Ah, the caricature. Seems there’s no easy route to grasping it; like everything else, it’ll just take practice. Before tonight’s attempt, I watched some YouTube videos by this kid Sycra Yasin, who makes everything look way too easy. He seems to have many different approaches to caricature, but the one I latched onto was breaking the face into geometrical planes. For example, here’s evidence, roughly traced from a photograph, of how I earned the childhood nickname “Squarehead”:

Of course, you wouldn’t really sketch it out like a creepy kabuki mask, but the point is, breaking down a face like this gives you a sense of why certain features fall in certain places, much moreso than the typical cartoon method of tacking 2D features onto 3D spheres.

That’s not to say I got it right, but I feel like I’m making progress. And I’m eager to learn about other methods of approaching caricature (paging Aunt Susie).

Also, I’m too close to the current subject (and he keeps eating all my food), so if you’d like to volunteer to be amateur-caricatured, let me know.

The great thing about classic art is that it gets a pass for weird shenanigans that in modern times would get you banned from the Super Bowl halftime show. This here is “Andromeda and the Sea Monster” by Domenico Guidi. As usual, my attempt to render details in a little sketchbook with soft graphite proved to be a bit muddled, but then again, even the statue seems muddled when you first walk up to it. And definitely crazy.

Since I took two naps today (is that a symptom of something?), I figured this guy would be a good subject for practicing with my new nib pen. I definitely lack confidence when using permanent ink (no Ctrl+Z!), but truthfully I’m happy that I’m able to create a line.

Back when I was a kid (I really hope this site isn’t starting to sound like granddad’s storytime), every resource on cartooning recommended India Ink and nib pens and brushes. There was no such thing as digital inking, of course. So I was really frustrated that I couldn’t ink to save my life. I don’t know what the heck I was doing wrong, but I remember leaving vaguely inky scratches on the paper. I wasn’t much better with my fancy Rapidograph pen, which quickly became permanently clogged from disuse.

So, ironically, now that I have absolutely no need to ink the old-fashioned way, I’m finding it’s not that hard. Kid me would despise 21st-century me.

I think I picked the wrong paper, though. We have a bleeder!

Here’s a quick digital drawing of my niece in her Halloween costume, which was designed by my mom!

Made an impulse purchase at the art store today. See if you can spot it.

I guess I’ve been in an analogue mood the last few days.