Black and White Event Caricatures

When I’m hired for large events with a high demand for caricatures, I’ll draw consistently for hours without a break. If I have learned anything from these experiences, it’s been that when working an event with a large turnout, black and white caricatures are the smartest way to optimize the number of caricatures drawn in the least amount of time.

A Quicker Turnaround Time Per Caricature

In the amount of time it generally takes me to do 2 color caricatures, I can draw an entire family in black and white. For black and white caricatures, I can generally draw 20-25 sketches per hour.

More Color Doesn’t Mean A Better Caricature

A popular misconception I often hear from clients is that color caricatures are of higher quality. This is not true. If the caricature artist is any good, he or she should be able to get the likeness of the subject down without adding such obvious features as eye color, hair color and skin tone.

The “Less Is More” Approach

I’ve found that when drawing black and white caricatures, it is important to use lines sparingly when adding details to the face. As we age, our face gets wrinkles. The more wrinkles we have, the older we look. The more lines you draw, the older the subject looks because those lines easily read as wrinkles. I apply this “less is more” approach to my black and white caricatures because it greatly increases my speed and it makes my subjects look much younger.

Black and White Caricature Samples