For the past seven years I’ve packed up my pencils, markers and pens and joined a bunch of comic portrait artists at their annual international conventions (plus two wonderful smaller events in Malaga, Spain and Tokyo, Japan.)
They have tolerated my cartooning origins and graphical smart ass, and I’ve been inspired by their gift for rendering exaggerated versions of the human face. Great caricatures often look more like their subjects than the subjects do themselves.
The artists travel far – coming from Asia, New Zealand, the Americas and Europe. Many come on small budgets but participate with enormous energy and talent. We take over the lucky hotel’s ballroom for a week and draw, paint and sculpt each other day and night.
There are seminars on anatomy, dealing with clients, and digital techniques. There are contests and awards and lots of laughs in between. Most of all, it’s a rare opportunity to draw subjects who actually appreciate being stretched and poked fun at.
It’s great fun and we all grow and improve as artists.
The friends I’ve made over the years are dear indeed, although a few are clearly cracked.
Our organization: The International Society of Caricature Artists (<-- link) has a good web site with more information.
I met a new friend this year from Marseille, France: Bertrand Daullé. Check out his work at <link>
Another new friend came from Finland, Teuvo Salminen, also a photographer. He brought his old trumpet and played well at our awards dinner.
