Yesterday I posted this drawing of Michael Cera and mentioned how it was a “cold” drawing… meaning I had one photo reference to work from and no other familiarity with the subject either from seeing him in a film or on TV, or any other forms of reference.

Here’s the photo reference I used:

I got a few comments and some private e-mails asking for more details about what it means to draw “cold” and what makes it different from using multiple references or drawing from a live model. I thought it would make a good topic for a more involved post.

Drawing caricatures from nothing but photo references is tough. Anybody who has ever done it will tell you that photographs lie. Tricks of light, focus, angle, perspective, etc. will provide you with false information about your subject. A given photo will suggest some features are ripe for exaggeration while other photos will tell you something different entirely. Basically it all boils down to this: you are basing your observations of a living, three dimensional subject on a two dimensional reference, and are therefore restricted in your observations to the superficial information that photo imparts. The best caricaturists in the world can do a terrific caricature from a single photo that looks just like the photo, but that doesn’t mean it will be a great caricature of the actual subject.

Take a look at the photo of Cera above. Based on that, I drew his eyes large and close together, exaggerated the width of his face and the roundness of it, gave him a small chin and exaggerated that by making the space between his upper lip and nose larger, and gave him a tiny mouth. I had nothing to go on but this single picture. A few people wrote me saying they had a hard time recognizing him in the sketch without first being told who is was. That does not surprise me.

When I draw caricatures for a job, I get as much photo reference together as I can. In fact, I make up a 13″ x 19″ sheet of pictures of each subject comprised of different angles and expressions that I use as my main reference. Here’s one I used recently of Alec Baldwin for the “30 Rock” parody I did this spring:

Using this kind of collection of photos I can get a much better feel for his features, expressions and personality, and can do more effective and CONSISTENT caricatures of him. There is a big difference between doing a caricature based on the superficial and doing one based on the foundations of a face. Drawing a “superficial caricature” is dependent solely on the exact physical traits of a given reference, and there are lots of potential pitfalls there. The decisions an artist makes with respect to that reference may not apply to the same face from a different angle or with a different expression. The artist may find trying to turn the head in a second drawing requires a different set of decisions to make it work. Each drawing by itself may be effective, but as a pair they are mismatched… they do not read as the same person. However if the artist bases his or her caricature on observations of the underlying foundations of the face… making decisions based on the continuity of the face between multiple angles and viewpoints rather than the superficial nature of a single photo, then the caricature becomes more solid and far more consistent. The artist is caricaturing the person and not the photo.

In the rather unique case of MAD parody work, the consistent part of that equation is crucial. I cannot base my caricatures entirely on one photo or even a series of photos. I have examine the subject as a whole… head shape, feature relationships, posture, etc. and figure out what the foundations are and then exaggerate them (hopefully) consistently. Only in that way does the viewer believe they are looking at the same character in panel after panel, with various viewpoints and expressions. It’s a little like developing an animated character design… you have to be able to draw the character consistently from many angles to make it believable. There’s a lot more room for error in something like a MAD parody, but the concept is similar. Here are a few of the caricatures of Alec Baldwin I did in that 30 Rock parody. While each leans somewhat on a certain photo, none are done dependent on that single reference:

You might notice in certain pictures in the reference page above Baldwin’s forehead looks fairly big, but overall observation showed me he needs a short, wide forehead. His pursed lips became an important part of his caricature when looking at the entire sheet whereas in certain pictures it isn’t as prevalent. Those are just some examples of how individual pictures can deceive you.

Better yet is to see the subject in motion on TV or in a film. That gives you a feel for their real persona. In the case of doing a parody for MAD this is absolutely essential. In the few times I’ve been required to do a parody in advance of a film’s release I have sought out DVDs of films the actors have recently appeared in to help give me the insights that only that kind of source can provide.

That is why drawing live caricatures isn’t drawing “cold”. Of course you do not know the person sitting in front of you so you can only draw quick inferences as to their personalities (although those quick inferences can be surprisingly accurate) but you can see their face in three dimensions. You can see them move and speak and make various expressions as you draw. Your observations as far deeper and more accurate from live than from any single photo reference, or even multiple ones like my reference sheet.

A lot of live caricaturists suffer from “superficial caricature syndrome”, where they rely too much on the surface features and do not pay attention to the underlying foundations when they switch to using references and working from pictures. Several very talented ones I know can do incredible single caricatures of individuals, but when asked to string several together consistently they struggle. That is something that needs a lot of thought and patience to accomplish.

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP

Senate Orphan Works Bill Put “on Hold”

We’ve just received word that the Senate bill has been put “on hold.” In fact, there appear to be multiple holds on it. Senators who “hold” hotlined bills do not have to identify themselves nor give their reasons for holding it. Holds are temporary. We don’t know how many of you contacted your Senators on such short notice this afternoon, but many, many thanks to all of you who responded so rapidly.

Most people are unaware of the process called hotlining. In the past it was used to pass non-controversial legislation, but increasingly, it’s being used to pass bills whose sponsors don’t want to see debate. An excellent article in Roll Call explains the process. Here’s an excerpt:

Senate conservatives are upset that the leaders of both parties in the chamber have in recent years increasingly used a practice known as “hotlining” bills – previously used to quickly move noncontroversial bills or simple procedural motions – to pass complex and often costly legislation, in some cases with little or no public debate. The increase was particularly noticeable just before the August recess, when leaders hotlined more than 150 bills, totaling millions of dollars in new spending, in a period of less than a week.

The practice has led to complaints from Members and watchdog groups alike that lawmakers are essentially signing off on legislation neither they nor their staff have ever read…

In order for a bill to be hotlined, the Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader must agree to pass it by unanimous consent, without a roll-call vote. The two leaders then inform Members of this agreement using special hotlines installed in each office and give Members a specified amount of time to object – in some cases as little as 15 minutes. If no objection is registered, the bill is passed.

- From ‘Hotlined’ Bills Spark Concern
By John Stanton, Roll Call Staff
September 17, 2007
To read the full article, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3p8x2u

This is the second time the Senate Orphan Works bill has been hotlined this summer. The previous hotline came on June 5, the same week artists descended on Washington to urge lawmakers to oppose this controversial bill. The bill was put on hold that time too.

Since bills can be hotlined without prior notice, we’ll all have to stay vigilant throughout the rest of this legislative session. Thanks again to all of you who responded so quickly.

Over 60 organizations, representing more than 250,000 creators, are united in opposing these bills in their current form. Illustrators, photographers, fine artists, songwriters, musicians, and countless licensing firms all believe this bill will harm their small businesses.
Read the list: http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00273

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP:

ORPHAN WORKS BILL HOTLINED

THIS MEANS IT COULD PASS THE SENATE THIS AFTERNOON
PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY

ASK THEM TO PUT A “HOLD” ON THE BILL:
S2913 THE SHAWN BENTLEY ORPHAN WORKS ACT OF 2008

TELL THEM YOU OPPOSE THIS CONTROVERSIAL BILL
ASK THEM NOT TO PASS IT WITHOUT A FULL AND OPEN HEARING
WARN THEM THAT IT WILL DO GREAT HARM TO SMALL BUSINESSES

To find your Senators’ phone numbers go to the Illustrators’ Partnership Orphan Works site:

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

At the top of the home page, click on “Elected Officials”
You’ll find a US map:
Click on your state,
Then “Senators,”
Then click on each Senator’s name,
Then click “Contact.”
This will give you their phone numbers.

Please phone and fax them both.
Please call everyone you know who is an interested party and tell them we must act immediately to prevent passage of this bill.

What? ALREADY?! Seems like I just did a bunch of these. This week’s sketch is a study of “Superbad” actor Michael Cera.

This is a good example of drawing someone “cold”, or in other words having no other reference than a single picture and no other source of information. With most other subjects, especially in regards to jobs for MAD, I have seen the subjects in movies or TV shows and have some impression of them from that source. Things like how they move, their attitude, personality, expressions, etc. are all things that influence a caricaturist’s depiction of the subject. Even if I draw someone like Jack Nicholson from a single photo, what I know of him from these other sources will influence my caricature.

I’ve never seen “Superbad” or any other show Cera has been in, so all I have to work with is the superficial reference from one photo. Therefore I really have no idea if it really looks like him or not. I think it looks like the photo I used, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I captured anything about him. Sometimes drawing someone “cold” make you more objective, and sometimes in means you aren’t capturing what really identifies the subject.

I’ve only done live caricatures a handful of times this summer, and it seems like every time I forget to bring my camera. Yesterday I didn’t forget, so here are a few of the live ones I did and the subjects:

Fellow National Caricaturist Network member and UK caricaturist Craig Rogalski emailed me these pictures from British weekly gossip magazine Heat. Yes, that’s my caricature of Amy Winehouse taken directly from this blog the fan in the article is trying to get her to sign.

Click image for a closer look…

Hmmmm… that looks familiar.

Something tells me from her expression that Amy doesn’t like my depiction of her! I’m so heartbroken over that.

I know the article credits the fan for doing the drawing, but let’s not jump to conclusions. The fan in question isn’t quoted or named so it’s just as likely this picture was sold to the tabloid and some copywriter hacked out that paragraph assuming the fan was the artist as it is that the fan actually claimed to have drawn it.

Ah well… it isn’t unprecidented that a celebrity dislikes my drawing of them. In 1994 the Superbowl was played in Atlanta, GA, and my caricature booth at Underground Atlanta was featured briefly on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They zoomed onto my sample of Leno during the segment and Leno mistook the subject for “Mr. Potato Head”. Leno famously hates caricatures of himself… you have to question any comedian who cannot laugh at themsleves.

Thanks for the pictures, Craig!

Q: How do you handle artists that you hire/train or added to a multi-caricature artist private/corporate gig that try to steal your clients as they work for you? It’s an ugly part of the party caricature business.

A: One thing I have never done in the “caricature business” is to be an agent for other artists, booking them to do events or “gigs” and then paying them a percentage of the fees collected. I have always preferred the retail approach to caricatures, where I have set locations and times and let my customers come to me rather than the other way around. Still, I have done my fair share of party work (years ago, I don’t personally do parties anymore except under special circumstances) and have worked with and know several caricature artist agents, so I am familiar with the issue you are addressing. There are similar issues involved with using a rep when doing freelance illustration and even within the retail caricature business.

For those who might not understand this problem, it is an ethical issue involving the artists an agent sends to draw for one of their clients for a given event. An unscrupulous artist drawing at this event might approach the client directly at the party and hand them their business card in an attempt to get the client to call them directly next time and cut out the agent… the artist will charge the client less than the agent does but make more because there is no agent percentage involved.

Obviously this is ethically wrong. The agent got the artist this gig, and the client is their client. Further work from that client or stemming from anyone attending the event should go through the agent. As an agent I would provide my artists with agency business cards, complete with a place for the artist to write their name if an interested party at the event wants to inquire about caricatures for some other function, and forbid any personal business cards from being brought to the gig. I would also educate my clients beforehand that the artists working their event represent my agency, and any future events in which they want to utilize the services of any of the artists at their event should be booked through my agency. In the event I find out one of my artists are trying promote their own agendas at one of my events, I would simply never use that artist again. Agents spend time, money and effort marketing to find these clients… that is what their percentage is buying for the artists who work the gigs for them. Some artists don’t understand this. They apparently think clients fall out of the sky and perpetually believe that agents are like pimps taking advantage of their god-given talents. Let the unethical artist spend their own money, take their own time and expend their own energy to market themselves in the future… most will figure out the agents earn their money. Ethics sometimes come into play the other way around as well. I have worked gigs where the client approaches me and asks if they can call me directly next time, attempting to get a cheaper rate. I always refer them to the agency.

In the freelance world their is a similar ethical issue when doing jobs for reps. A rep is an agent for freelance artists, and if a job comes in from a rep then any subsequent jobs from that same client should go through the same rep. I don’t do many rep jobs but I do have two clients that originated through a rep, and these guys often call me directly for new projects. I always refer them back to the rep, which is only fair.

Ethics come into play in any area of life or business. It isn’t very hard to figure out what is right and what is wrong… it’s usually obvious. Go about life doing the right thing in such cases, and I believe you will ultimately be rewarded if in no other way than with a clear conscience. Karma is real… it’s even in the Bible: “Do unto others as you would have other do unto you.”

Thanks to Mr. Happy Go Lucky for the question. If you have a question you want answered for the mailbag about cartooning, illustration, MAD Magazine, caricature or similar, e-mail me and I’ll try and answer it here!

My last subject for “Sketch Week” is a fun one. Stooges lead singer Iggy Pop is someone everybody seems to caricature… and for good reason. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. I’ve never drawn him before but have always wanted to, so I thought he’d be a good (and easy) one to finish up the week on.

I hope everybody enjoyed “Sketch Week”.

Doing caricatures of beautiful women can be challenging, but if you look hard enough there is always something you can key in on. Scarlett Johansson might be gorgeous but she also has some very caricaturable features… squinty and small eyes set far apart, a wide and squarish nose, swollen lips, a fairly bulky jaw and chin and a small forehead.

Today’s Sketch Week drawing is of director Guillermo Del Toro. I haven’t seen Hellboy 2 yet but it’s on my list. I can’t wait to see what he does with “The Hobbit“.