate the head shape of your

this imaginary dividing line, it’s

subject with the shape of some inanimate object you

easy to see how much of the head

are familiar with. Maybe this person has a head

lies above that lie, and how much

shaped like a lightbulb (small, narrow bottom of the

below. I also will look for the

face with a big forehead) or that person’s head shape

widest point of the head shape,

may remind you of a peanut (squeezed at the

knowing that once I have found

temples). Whatever strikes you. I don’t mean you

these points I need only to make

draw a light bulb with the face on it, but rather use

sure the rest of the head shape

your imagination and keep that object in mind as a

lies in between them. I will also

template for the head shape you draw.

look for straight lines along the contour of the head shape, and draw them accordingly. Finally, I will look for points along the face contour where there is an angular change of direction. The back of the jaw and sides of the chin will often have these points. Any or all of these points of reference can help you “see” the rest of the head shape

by

comparing

what

is

around it to the point of reference you have established. 3. Shape Association:

Of course, it’s a fun exercise to draw those objects with faces on them just for fun and practice. Doing that helps your ability to spot those associations within your subject’s head shape.

EXAGGERATING THE HEAD SHAPE I mentioned earlier that the

can

head

place

other aspects of the face.

forehead.

where exaggeration is most

Because the head is treated

observations are great, but

easily

as a single shape, it is

one strong one is all you

relatively

need because it will create

shape

is

a

applied

greatest

to

effect.

This

the is

radically

change

easy

to

all

make

a

small

Multiple

shape to any appreciable

decisions

degree creates a drawing

them. Unlike the interior

caricature.

radically different than a

features of the face, which

Here are some methods of

portrait. Any change to the

change

seeing

head

the

from

the

with

head

execute

expression,

shape

is

a

cascading

or

those

and

a

chin,

because altering the head

shape

exaggeration

large

effect

with

your drawing to define your

and

exaggerating

the head shape:

“normal” shape has a very

constant that only changes

high impact to the viewer,

with the angle of the head,

1. Visual Weight:

and the features, by way of

and then only as any object

One key to exaggerating

their

will change when rotating

the head shape is to decide

in

When

where the “visual weight’ of

necessary

relationships

within

the

space.

head shape, are forced to

exaggerating

head

the head lies. That can be

follow

become

shape, all you really need is

as simple as using the afore

exaggerated. My analogy of

ONE observation about it to

mentioned line of the eyes

the head shape being a

build your caricature upon.

as a reference point and

“fulcrum” is an apt one,

It could be as simple as

asking yourself “does more

because

slightest

observing that the model

of the face lie above the

change in the head shape

has a skinny face, or a

eyes, or below?” That is

suit

and

the

the

visual

weight…

the

relative to some point of

placement of head mass

reference like the line of the eyes.

We know that in a “normal” proportioned head the mass is equal. However how we perceive the face is different than it’s physical measurements. Whenever you can depart from the equal mass rule it’s important to do so. That is caricature.

2. The Law of Constant Mass: There are very few

exaggerations… the law of constant

from? You take it from

“rules”

are

mass. By using it, you can take that

the top of the head,

it

“one observation” about the head and

taking away from the

to

follow through with the rest of the

size of the top to make

head shape.

the bottom bigger. That

expressions,

Imagine you have sculpted a perfectly

is the law of constant

posture and unique

proportioned head out of wet clay.

mass.

physical

attributes

Your head is done, but you have used

almost

up all your clay. You decide you want

impossible to be able

to create a caricature rather than a

to say “this is always

realistic bust of your subject. Looking

true”. Here is one

at the model you decide they have a

rule

never

large jaw, so you want to make the

however,

jaw bigger. With no more clay to work

and it’s a powerful

with, you need to get that clay from

tool

somewhere to pack on to the jaw and

that

universal

as

applies caricature… like

make

it

that

changes, to

convincing

things

create

make it larger. Where do you get it

smaller without affecting the other

works

areas. A person with a big chin will

respect to the width of

automatically have a smaller top of a

a face… if the face is

head. Likewise someone with a big

very wide you need to

forehead will also have a smaller

take mass from both

bottom of a face. This serves to

the top and bottom to

create

create that width. Of

exaggerations

of

higher

sideways,

this

impact, since the perception of a

course

large jaw is made more pronounced

affect the relationships

when the top of the head is smaller.

of the interior features,

The head has only so

It’s the same concept as when a gray

because they must now

much

mass.

You

value appears closer to white when

fit

make

one

surrounded by a much darker value

exaggerated

bigger

or

and looks darker when surrounded by

shape.

cannot area

will

with

within

also

he head

white. The law of constant mass also 3. Rubber Concept: Another way to think about how the entire head shape is affected by a single observation is to imagine a head made of soft, goo filled rubber. Now if we make the observation that our subject has a narrow face, we need to squeeeeze our rubber head like a vice to make it narrower. The effect of this is that the head bulges out on the top and bottom. If we decide the head is wide, we pull the outsides out… the result is the top and bottom get sucked in. If we squeeze the forehead, the jaw bulges out.

What is good about this

squeezing, stretching and

constant mass and/or the

method

it’s consequences.

rubber

imagine the features of our

It’s important to trust the

drawing a caricature. Even

subject also molded into

follow through of the cause

if that lantern jawed subject

the initial rubber head, we

and effect associated with

does not appear to have a

can

will

the

the

small top of the head, it is

the

head shape via the law of

important to follow through

see

faithfully

is

that

how

if

they

follow

we

exaggeration

of

concept

when

with that moving of the

awkward and a lot less

observing the head shape,

mass

clear.

making good decisions on

and

The shape of the head is a

where to place the visual

maintain a balance in your

crucial element to a good

weight

drawing… otherwise your

caricature… arguably THE

that shape is central to an

exaggeration

crucial element. Accurately

effective caricature.

if

you

emphasize

want

that

jaw

to

will

be

and

exaggerating

PART FOUR: DRAWING EYES I’ve written in past tutorials on drawing

richly painted to the most minimalist of line.

caricatures that you can’t really teach

In these next series of tutorials some

someone to draw caricatures… that is more

aspects of what I talk about will relate

about

and

specifically with a style of caricature like my

observation skills and also developing an

own… based on cartoon line either inked or

ability to find that which make an individual

in some other medium. Therefore those with

face unique and exaggerating it. Since

different sensibilities and styles can take

every face is different this is an exercise in

from it what they will and apply what makes

personal

sense to them, and ignore the rest. I will try

developing

their

observation

Therefore

after

I

have

“sight”

and

decision.

gone

over

the

to center my discussion on that which

information in my pervious tutorials, I switch

applies to a broader range of styles than

gears an concentrate on teaching rookie live

just my own.

caricaturists how to draw the individual

My method for teaching the individual

features, both how to see them, exaggerate

features begins with a lesson

them and how to draw them in line to best

anatomy.

effect.

memorizing every anatomical name but I do

Here is where style becomes an issue. What

believe you must have a good working

I have written about previously can apply to

knowledge of how a

I’m

not

a

big

on real

believer

in

almost any style of caricature, from the feature is put together in order to have a good command over the drawing of said feature. Following the anatomy lesson, I talk about different techniques to help “see” the shape of the feature and understand how to draw it, including realistic proportion. Finally I talk about interpreting the feature in terms of exaggeration and incorporating it into the whole. POINTS OF REFERENCE case of caricature the correct drawing of the exaggeration of Seeing

and

drawing

them? Either way you still have to “see” the object you are

anything

is

all

about

drawing and understand it’s form first. We have all seen

and

the

correct

depictions of artists on TV raising their arm outstretched

drawing of them or in the

towards their models with the thumb out from the fist and

shapes

squinting their eyes before

accurate observations of the subject. Establishing points of

drawing. That is supposed

reference in the face is key to helping to “see” shapes and

to represent an old artist’s

make observations. With each feature and the face overall I

trick of using their thumb,

will suggest several things I use as constant points of

or hand, or pencil or some

reference, which I can then use as a starting point from which

other object to measure

other observations are based. Any kind of drawing can benefit

their

from this simple concept.

subject’s

features

relative to one another, or

Our first feature is the eyes. I’ve always felt that the eyes of a

to see angles or other

caricature are the center of everything, literally the center of

relationships. The thumb is

the face but figuratively the center of expression, personality

supposed to be a “point of

and “life” as it were. Therefore I’ve always place special

reference”…

emphasis on the eyes and begin and end with them, after the

that

is

a

used

constant to

make

head shape, as the focus of almost any caricature.

ANATOMY OF THE EYE radiate from the pupil out to the edge of the iris), and the sclera (whites of the eyes). The tissue surrounding the eyes

include

the

inner

and

outer

canthus (the “corners” of the eyes), the caruncula (the small, reddish, oval shaped piece of tissue in the inner corner which is sometime incorrectly referred to as the ‘tear duct’), and the semilunar

fold

(where

the

eyeball

caruncula).

The

eyelids

The human eye is made up of a round orb

meets

(eyeball) that rests in and slightly protrudes from

consist of the upper and lower lid

a socket of bone and tissue, surrounded orbital

plates (the actual eyelids that fold

muscles and by covered by skin in the form of

down and up to cover the eyeball), the

eyelids. The visible parts of the eyeball include

eyelashes or cilia, which are attached

the pupil (black circle in the center of the eye),

to the free edges of the lid plates in a

the iris (colored area around the pupil) which

double or triple row and are short, thick

includes the stroma (the thread-like fibers that

and curved hairs.

the

SEEING THE EYE SHAPE Despite what I said about the

“shape” of the eye I am talking about the visible

importance of the eyes, the eye is

portions of the eyeball, created by the space

still just another feature and it has

between the upper and lower lids.

a shape like any other feature of the face. When I refer to the

The exterior part of the eyes, like the lids themselves and the area that surround the eye also are very important in capturing the eye itself, but it’s that initial shape that you use and a springboard for the rest of the eye. In order to “see” the eye shape, you must ignore the pupil, iris and all the lines and visual noise that surround the eye, and look at just the pure shape. Imagine an eye this pure white like the Exorcist eye… that white is the shape you are looking for. Remember also that the eye is not flat, but protrudes quite a bit from the face and the lids have a definite thickness to them. Typically the eye is NOT shaped like a

about 1/3 of the way across the eye and

football or an almond. The upper and lower

then arcs more softly towards the outer

lids are not mirror images of each other. In

corner. The lower lid does the opposite, it’s

fact, they are very different. The lower lid is

“peak” being it’s lowest point, about not

usually much less of an arc than the upper

quite 1/2 of the way from the outer corner

lid, moving more straight across from corner

in, and arcing to the caruncula. In the

to corner. The upper lid overlaps the lower

simplest of geometric terms, the eyes are

lid in the outer corner, and and is farther

quadrilaterals with the four points being the

removed from the horizontal axis of the eye,

inner and outer corners, the highest point of

which is created by an imaginary line

the upper lid and lowest point of the lower

connecting the corners. This horizontal axis,

lid. Naturally we don’t draw the eyes with

or “corner to corner” line, is a central part of

straight lines connecting the dots, but in

making observations about the eye, it’s

“seeing” the shape in simple terms like this

shape and it’s relationship with the rest of

we can use these points of reference to

the face. More on that in a second.

better capture the shape of the eyes, as

The eye shape is more of an asymmetrical

well as using them to manipulate the

ying-yang shape that a symmetrical almond.

feature for exaggeration purposes.

The upper lid line rises somewhat sharply from the caruncula, peaks

Let’s

get

back

the

angle of the arms of the “T

eyes

“corner to corner” line I

Shape” I talked about in an

insides? Lower? Even? Are

mentioned earlier. This is

earlier tutorial. By looking

they the same or is one

very useful in helping to

at how that line intersects

different than the other?

determine

the

the eye itself, we can see

You can use the line to

shape of the eye, but it’s

how much of the eye shape

exaggerate the angle you

relationship to the axis of

lies above the line, how

see to great effect. The

the face. Imaging the line

much

the

Corner-to-Corner line is a

going

outside

contour lines of the eye

great tool for observation

corner of each eye inward

shape travel along that line.

and “seeing” the eye itself,

to the inside corner and

We can also see at what

as

then onward to the center

angle the eye lies to the

reference

both

both

axis of the face, what we

center axis of the face. Are

accurate

drawing

and

really have it the central

the outside corners of the

observation.

not

from

to

only

the

below,

where

higher

well

as

than

a

the

point

of

Another method I use for understanding the eye shape is to look for any straight lines in the contour of the eye. Lines that are straight or nearly straight can be used as another point of reference for seeing the rest of the eye and also used as beginning points for the actual drawing of the eye itself. In many cases, the longer part of the upper eyelid, that from the “peak” to the outside corner, is often close to a flat line. Look for straight lines and observe their relationships to the rest of the eye shape’s contour to better “see” the eye shape.

EXAGGERATING THE EYE The exaggeration of any feature must be

the rest of the face is taken into account, it

done with the whole in mind, and not be

might very well be that the eyes need to be

treated as some separate entity. Seen in a

small and beady within a massive face.

vacuum, it might be tempting to exaggerate

Exaggeration in caricature is all about the

the size of the eyes because they have a

relationships of the features to one another,

round and wide eyed look. However when

and not the features themselves taken

individually.

However

many

the

especially the angle the eyes are at relative

observations you might make about the

to the center axis, and the shapes of the

eyes can factor into the essential whole,

eyes themselves.

The angle of the eyes is the easiest thing to exaggerate. If the outer corners are higher than the inner, then you simply make them higher still, and vice versa. Once you make the observation, doing the resulting exaggeration is easy. Exaggerating the shape of the eye is a little trickier. It can be easy to compromise the likeness, but when done right it actually enhances the likeness of the caricature. That’s because the shapes of features are also describing the expression of the

subject,

and

exaggerating

expression is a central part of good caricature.

If

someone’s

eyes

become squinty when they smile, drawing

them

squinty-er

will

exaggerate their expression as well as their face, and expression is personality. Capturing personality is an essential goal. If your eye shape is squinty, make it squintier.

of

If it’s wide open, make it more wide open. They should still look like the eyes you are drawing, but with your observations as a guide you turn up the volume a bit… or a lot if you can without losing the likeness. Take this set of eyes that are very round and intense:

We can exaggerate the shape of them as well as their look by emphasizing the whites surrounding

the

pupil/iris,

and

the

roundness of the lower eye. In this case I also exaggerate the angle of them by raising the outside corners. Not by much in either

case

here…

what

I

am

or Mort Drucker:

really

exaggerating and trying to capture is the intensity of the eyes themselves. Those little observations combine to allow me to get that piercing gaze. An artist’s individual style aside, it comes to the

same…

seeing

the

shapes

and

uniqueness of the features and drawing it in a way that describes it for the viewer to understand. Certain styles of caricature will go farther and “interpret” the shape and actually

As always, caricature is about PERCEPTION

change it into a representation of the shape

and not hard physical reality. In this picture,

itself. Here are those eyes as might be

our perception of the eyes of this model is

drawn by Al Hirshfeld:

changed by the makeup surrounding them:

like the inner whites of her eyes are much larger than the outer, giving her a “walleye” look that we can make fun of:

The heavy eyeliner and over-thick exterior lashes near the outer canthus make her look Here are some caricatures from some of my sketches where the eyes are a central part of the exaggeration or personality of the subject. Drawing eyes that really look back at the viewer can make for a startling effect. Remember the exaggeration of the caricature involves all the features and their relationships. The eyes may not be as important in another caricature, but as they are one of the chief agents of human communication and expression, they are always of import.