A caricature is a portrait of a person that captures the essence of a person in an identifiable form, and yet exaggerates those features that suggest the essential essence. A caricature has a certain cartoon look to it and the essence that is being exaggerated can be positive or negative. Caricature began in years ago as a form of flattery for the rich. It was done more to show the positive side and to flatter the subject. In the middle of the 19th century with the rise of Newspapers, the negative caricature became popular. They were used often in political cartoons, and for the most part they were either poking fun at the subject or outright demonizing him.

In order to draw a caricature, the first step is to study faces. You need to study as many faces as you possibly can. You need to study them in photographs and you need to study them in real life. You should try to visualize those features that make the face unique. In other words, since you are going to capture the essence by exaggerating certain feature, you need to understand just what the essence is. The basic rule of this stage is that you are going to maximize the features of the face that are maximized in the subject, and minimize the features of the face that are minimized in the in subject. If the subject has small eyes, for instance, and you draw the eyes very large, you may make a cartoon looking image, but you will not have captured the essence. It will also be unidentifiable.

Proper equipment is important, and the next step is to make sure you have what you need. A good place to start when learning is with pencil. Avoid #2 pencils and look for 4B or 5B pencils instead. The 5B pencil makes a thick and black line. The caricature is going to have a certain cartoony look to it, and the thick black lines will help accomplish this. Then draw the subject much as you would a regular portrait, but using bold and exaggerated lines and a minimum of shadowing.

You are going to be maximizing the dominant feature that captures the essence of the subject. You should be able to determine what that is from your study of the face. It could be a large nose, large forehead, or a big smile. It could also be a small ears or a weak chin. Your caricature drawing should reflect this dominant feature. If you are seeking more of a cartoon caricature, merely do a bit more exaggerating of that essential feature. Like any art form, caricature takes practice, and when you feel you have practiced as much as you can, the next step is to practice a little bit more.

Leonardo da Vinci – a true ‘Renaissance Polymath’ Leonardo da Vinci has been at the helm of many inventions, scientific theories, brilliant renaissance paintings, and sculptures. His work has been subject to countless debates over the century. Yet there has never been an artist who deserves the title of a ‘Genius’, more than da Vinci does. Leonardo da Vinci came from a humble background and achieved universal acclaim during his life through his wide array of work. The illegitimate son of a local lawyer in the town of Vinci in Tuscan region, Leonardo da Vinci, was rather self-sufficient. It may not be incorrect to conclude that his lack of proper upbringing did not affect his mind in any negative manner. The savant was attributed with numerous talents, and prime among them were a great singing voice, superlative mathematical intelligence, tremendous understanding of science, un-matched male beauty, and a magnificent physique.

Leonardo da Vinci’s overabundance of gifts may have caused him to treat his artistry talent flippantly, for he seldom finished a painting and usually made rash technical experiments using his work. ‘The Last Supper’, which is a fresco on the wall of the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church in Milan, has almost disappeared due to Leonardo da Vinci’s inadequate preparations for the fresco.

However, it takes a da Vinci to produce a ‘piece de resistance’ a la ‘The Mona Lisa’ (1503), that has achieved the dizzying heights of popularity and awe. The Mona Lisa has the innocent disadvantage of being too renowned! People have tried to reproduce this painting in every conceivable medium, but the mystery and magic surrounding this cult figure remains intact and stands in defiance to every effort made to comprehend the secret behind the half smile of the subject. In his lifetime, Leonardo da Vinci painted portraits of three women, and they all have a wistfulness and mystery surrounding them. This magical quality is very appealing in ‘Cecilia Gallarani’ (1490) and is at its provoking best in ‘Ginevra de` Benci’ (1478-1480). All these three paintings are haunting, and almost spiritual in their appeal – a technique very Leonardo da Vinci like.

It was in 1482, that Leonardo moved to Milan and offered his services as a military engineer, sculptor, and painter to the ruler Ludovico Sforza, who gladly accepted the services and financed the artist a workshop. Leonardo da Vinci spent 18 years in the service of Ludovico. ‘The Virgin of the Rocks’ (1482-1486) was painted by Leonardo da Vinci for the Church of S. Francesco Grande in 1483.

It was during the late 1480s that Leonardo da Vinci began to experiment on a wide range of scientific studies that included subjects such as botany, medicine, anatomy, architecture, geography and many others. He left behind several drawings and sketches of his experiments. Moreover, he worked on the ‘Treatise on Painting’, a manual of instruction (theoretical and practical) for painters through much of his adult life.

In 1499, da Vinci headed to Mantua and then Venice. In 1500, he came back to Florence and painted the ‘Virgin and Child with St. Anne’ (1502-1516). In 1516, Leonardo da Vinci was appointed “the first painter, engineer and architect of the King”, Francis I of France. He died in Cloux, France on 2 May 1519. He rests in peace in the Church of St. Florentine in Amboise. Leonardo da Vinci’s work is unique for his treatment of hair that has an angelic quality, and the lack of rigidity of contour in his forms. His use of perspective to add depth to his frescos and pictures is remarkable for the method of execution.

Rembrandt influenced Leonardo da Vinci, but Leonardo’s repertoire of work is too deep, too dark, and too overpowering. “He who despises painting has no love for the philosophy in nature.”