A caricature exaggerates someone’s features to make them look funny. Artists use caricatures to entertain, criticize, or make a point.
Understanding Caricatures
To recognize a caricature, know they exaggerate particular aspects of a subject to create a comic effect. Caricatures depict people in exaggerated ways to create humor, satire, or social critique. The Italian word “caricare” means “to load or charge,” carrying the meaning of a charged portrait.
Literary Caricatures
Literary caricatures oversimplify or exaggerate personalities and behaviors, not just physical features. They are created for humor, to make a point, or a grotesque effect. Caricatures have a rich history, with origins in Pompeii cave paintings and increased popularity in 17th and 18th-century European aristocratic circles. Humorous portraits were painted of famous people, especially politicians.
The basic rule of caricature is to distort features to create a humorous or satirical representation. Caricatures specifically illustrate people, while cartoons can represent anything in a simplified, whimsical style. To make great caricatures, practice exaggerating unique details of people’s faces. Learning portrait drawing helps develop caricature skills.