How To Draw A Caricature Mouth

Start creating fun likenesses of friends and celebrities. Then explore the best ways to brand your caricatures stand out — from facial quirks to special props.

Showcase unique characteristics in an exaggerated way.

Caricature is a drawing mode that often shows up as extreme portraits of political figures or wacky boardwalk souvenirs. But at that place's more to caricatures than merely big noses and other exaggerated facial features. Creating whimsical depictions of people — from the media or real life — by drawing caricatures can help you get better at illustrating existent, three-dimensional characters. "A caricature gets to the essence of who someone is and non but what they look like, simply what their personality is," says caricaturist Greg Bigoni.

The essentials of caricature.

Caricature drawing relies on an agreement of who the subject is. Realizing what matters in this blazon of cartooning is more helpful than post-obit a step-past-step tutorial. "The meliorate you know the person, the easier it is to extravaganza them," says Bigoni. Try to find out what'south interesting nearly someone, and not just nearly how they look. If you don't already know the subject, ask questions.

Find what's unique.

Look at each individual facial feature. Maybe your subject has a very short olfactory organ. You could play that upwards in the drawing. It'due south of import to represent the spacing of their features too. "Essentially we're talking nearly proportions," explains illustrator and comic artist Jonathan Case. "Everybody's got slightly different proportions." E'er go beyond facial features to the uniqueness of your subject area'south body likewise. If they often shrug their shoulders, show that.

Be bold.

Try vibrant colors or bold lines. If you lot're making a piece for someone else, get to a higher place and across what they asked for. "I had a friend ask if I would draw her and her partner as a boob and a marionette," says Bigoni. "And I said 'OK, but what if I besides drew the real versions of you operating the puppets?'"

Know your audition.

Great caricatures are silly and personable. Just be wary of disrespecting someone or hurting their feelings. "You lot have to be careful of how you walk that line of exaggeration," says illustrator and drawing instructor Lucas Elliott. "When you exaggerate a characteristic of a person, it might be something they're sensitive well-nigh."

Mastering the elements of the face.

Drawing cartoon faces is definitely an important step in exploring how to draw a caricature. Optics, noses, and mouths are prime number areas in which to show character. However, when drawing faces, proportion and spacing are merely as of import as the private qualities of each feature. Offset by mapping out your confront with lines and simple shapes for where the eyes, nose, and mouth volition go. Unique caput shapes should also be addressed.

Tips for sketching noses.

Noses are your playground when it comes to exaggerating a human face. "I unremarkably get-go with the olfactory organ," says Bigoni. "I'll outset figure out the shape of the face up — a loose pencil outline of what's going where — then start with the nose, because everything is proportionate from there." Try practicing nose cartoon techniques before getting cartoonish with it.

Tips for animative eyes.

In one case you practise unlike means to depict eyes , come across how you lot tin can vary them to distinguish your drawing. "Think almost annihilation else in the drawing that your character might be reacting to," says Bigoni. "That comes through in the eyes more than whatever other characteristic." Extravaganza leaves plenty of room to play with where the eyes are aimed equally well as the shapes of the eye, eyelashes, and eyebrows.

Tips for drawing mouths.

Think most the shape of the person'southward lips as well as how they hold their mouths. Are they shouting? Are they pursing their lips? Are they smiling? The mouth can be almost as expressive every bit the eyes. "Expressions are important," Bigoni explains. "Particularly an expression that says something about who they are or how they react to things."

Proportion is everything.

If the resemblance is lackluster later on y'all've drawn all your facial features, the spacing and proportion may exist off. "I discover more of my erasing and rearranging has to do with the spatial feel of someone's face, as opposed to the shapes of any features," says Bigoni. Cartoon in a digital application like Adobe Fresco can help. Attempt drawing each feature on a split up layer, so you can resize and rearrange them until it looks right.

Capturing personality in bodies and props.

Don't stop at the face. Adding physicality and props to your drawing are two essential ingredients for making a memorable caricature.

Three separate caricature drawings side by side

Bodies are as unique as faces.

Physicality is of import in caricaturing. Showing what's unique about a person'due south torso or how they hold themselves goes a long fashion. Bigoni once did a caricature of a couple for their wedding invitation where they were depicted as — literally — skeletons. "That piece meant a lot to me, because the adult female in the motion-picture show said, 'It's just my skeleton but information technology still looks like me!'" See how you can illustrate a move or an action your subject is probable to engage in. And win bonus points for tattoos. "People are really thrilled if you go their tattoos correct," says Bigoni.

Add individualism through props.

Remember most who your subject is to detect what background or props might aid the drawing come live. Illustrate what you lot think the person might exist doing, eating, drinking, or reading. Draw apparel you lot tin can see that person really wearing. "Don't simply ask what they clothing, just how they wear it," says Bigoni. "Some other thing I always endeavour to do is add any pets that person has. I've even had people say, 'My true cat died, merely can yous add him in with a halo and wings?'"

Developing a personal style.

Although live caricatures are common at events and require speed in execution, the all-time method for developing your talent is taking your fourth dimension. Don't fret if you need to become slowly. Starting time over if a piece isn't coming hands. "Sometimes I'll have to erase considering I did something that was too much. Sometimes I erase because I did too little. Figure out what residuum best represents the person and don't be afraid of trying it over and over," says Bigoni.

Exercise with celebrities.

Get started past drawing famous people from your favorite media or sports teams. It helps that yous'll probable be familiar with them and their mannerisms, plus there's a bountiful supply of reference photos of celebrities available online.

Starting time a digital sketchbook.

Try opening Adobe Fresco or Adobe Photoshop and sketching various elements of a caricature on different layers. This way you tin can experiment with different features and props without wasting a single slice of paper.

Helpful tutorials on Adobe Fresco.

Before jumping in, learn the nuts of drawing with Adobe Fresco and how to create your get-go digital illustration. Then, see if you can follow along in creating a comic-style portrait to learn new color and texture techniques.