Why I Draw Caricatures
Posted on April 25, 2008 - Filed Under Arts and Entertainment
Perhaps it is born from having a warped sense of humor. Or, more likely, it may come from a deep inborn resistance to rules and authority. I always hated staying “within the lines” and simply could not resist the urge to distort or embellish reality.
Andy Warhol once stated that “everyone gets fifteen minutes of fame”. I’m still waiting on mine. My hopes for someday “emerging” as a serious artist and being recognized by an adoring public have long-since surrendered to the practical realities of being able to eat regularly and having a decent roof over my head. I can actually pinpoint the day my artistic Warhol aspirations were dragged whining into the light of practical reality. I was working on a portrait, a painting of a Native American woman. My sixteen-year-old son paused to see what I was painting. He stood for a moment studying her, then patted me on the back and said, “nice caricature, Dad.” Of all the artistic criticism I’ve ever received, that has been the most helpful. I have been focusing my efforts on drawing caricatures ever since.
I realize that greatness is still possible; there are truly great caricaturists in the world. But, in the meantime, even a mediocre artist can feed himself and pay the rent by doing the “big head, little body” thing. Afterall, fifteen minutes of fame still leaves a heck of a lot of time for mediocrity. And then there is the pleasure of being able to depart from the boundries a bit, to allow myself to distort and embellish someone’s face with a good degree of abandon and get away with it; even get paid to do it!
Perhaps VanGogh is a better role model that Warhol, anyway. His work is vastly more popular than Andy’s, yet he never sold a single painting in his lifetime. He never had his fifteen minutes, either!
Bill Trantham is a self-taught artist, living in Oklahoma City. He is retired from mental health counseling and enjoying creating caricature drawings for people via his website.
Tags: artist, artwork, caricature drawing, caricatures
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