How to Exaggerate A Caricature Proportion
Posted by Mitch in Caricature ProportionMay 7th, 2009 | 16 responses
Standard and Caricature Proportions
One thing that you will need to consider in your caricature drawings is the proportions of your caricature’s head. The above image shows the breakdown of a ’standard’ male head on the left and a caricatured head on the right. Don’t worry if you are not totally familiar with standard human head proportions… give yourself a little test here:
Can you spot the differences between the two heads without having them pointed out for you?
Well for starters obviously one head looks a lot more cartoony, but that is a style difference. You should look at the different parts of the head and how they relate to each other. You will learn a lot about this in the full course, but for starters look at the following areas:
- How do the heads compare in width?
- Are the noses the same size?
- What is the height of the chin?
- Where is the ear placed in relation to the shape of the whole head?
- What other differences can you see?
Let’s Review the Proportions of a ‘Standard’ Head
Now that you’ve spotted the differences, let’s look one more time at the ’standard’ head and see how we can break it down into different parts. Notice the large circle that is drawn inside the head and also the lines to the left of the head. This circle forms the base of the head and is divided into 4 equal parts by drawing a line straight down the middle and straight across.
If you look at the lines to the left, you can count and see that the circle is divided up into 8 equal parts from top to bottom. Now, because the head is not a perfect circle, we need to add 2 more equal parts to the lower part of the head for the chin, giving us a total of 10 equal parts that make up the height of the head.
If you take those 10 parts and divide them in the middle at the 5th section you can find the marker where you should draw the eyes. If you then move down 2 more parts you can get the marker for the bottom of the nose. Move down one more part and you get the Mouth. Those are the markers where you can draw in the main features of the face (the eyes, nose, and mouth) so that they will look correct in relation to each other and to the head.
How to Place the Ear on a Standard Head
When the circle guide was drawn and divided into 4 equal parts you will have marked the middle of the circle very accurately. This center point is useful because just below the middle and just to the left is where you can draw your ear. The ear is attached to the head roughly at the same point where the eye is, and then curves up to the brow line, and then finally curves down to approximately the line that defines the base of the nose. Following these simple guides will give you a fairly realistic ear.
Now that you have had a quick refresher of the proportions of the standard head, take a look again at the caricature head and see what differences you can notice and now things have been squashed, stretched, or placed in a different location.
Want More Tips?
All of these proportions will be covered in detail in the course, but if you are interested in a free sneak-peak video right away, sign up below to get access to the behind the scenes info only for First-in-Line subscribers:
16 Responses to “How to Exaggerate A Caricature Proportion”
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Great article Mitch. I’ve just added myself to the list and looking forward to more tips like this.
I always heard that drawing caricatures is about exagerating the person’s prominant features. But I thought this was down to years of experience and a trained eye – both spotting those features and knowing how much to exagerate them by. I guess you can apply a forumla to it and I can see how using this formula would take the guess work out it. Thanks Micth, looking forward to more.
Hi Mitch,
Great stuff and it is something all good artwork is founded upon, the correct principals of proportion, as Bob said whether it is a portrait or caricature the appropriate proportions make all the difference.
I am looking forward to your next tip.
Cheers,
Greg
Awesome information, Thank you.
Hi guys,
Thanks for the kind words. Knowing how to draw and have proportions work for you instead of against you is really half the battle right there.
I can relate to this from my own experience when I was first learning how to draw faces and that’s why I have taken so much time to talk about basic proportions of the human head in this caricature course.
I really hope that people can relate to what I am saying here – I’ve really tried hard to break the head down into the most simple way possible that anyone can follow along no matter how experienced they are.
- Mitch
It is very interesting and I would like to have more of these tips.
At least i find someone who will explain the techniques of karikatures.Thank you very much.I wait for more of this .
I can’t wait to try this!
Thank U MITCH Your the best!!!!!!!!
Thank you for the great information. Shall
look forward to more tips
Deirdre
Hi Mitch,
I’m sorry but my english is no good.
I think that you’re a very good artist and your tutorials help a lot us.
I like to draw Sketch caricatures, I’m not professional but you know I have a good passion for drawing and I can learn to much with you
Great caricature site and tutorials, thanks for sharing!!
Thankyou Mitch..I’ve been struggling with profiles for ages,going round to all my friends to draw them and getting them far to much like a standard portrait then a caricature!it makes much more sense now that I could compare the two profiles…I cant wait to go and draw them all again!
xxxhugzxxxx
hello mitch,i m african cartoonist based in Tanzania (East Africa)i have been drawing cartoons for the years now.but here in Tanzania,we don’t have college for cartoons drawing.we’ve been just cartooning for the talents we’ve gifted from GOD.that’s why i will keep reading your articles
Mitch can u give me more info on soft pastels i enjoy this more than anything
thanks pete
hey mitch im sorry to say im a union electrician here in las vegas and work has slowed n money isnt what it was a couple months ago this is the reason why i havent been able to purchase dvd set though well worth it im sure