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Writer's pictureGurjas Chugh

An insight into the world of Caricature Art

Updated: Feb 3, 2022





'Caricature' is a word which, when heard, instantly reminds one of the columns of newspapers and magazines that make us ramble and roar with laughter. But, what very few know, is that the word caricature is originally used in literature as a visual form of hyperbole. It is used to describe a character, exaggerating some of their features while keeping the others comparatively bland. A caricature artist is known as Caricaturist.


ORIGIN


A veritably interesting fact for the inquisitive minds is that the great artist and the creator of the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci, was actually the one to bring about the earliest caricatures into existence. The idea was to make the artwork look slightly amusing, and a lot more attractive than the original art reference. And here we are today, with caricature art becoming one of the most interesting, enjoyable, and likable art forms!



MYTHS AND FACTS


▪︎Caricatures and cartoons, what's the difference?


Well, talking about facts, a frequent notion about this is that a caricature artist and a cartoon illustrator is the same person, is it so? Come, let's dive deep into it!


Honestly, a caricature and a cartoon are quite similar, yet, few distinct teeny bits create a detailed difference. For one, a cartoon is an illustration having a playful, amusing side to it, arousing a sense of humor, while a caricature is the illustration of an existing being, highlighting its features in a hyperbolic way. Reading this, an argument might pop up in the creative heads about illustrations of day-to-day objects, which category should they be dropped in?


As a matter of fact, the difference still remains the same, but in another context. A caricature has to have a reference point, no matter what the object is and how ordinary it is, an illustration with a reference is exactly what a caricature is. In contrast to that, cartoons are free to one's own imagination. It's completely up to an artist if he'd want to create a man out of a teapot or a car out of an animal, or produce a tail of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!


Are they mocking you?

Another assumption about caricature artists is that their art is out there to mock people. Well, that's so not true!


A true artist's spirit lies not only in the technicalities and details of their creation but also in the positive and calming emotions that flow in them when they're engrossed in their artistic depths. Hence, it is tremendously necessary for them to feel the pure essence of their art so that it can turn out beautifully.




TRADITIONAL AND DIGITAL WAYS


TRADITIONAL

The traditional way, as we all know, is the basic approach where the artist creates the caricature on a sheet of paper or a canvas using pencils, colors, and other tools. The kind of paper or canvas used by the artist, but the basic approach remains the same.


DIGITAL

The new digital world with its surprises every day has not failed to enter the arena of at as well and compete so powerfully. The latest technology is used to create caricature art as well, with brilliant effects, techniques, and perfection.


SOME WELL KNOWN CARICATURE ARTISTS

  • Leonardo da Vinci

  • David Levine

  • Mort Drucker

  • William Hogarth

  • Ralph Steadman

  • George Cruikshank

  • Alex Gard

  • James Gillray

  • Thomas Nast

  • Tom Richmond

So, the next time a newspaper slithers down your doorstep and the caricature makes you laugh your heart out, or while passing a street, you are bemused by an artist creating caricatures, I hope it reminds you of all these intriguing concepts and makes its way right into your creative escape!



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