The Art Behind the Technique of Cartoon Caricatures

Series Summary

Getting your caricature drawn by a street artist is a time-honored tradition. Whether you’re posing in the corner of a crowded European square or at your favorite local amusement park, everybody wants to see what features stand out when looked at from another’s perspective. And it never fails: every guy wants to get a picture of himself looking goofy with a hot date by his side. Even in the newspapers, caricatures have been important to the emergence of the cartoon as a means of cultural commentary. Caricatures have a unique place in our culture, extending from the everyday to the elite, lampooning the average Joe and the Austrian-born governor of California.

Learn how to draw caricatures of people, faces, and animals in this free art instruction video. Our expert sketch artist will show you techniques for exaggerating the facial features, a cornerstone of caricature work. He’ll also give you some tips on what tools to use—what types of paper, pens, markers, brushes. Finally, watch as he walks you through several drawings, including pictures of a woman with glasses, a child, a girl with pigtails, and a small dog. Enjoy!

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Raj with Expert Village and I’m here today to talk a little bit about caricature art. Caricature art is fun way to have a lot fun during a party or an event and the art behind the technique is sort of like catching the initial impression of a person and exaggerating those features. So as I step into the drawing here, I’ll tell you a little bit more about how I go about drawing caricatures. Usually you capture the person’s shape of their face, whether it’s an oblong or narrow face and exaggerate it. Usually I like to draw really skinny necks just for fun. The hair usually can be a couple strokes here and there."