A caricature of film comedian Charlie Chaplin.

A caricature is either a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness, or in literature, a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others. A portrait is a painting, photograph, Sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person in which the face and its expression is predominant ^[1]

Caricatures can be insulting or complimentary and can serve a political purpose or be drawn solely for entertainment. Caricatures of politicians are commonly used in editorial cartoons, while caricatures of movie stars are often found in entertainment magazines. An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or Comic strip containing a political or Social message that usually Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally

The term is derived from the Italian caricare- to charge or load. An early definition occurs in the English doctor Sir Thomas Browne's Christian Morals (first pub. Sir Thomas Browne ( October 19, 1605 &ndash October 19, 1682) was an English author of varied works which disclose his wide learning Christian Morals is a work in prose by the physician and religious apologist Sir Thomas Browne, published posthumously in 1716. 1716).

Expose not thy self by four-footed manners unto monstrous draughts, and Caricatura representations.

with the footnote —

When Men's faces are drawn with resemblance to some other Animals, the Italians call it, to be drawn in Caricatura

Thus, the word "caricature" essentially means a "loaded portrait". According to caricature teacher Sam Viviano, the term refers only to depictions of real-life people, and not to cartoon fabrications of fictional characters, which do not possess objective sets of physiognomic features to draw upon for reference, or to anthropomorphic depictions of inanimate objects such as automobiles or coffee mugs. Sam Viviano (born March 13, 1953 in Detroit Michigan) is an American Caricature artist and Art director. Physiognomy ( Gk physis, nature and gnomon, judge interpreter is the assessment of a person's character or personality from their outer appearance especially Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects Legendary animator Walt Disney on the other hand, equated his animation to caricature, saying the hardest thing to do was find the caricature of an animal that worked best as a human-like character. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter

History

Ancient Pompeiian graffiti caricature of a politician. Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania, in

Some of the earliest caricatures are found in the works of Leonardo da Vinci, who actively sought people with deformities to use as models. Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( April 15 1452 – May 2 1519 was an Italian Polymath, having been a scientist Mathematician, Engineer

The point was to offer an impression of the original which was more striking than a portrait. Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), one of the great early practitioners, was favored by the members of the papal court for his ability to depict the essence of a person in 'three or four strokes. "Bernini" redirects here For people named Bernini see Bernini (surname. ' In fact, the word "caricature" comes from the Italian caricare, "to load", thus the caricaturist's aim is to invest his image with as much meaning as possible.

Caricature, therefore, experienced its first successes in the closed aristocratic circles of France and Italy, where the such portraits could be passed about for mutual enjoyment.

Discomforts of an Epicure; self-portrait by Thomas Rowlandson from 1787 to prove that he could aim his caricatures at himself

The first book on caricature drawing to be published in England was Mary Darly's A Book of Caricaturas (c. Mary and Matthew Darly were English printsellers and Caricaturists during the 1770s. 1762). The two greatest practitioners of the art of caricature in 18th-century Britain were Thomas Rowlandson(1756-1827) and James Gillray(1757-1815). Thomas Rowlandson ( July 14, 1756 – April 22, 1827) was an English artist and Caricaturist. James Gillray, sometimes spelled Gilray (born August 13, 1757 in Chelsea; died June 1, 1815) was a British Rowlandson was more of an artist and his work took its inspiration mostly from the public at large. Gillray was more concerned with the vicious visual satirisation of political life. They were, however, great friends and caroused together in the pubs of London. See the Tate Gallery's exhibit James Gillray: The Art of Caricature

Nowadays, caricature artists are popular attractions at many places frequented by tourists, especially oceanfront boardwalks, where vacationers can have a humorous caricature sketched in a few minutes for a small fee. For the record label see Boardwalk Records. for the former Las Vegas hotel see Boardwalk Hotel and Casino. Caricature artists can be hired out for parties, where they will draw caricatures of the guests for their entertainment.

Notable caricaturists

See list of caricaturists. A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing Caricatures List of caricaturists Oguz Aral (1936-2004 William Auerback-Levy

Une discussion littéraire à la deuxième Galerie by Honoré Daumier
Lithograph published in Le Charivari newspaper, February 27, 1864

George Cruikshank (1792-1878, British) created political prints that attacked the royal family and leading politicians (in 1820 he received a royal bribe of £100 for a pledge "not to caricature His Majesty (George III of the United Kingdom) in any immoral situation. George Cruikshank ( September 27, 1792 — February 1, 1878) was an English Caricaturist and book illustrator praised as George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places " He went on to create social caricatures of British life for popular publications such as The Comic Almanack (1835-1853) and Omnibus (1842). He also earned fame as a book illustrator for Charles Dickens and many other authors.

Honoré Daumier (1808-1879, French) is considered by some to be the father of caricature. Honoré Daumier ( February 26, 1808 &ndash February 10, 1879) was a French Printmaker, Caricaturist, During his life, he created over 4,000 lithographs, most of them caricatures on political, social and everyday themes. They were published in the daily French newspapers (Le Charivari, La Caricature etc. Le Charivari was an illustrated newspaper published in Paris, France from 1832 to 1937. )

A Group of Vultures Waiting for the Storm to "Blow Over"--"Let Us Prey. " by Thomas Nast
Wood engraving published in Harper's Weekly newspaper, September 23, 1871

Thomas Nast (1840-1902, American) was a famous caricaturist and editorial cartoonist in the 19th century and is considered by some to be the father of American political cartooning. Thomas Nast ( September 27, 1840 – December 7, 1902) was a famous German-American Caricaturist and Editorial cartoonist He is often credited with creating the definitive caricatures of the Democratic Donkey, the Republican Elephant and Santa Claus.

Al Hirschfeld (1903 – 2003, American) was best known for his simple black and white renditions of celebrities and Broadway stars which utilized flowing contour lines over heavy rendering. Albert Hirschfeld ( June 21, 1903 – January 20, 2003) was a Jewish American Caricaturist best known for his simple black Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located He was also known for depicting a variety of other famous people, from politicians musicians, singers and even television stars like the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek The Next Generation ( STTNG or TNG) is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning science fiction television program created by Gene Roddenberry He has was even commissioned by the United States Postal Service to provide art for U. S. stamps. Permanent collections of Hirschfeld's work appear at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and he boasts a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, USA, on 53rd Street between Fifth The St Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St Louis Missouri who made contributions to Culture of the United States.

Mort Drucker (1929 - , American) Drucker joined Mad magazine in 1957 and has become well known (and revered by some) for his parodies of movies and television shows. Mortimer "Mort" Drucker (born on March 29, 1929) is a Cartoonist born in Brooklyn New York. Mad is a monthly American Humor Magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952 A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U He manages to combine a comic strip style with consistent photographic likenesses of film and TV stars panel after panel. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist He has also contributed covers to Time magazine. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and He has been recognized for his work with the National Cartoonist Society Special Features Award for 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988, and their Reuben Award for 1987. The National Cartoonists Society is the world's largest organization of professional Cartoonists It presents the Reuben Awards. The National Cartoonists Society is the world's largest organization of professional Cartoonists It presents the Reuben Awards.

Robert Risko (1946 – , American) is known for his retro airbrush style. Robert Risko ( November 11, 1956 in Ellwood City Pennsylvania) is an American Caricature artist known for his Retro Retro is a term used to describe denote or classify culturally outdated or aged trends modes or fashions from the overall postmodern past but have since that time become functionally An airbrush is a small air-operated tool that sprays various media including Ink and Dye, but most often Paint by a process of Nebulization His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Playboy, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and Interview. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Playboy is an American Men's magazine, founded in Chicago Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates which has grown into Playboy Vanity Fair is an American magazine of Culture, Fashion, and Politics published by Condé Nast Publications. Esquire is a Men's magazine by the Hearst Corporation with a strong literary tradition Interview is a Magazine founded by artist Andy Warhol and John Wilcock in 1969

David Levine (1926 – , American) is noted for his caricatures in the The New York Review of Books and Playboy magazine. David Levine (born December 20 1926 is an American Caricaturist noted for his Caricatures in the The New Playboy is an American Men's magazine, founded in Chicago Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates which has grown into Playboy . His first cartoons appeared in 1963. Since then he has drawn hundreds of pen-and-ink caricatures of famous writers and politicians for the newspaper.

Cover to MAD #223 (June 1980), Viviano’s first cover work.

Sam Viviano (1953 – , American) has done much work for corporations and in advertising, having contributed to Rolling Stone, Family Weekly, Reader's Digest, Consumer Reports, and Mad, of which he is currently the art director. Sam Viviano (born March 13, 1953 in Detroit Michigan) is an American Caricature artist and Art director. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Reader's Digest is a monthly general-interest family Magazine co-founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and DeWitt Wallace. Mad is a monthly American Humor Magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952 The term art director is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in Advertising, Publishing, film and Television, the Internet Viviano’s caricatures are known for their wide jaws, which Viviano has explained is a result of his incorporation of side views as well as front views into his distortions of the human face. He has also developed a reputation for his ability to do crowd scenes. Explaining his twice-yearly covers for Institutional Investor magazine, Viviano has said that his upper limit is sixty caricatures in nine days.

Sebastian Krüger (1963 – , German) is known for his grotesque, yet hyper-realistic distortions of the facial features of celebrities, which he renders primarily in acrylic paint, and for which he has won praise from The Times. Sebastian Krüger (born June 30, 1963 in Hamelin Germany) is a German Caricaturist. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as In Semiotics and Postmodern philosophy, the term hyperreality characterizes the inability of Consciousness to distinguish Reality from Fantasy Acrylic paint is fast-drying Paint containing pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer Emulsion. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. He is well known for his lifelike depictions of The Rolling Stones, in particular, Keith Richards. Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943 is an English Guitarist, Songwriter, Singer, producer and a founding member of The Rolling Krüger has published three collections of his works, and has a yearly art calendar from Morpheus International. Krüger's art can be seen frequently in Playboy magazine and has also been featured in the likes of Stern, L’Espresso, Penthouse, and Der Spiegel and USA Today. Playboy is an American Men's magazine, founded in Chicago Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates which has grown into Playboy The stern is the rear or aft part of a Ship or Boat, technically defined as the area built up over the Sternpost, extending upwards from the Counter Penthouse, a Men 's Magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and Soft-core pornographic pictorials Der Spiegel (pronounced /deːɐ ˈʃpiːɡəl/ German for "The Mirror" is a German weekly Magazine, published in Hamburg USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. He has recently been working on select motion picture projects.

Hermann Mejia (Venezuelan) is known for his frequent work for MAD Magazine. Hermann Mejia (b 1973 is a Venezuelan born illustrator and painter living in New York City. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Mad is a monthly American Humor Magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952 Mejia uses multiple techniques for his work, sometimes rendering his illustrations in black & white ink and copious amounts of cross-hatching, sometimes using watercolor, and sometimes combinations of both

Jan Op De Beeck has published several books on caricature and was named "World's Best Caricaturist" in 2003 by a group of professional cartoonists in Iran. Hatching ( hachure in French) and cross-hatching are artistic techniques used to create tonal or shading effects by drawing (or painting or scribing closely Watercolor ( US) or Watercolour ( UK) (and "aquarelle" in French is a Painting method

Computerized caricature and formal definition of caricature

There have been efforts to produce caricatures automatically or semi-automatically using computer graphics techniques. For example^[2] provides warping tools specifically designed toward rapidly producing caricatures. There are very few software programs designed specifically for automatically creating caricatures.

An interesting aspect of some computer graphic systems is that by necessity they require quite different skillsets to caricatures created on paper. Thus using a computer in the digital production of caricatures requires advanced knowledge of the program's functionality. Rather than being a simpler method of caricature creation, it can be a more complex method of creating images that feature finer coloring textures than can be created using more traditional methods.

A milestone in formally defining caricature was Susan Brennan's master's thesis^[3] in 1982. In her system, caricature was formalized as the process of exaggerating differences from a mean face. For example, if Prince Charles has more prominent ears than the average person, in his caricature the ears will be much larger than normal. Brennan's system implemented this idea in a partially automated fashion as follows: the operator was required to input a frontal drawing of the desired person having a standardized topology (the number and ordering of lines for every face). She obtained a corresponding drawing of an average male face. Then, the particular face was caricatured simply by subtracting from the particular face the corresponding point on the mean face (the origin being placed in the middle of the face), scaling this difference by a factor larger than one, and adding the scaled difference back on to the mean face.

Though Brennan's formalization was introduced in the 1980s, it remains relevant in recent work. Mo et al. ^[4] refined the idea by noting that the population variance of the feature should be taken into account. For example, the distance between the eyes varies less than other features such as the size of the nose. Thus even a small variation in the eye spacing is unusual and should be exaggerated, whereas a correspondingly small change in the nose size relative to the mean would not be unusual enough to be worthy of exaggeration. Leopold et al. ^[5] found that individual face-recognizing neurons in the inferotemporal cortex respond more strongly to caricatured faces than to the veridical representations of the same face, and suggest that the visual brain may code faces relative to a prototypical face, consistent with Brennan's formalization.

Some, on the other hand, argue that caricature varies depending on the artist and cannot be captured in a single definition. ^[6] Their system uses machine learning techniques to automatically learn and mimic the style of a particular caricature artist, given training data in the form of a number of face photographs and the corresponding caricatures by that artist. The results produced by computer graphic systems are arguably not yet of the same quality as those produced by human artists. For example, most systems are restricted to exactly frontal poses, whereas many or even most manually produced caricatures (and face portraits in general) choose an off-center "three-quarters" view. Brennan's caricature drawings were frontal-pose line drawings. More recent systems can produce caricatures in a variety of styles, including direct geometric distortion of photographs.

In a lecture 'The History and Art of Caricature' (Sept 2007 Queen Mary 2 Lecture theatre) the British caricaturist Ted Harrison said that the caricaturist can choose to either mock or wound the subject with an effective caricature. Drawing caricatures can simply be a form of entertainment and amusement - in which case gentle mockery is in order, or the art can be employed to make a serious social or political point. A caricaturist draws on (1) the natural characteristics of the subject (the big ears, long nose or whatever); (2) the acquired characteristics (stoop, scars, facial lines etc); and (3) the vanities (choice of hair style, spectacles, clothes, expressions and mannerisms).

The science of caricature

Caricatures have been studied in experimental psychology, with interesting results. Rhodes and collaborators^[7] compared recognition of caricatures to anticaricatures. The latter are created using the Brennan formalization but instead of exaggerating the individual differences from the mean, the individual differences are deemphasized (moved toward the mean face) by an equivalent amount. The anticaricatures were much more difficult to recognize, taking four times longer than the caricatures on average. More surprisingly, her study found that caricatures are recognized twice has fast as the default veridical (uncaricatured) drawing.

Ramachandran and Hirstein^[8] suggested that caricature is related to peak shift. In the peak shift effect, animals sometimes respond more strongly to exaggerated versions of the training stimuli. For example, if a rat is trained to respond to a rectangle of a particular aspect ratio, and to avoid a square, when later presented with several rectangles it will prefer the one with the most elongated aspect ratio (this being the one that is most different from the square) rather than the original rectangle used in training. Ramachandran and Hirstein speculated that cells in a monkey brain that respond to particular faces would respond more strongly to caricatured versions of the face. This effect has been confirmed in FMRI experiments by Tsao. Functional MRI or functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI is a type of specialized MRI scan ^[8]

See also

• Cartoon
• Satire
• Physiognomy
• Zoomorphism
• Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy

References

External links

• Celebrity Caricature
• National Caricaturist Network Official site of the National Caricaturist Network- a non-profit association devoted to the art of caricature
• Argentine Caricaturist: Cao Luaces