As a fellow portrait sketch artist I know why he has done that...Some kids will not smile for you no matter how you try to make them...He is very good though...
I am not drawing distorted portraits myself... So I may not judge well his technical skills. But I have the feeling he just turned her into an adult.
I actually don't really like the portraits that are just distorted without any reason, I mean without expressing something connected with the model.
I mean, ok, you have to earn your money somehow, and there are far worse jobs.
But... here I don't find anything interesting in what he has done. He drew her as if she was an unkind fat adult. I don't think it is good fer the psychologic development of the kid. :-)
The drawing doesn't look at all like her. Even though a caricature is supposed to be distorted it's still supposed to be recognizable as the person. That looks nothing like her and does look like an adult.
Ivor however is not much better. He looks like someone who does not understand what a caricature is supposed to look like. His site is filled with what look like drawings of bobblehead dolls of celebrities.
I am not drawing distorted portraits myself... So I may not judge well his technical skills.
I hate this kind of attitude. Of course anyone can judge. Just because you don't do something yourself doesn't mean you can't tell what's good and what isn't.
Priceless! At first, like Anna, I thought he was drawing a grumpy midget. ;-) But don't worry too much for the kid's ego, I'm sure her Mommykins will LOVE the wonderful and so resembling portrait! ;-p
Enjoying your coffee, Uncle Ron? :-)
But really now, I have to agree with you guys: distortion for the sake of it, that doesn't "nab" anything of the model, feels like a pointless technical exercise. Like just an art school assignment.
Ivor, Maybe you need at least to be able to IMAGINE a smile on that face! ;-) "I am not known as the John Singer Sergeant of caricaturing for nothing!" Ah, of course, if you're one of those uniquely tralented caricaturists, then you're allowed to give advice! By yelling yourself hoarse in the face of the new recruits, sir-yes-sir. :o) But really, with the present "customer", this must take some SPECIAL gift of imagination.
"That looks nothing like her and does look like an adult." I'm not too sure, Doug. Since excess weight delays wrinkles, chances are she WILL look exactly like that in maybe just 15 years from now. At some receptionist desk...
"Ivor [...] looks like someone who does not understand what a caricature is supposed to look like." A caricature is supposed to stop looking like a normal human face (and body)! Where exactly did Ivor fail in that regard? Not making 'em monstrous enough, maybe? At the very least, I give the man credit for practicing self-mockery on his front page. :-) (Tell me honestly now, Ivor, do you think I look handsome? ;-)
"I hate this kind of attitude. Of course anyone can judge." ...And you just proved that by judging/rating the attitude. :-) Clever. I recognize a master debater's handy work.
P.S.: Ivor, I couldn't spot the comic. Can I have a hint? ;-p
In all my years of professional caricaturing, the one thing I have learned is that there is nothing as subjective as a piece of art, especially when YOU are the subject.
Doug, a caricature is an exaggeration of the features. Most caricaturists interpret that as a gross exaggeration. I, however, choose to exaggerate in the opposite direction and 'improve' the proportions. Being a freethinker, I'm allowed to do this.
Pascal, as ever, your comments are pure sanity and I am grateful for them. Going by your avatar, you are handsome enough and you may have difficulty spotting the comics as they are largely British in their fame. Here is a link to their names if that helps; http://www.caricature-weddings.co.uk/answers.html
Confession time: I made that joke question before reading that the whole group was a comedians' club. I thought it was, pretty obviously, the middle bottom one pulling a face. :-)
I think the freethinker did a good job of making actual caricatures while actually improving the proportions. The end result is both amusingly cartoony and rather flattering. I bet your customers are typically very satisfied. :-) Except those who ordered a caricature of someone they wanted to annoy, of course!!!
That avatar or mine in an original Stavro Jabra. What's nice in a small country like Lebanon, is that you're likely to meet many national celebrities. My brother actually designed that website for him.
As a fellow portrait sketch artist I know why he has done that...Some kids will not smile for you no matter how you try to make them...He is very good though...
ReplyDeleteI am not drawing distorted portraits myself... So I may not judge well his technical skills. But I have the feeling he just turned her into an adult.
ReplyDeleteI actually don't really like the portraits that are just distorted without any reason, I mean without expressing something connected with the model.
I mean, ok, you have to earn your money somehow, and there are far worse jobs.
But... here I don't find anything interesting in what he has done. He drew her as if she was an unkind fat adult. I don't think it is good fer the psychologic development of the kid. :-)
"I have the feeling he just turned her into an adult."
ReplyDeleteYes, he did. He missed the characteristics of a child, such as bigger eyes.
"I actually don't really like the portraits that are just distorted without any reason"
I agree. Most caricatures are like that, it seems to me. The distortions are just Standard Distortions which have nothing to do with the model.
I very quickly learned the lesson that it is better to flatter than to insult.
ReplyDeleteI would have imposed a smile even if there was none.
I am not known as the John Singer Sergeant of caricaturing for nothing!
The drawing doesn't look at all like her. Even though a caricature is supposed to be distorted it's still supposed to be recognizable as the person. That looks nothing like her and does look like an adult.
ReplyDeleteIvor however is not much better. He looks like someone who does not understand what a caricature is supposed to look like. His site is filled with what look like drawings of bobblehead dolls of celebrities.
I am not drawing distorted portraits myself... So I may not judge well his technical skills.
ReplyDeleteI hate this kind of attitude. Of course anyone can judge. Just because you don't do something yourself doesn't mean you can't tell what's good and what isn't.
Priceless!
ReplyDeleteAt first, like Anna, I thought he was drawing a grumpy midget. ;-)
But don't worry too much for the kid's ego, I'm sure her Mommykins will LOVE the wonderful and so resembling portrait! ;-p
Enjoying your coffee, Uncle Ron? :-)
But really now, I have to agree with you guys: distortion for the sake of it, that doesn't "nab" anything of the model, feels like a pointless technical exercise. Like just an art school assignment.
Ivor,
Maybe you need at least to be able to IMAGINE a smile on that face! ;-)
"I am not known as the John Singer Sergeant of caricaturing for nothing!"
Ah, of course, if you're one of those uniquely tralented caricaturists, then you're allowed to give advice! By yelling yourself hoarse in the face of the new recruits, sir-yes-sir. :o)
But really, with the present "customer", this must take some SPECIAL gift of imagination.
"That looks nothing like her and does look like an adult."
I'm not too sure, Doug. Since excess weight delays wrinkles, chances are she WILL look exactly like that in maybe just 15 years from now. At some receptionist desk...
"Ivor [...] looks like someone who does not understand what a caricature is supposed to look like."
A caricature is supposed to stop looking like a normal human face (and body)! Where exactly did Ivor fail in that regard? Not making 'em monstrous enough, maybe?
At the very least, I give the man credit for practicing self-mockery on his front page. :-)
(Tell me honestly now, Ivor, do you think I look handsome? ;-)
"I hate this kind of attitude. Of course anyone can judge."
...And you just proved that by judging/rating the attitude. :-)
Clever.
I recognize a master debater's handy work.
P.S.: Ivor, I couldn't spot the comic. Can I have a hint? ;-p
"Ivor, I couldn't spot the comic. Can I have a hint?"
ReplyDeleteHere's your hint, Pascal: "Everybody's a comedian."
"I'm no pretender."
In all my years of professional caricaturing, the one thing I have learned is that there is nothing as subjective as a piece of art, especially when YOU are the subject.
ReplyDeleteDoug,
a caricature is an exaggeration of the features. Most caricaturists interpret that as a gross exaggeration. I, however, choose to exaggerate in the opposite direction and 'improve' the proportions. Being a freethinker, I'm allowed to do this.
Pascal,
as ever, your comments are pure sanity and I am grateful for them. Going by your avatar, you are handsome enough and you may have difficulty spotting the comics as they are largely British in their fame. Here is a link to their names if that helps;
http://www.caricature-weddings.co.uk/answers.html
Confession time: I made that joke question before reading that the whole group was a comedians' club. I thought it was, pretty obviously, the middle bottom one pulling a face. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think the freethinker did a good job of making actual caricatures while actually improving the proportions. The end result is both amusingly cartoony and rather flattering.
I bet your customers are typically very satisfied. :-)
Except those who ordered a caricature of someone they wanted to annoy, of course!!!
That avatar or mine in an original Stavro Jabra. What's nice in a small country like Lebanon, is that you're likely to meet many national celebrities. My brother actually designed that website for him.