Editorial Cartoon: Caricature Fail

 

Editorial Cartoon: Life of a Caricature Artist

This cartoon was inspired by my attempts over the last 4 months to do more caricature work.  If you get a caricature done by me or someone else there are several reactions you may have.

  1. Wow that picture is great and it looks like me.
  2. Wow that picture is great but I am not sure it looks like me.
  3. That picture isn’t good/flattering but it does look like me
  4. That picture sucks and it doesn’t look anything like me.

I have run the gamut of reactions to my own work, though I have only had one person actually tell me number four (yet more probably felt that way).  I had my wife, and biggest critic, look over the work and she said “Yeah it looks like her, she just isn’t that attractive.”  I find that women are way more sensitive to you pointing out prominent characteristics in caricature.  I tend to go more realistic versus cartoony as I do with men.

A piece of advice I got from Jerry Dowling, former Cincinnati Enquirer editorial cartoonist and caricature artist, is that you should over emphasize the size of women’s eyes…they seem to like that.  He may or may not have said something about boob size too, I can’t remember.

He related a story of live drawing a caricature of a woman as her husband was looking over his shoulder.  Suddenly, her husband, who obviously thought the drawing wasn’t pretty enough, said “Don’t you know she is a former Beauty Queen.”  To which Jerry handed him his pen and said “Great, so you finish up the drawing”

Comments

80 responses to “Editorial Cartoon: Caricature Fail”

  1. MJ Avatar

    Ha,ha,ha! Funny stuff. Caricatures are not the easiest subject for everyone.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      The artist or the recipient…

  2. JerryBenedict Avatar

    More power to someone that can do caricatures well… my attempts have usually ended in disaster, often being chased by angry caricature subjects with pitchforks and torches…

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Any reaction is a good reaction I say.

  3. George Avatar

    I like the young whippersnapper Bearboy artist. 🙂

    Caricatures are touchy for some folks. If you’re fat, do you really want an artist to overemphasize that? You’re correct about the ladies. They’re a bit more sensitive than the guys are.

    As a caricaturist, it helps to listen to your subject as you’re getting down to business. A lot of them will tell you up front what they would like to see or what they don’t want shown. For example, “Please don’t draw ALL of these moles that are on my nose please! And fix my hair up some. It’s all poofy right now.”

    They have the money, so you’ve gotta listen to what they want. Honesty is not always the best policy. You get used to it the more you do.

    I think you’re getting better with each new piece. You’re starting to trust your own instincts more and relaxing as you work.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Thanks G. When I do a paid commission I am more apt to be receptive to feedback. When I am doing a random caricature at no charge but at a request, I have little tolerance for people being nitpicky (even though I truly do want them to like it).

      The issue is people assume a caricaturist does the same thing that a portrait painter does and they want an exact likeness.

      1. George Avatar

        They need to realize that a caricature is an exaggerated distortion of features. It’s meant to appear clownish and buffonish.

        1. Bearman Avatar

          Which made it hard to do your caricature because you are already clownish and buffoonish. Or as you said “buffonish” which I guess has something to do with big hair.

  4. Jande Avatar

    “You’re a braver man than I, Gunga Din.”

    I don’t have the courage to either do caricatures or to have one done. lol Love the cartoon. :`D

    1. Bearman Avatar

      chicken on TWO accounts!!!

      1. Jande Avatar

        What can I say? My feathers ruffle easily. >:[ <—see!

        1. Bearman Avatar

          Is that supposed to be a chicken? haha

  5. Mark Stokes Avatar

    I drew a caricature of this older woman once. She was dressed in men’s shorts, she was wearing a men’s plaid sports jacket, and a fedora. After I finished her drawing, she exclaimed, indignant “You made me look like an old man!” I bit my tongue, but what I wanted to say was “I didn’t do that, God did!” Sometimes you just can’t call them exactly as you see them.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Well if the man’s shoe fits.

  6. Mr. Captoon Avatar

    “Failure is the first step towards the success” this really suits on you.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Was that a compliment or a backhanded insult? haha

      1. George Avatar

        I;’m trying to figure that out too (although it did make me laugh when I read it). 🙂

  7. DadaHyena Avatar

    A piece of advice from someone who’s worked as a caricaturist at two major theme parks: don’t try to ‘beautify’ people.

    It’s natural to think that if you depict someone as good-looking or cool in cartoon form that they’re going to buy it up, but whenever I had chosen to over-glorify customers they would ALWAYS respond, “That doesn’t look like me”. Flattery really doesn’t get you anywhere.

    You’re better off making someone look funny and having them get a laugh than trying to overcompensate for your skills by trying to draw them as beauty queens and magazine models, because people really aren’t as big of suckers as we would like them to be. Go for laughter.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      I agree with you and could never do live caricature work. I go through at least 3-5 renditions of sketches before I will move forward with inking.

      YET, as I stated, women tend to like to look better than funnier in my experience.

      1. Jande Avatar

        NOW who’s the chicken! lol

        1. Bearman Avatar

          ME…bwack bwack bwack.

  8. Tony McGurk Avatar

    Seems like the saying “Me thinks thou doth protest too much” applies to people who protest about their caricatures

    1. Bearman Avatar

      You seem to have taken a liking to yours.

      1. Tony McGurk Avatar

        Ummm… Can I claim Article 4. That picture sucks and it doesn’t look anything like me.
        Because I have lots more hair!!!

      2. Tony McGurk Avatar

        It’s like anorexics look in a mirror & see a fat person. I look in the mirror & see a full head of hair.

        1. Bearman Avatar

          Funny I look in the mirror and see my wife hogging it up.

  9. Binky Avatar

    I think you have to be pretty brave to do caricatures. If I had the talent, I’d probably make everyone look much better so they wouldn’t be mad.

    I think mine was a number one, even though my hips aren’t that big.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Mr Chocolate Thighs…yes they are.

      1. Binky Avatar

        Next time I’ll send you a photoshopped picture!

  10. bschooled Avatar

    I seriously can’t stop laughing at this cartoon…

    WHY can’t I stop laughing at this????

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Cuz you know people like this.

  11. James Avatar

    Everyone’s a critic…especially ugly people.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      I know some pretty people who think they have a right to be critical.

      1. George Avatar

        Stop talking about me in front of my back.

        1. Bearman Avatar

          I didn’t realize your back went all the way around.

  12. Chris K Avatar

    Good one. Sometimes you can’t please a customer even when the outcome is an improvement.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Same is true in business. Sometimes they are happy you went the extra mile, and sometimes they will complain about paying for the extra gas.

  13. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    I can see women being more of a concern for you to draw. My aunt used to do live caricatures at Disneyland and I remember going a couple of times and watching her work. I couldn’t get over how quick she was but, of course, speed was the key to making money. She also had the personality to sit out there and interact with people. That would be the hard part for me…if someone critiqued my work I would have to respond rather than putting holes in my lips.

    You definitely do good work and my eyes are a lovely shade of blue but when I smile big they disappear. Bearman you captured that perfectly. :-]

    1. Bearman Avatar

      I like the fact that your eyes disappear when you smile. Eyes are hard to judge esp eye color from small pictures.

  14. Miss R Avatar

    I literally, and immediately laughed out loud at this one Bearman. Nice!

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Then my job is done…thanks

  15. nursemyra Avatar

    Well, when you did mine, you certainly captured my cheekbones and forehead. It was a pretty good likeness, but being a typical girl, I didn’t find it flattering 😉

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Who do you think I was talking about with number 3

  16. Nate Fakes Avatar

    Quit giving yourself a hard time! I enjoyed all my caricatures. In fact, I secretly look in the mirror everyday and try to get MY look down off of them.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      It was more a reaction to someone getting a free caricature and telling me what was wrong with it.

  17. SpilledInkGuy Avatar

    I always love your caricatures, Bearman!
    Pretty sure I’d be fine being drawn in any light (of course, I’ve had some time to… ah… let my mug… ‘soak-in’, so)…
    🙂

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Send me some pictures and I would be happy to do yours.

      1. SpilledInkGuy Avatar

        Ha!
        But everyone would be after me when the shock instantly turned that world famous green hair white over night!
        🙂

  18. Rent Textbooks Avatar

    Well I just love my Character otherwise I wouldn’t use it for my gravatar! You can use me for a happy reference!

    1. Bearman Avatar

      I’ll put you down as a 1!!

  19. Deb Avatar

    Lol…Very funny Bearman!

  20. Tony Mcgurk Avatar

    In case you were wondering what happened to your comment/s on my Chef’s Story they went to moderation due to my Disqus swearing filter being turned on. it was the “Bloody” Mary that did it. Approved now & I deleted the duplicates….
    I’m curious, did it give you a message that your comment went to moderation???

    1. Bearman Avatar

      No it just hung up and then gave me some funky error. BLOODY MARY is a swear word??

      1. Nef Avatar

        In Tazmania it is…

  21. JillsyGirl Avatar

    I once had a caricature done. It was not unflattering but I could not see any resemblance. (Maybe it was better that way!)

    1. Bearman Avatar

      I’d be happy to give you another one that doesn’t resemble you if you want.

  22. Friggin Loon Avatar

    Umm, umm, no comment 🙄

    1. Binky Avatar

      Ms. Invisible Loon!

      1. Bearman Avatar

        Yours not only looked like you, it was spot on.

        1. Friggin Loon Avatar

          Umm, still no comment 🙄

  23. Bo Lumpkin Avatar

    Maybe you should add action to all your caricatures.. I love the one you did of me and it has me runnin’ to the outhouse.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      That takes more time. I will only do that for my close friends or for commissions.

      1. Bo Lumpkin Avatar

        And we are greatly appreciative.

  24. duncanr Avatar

    Have to agree with the woman, Bearman – you made her look real ugly.

    Now if only you’d included those balls on her jersey, she’d have been a whole lot happier and looked a damn sight prettier 😆

    P.S. loved the caricature you did of me. Friends and family who’ve seen it love it too !

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Thanks Dunc…and you were one of my first caricatures.

  25. Corve Avatar

    funny stuff…lol
    I am scared about asking someone to deliver on this because I am scared about the outcome.

    I would have you do it though.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      I will gladly add you to the list but first I have to learn to draw Gucci and Prada.

  26. Friggin Loon Avatar

    and by the way I have never, ever owned a pink top with blue spots, damn you.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      It was a blue shirt with pink spots but I didn’t want people to catch on that quickly.

      1. Friggin Loon Avatar

        🙁 damn you twice

  27. lisleman Avatar

    Your findings don’t surprise me or the fashion industry.

    Different subject – thought you would find it interesting.
    http://www.thejohnnycashproject.com/

    Don’t know if you care for his music but the drawings involved in the project are amazing.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Now if I could only do a caricature of him and put it in the video.

  28. Young American Wisdom Avatar

    Hahaha!
    People who don’t have the ability to laugh at themselves shouldn’t be getting caricatures done. No sense of humor = no caricature.
    Great job, Art Boy!

    1. Bearman Avatar

      does that mean you are willing to step up?

  29. Jenn Avatar

    Hmm funny enough I just finished drawing a caricature for my friends and I wonder how they’ll take it…

  30. Frank M Hansen Avatar

    That’s one area I have thought about dabbling in but never have. I know some people have even ripped up the picture right in front of the artist but at least they paid in advance. Nice cartoon by the way.

    1. Bearman Avatar

      Can’t be chicken…get out there and do it. I think you would kill it.

  31. Nef Avatar

    Some people hate free stuff so much that in order for them to like your caricature, you have to charge them for it…