For many people, the mention of cartoon caricatures conjures up an image of a the seaside promenade; a crowded beach front with a row of artists sketching uncomfortable looking tourists, as many more tourists look on. But, in reality, the days when the sea side was the only place you could get a caricature drawn are gone. What’s more, caricatures have matured into a fantastic way of surprising a friend or relative with a very thoughtful gift – here are the top three reasons why:

No posing necessary: these days you don’t need to sit in front of a crowd of tourists as you pose for your caricature – online companies like Charlie’s Cartoons can manage the entire process over the internet, with impressive results.  All you need to do is send a photograph or two and include a brief description of the subject – you can liaise with the artist to discuss your exact requirements and everything else is done by them: this means you can totally surprise a friend or relative with a caricature of themselves. All you need are a few good photos and a little bit of time.

An original gift: if you have a friend with a sense of humour and you want to find them the perfect present, cartoon caricatures are a great idea. They are fun, memorable and thoughtful, plus they make for a very personal gift – as you go through the design process you can make sure that they really reflect the personality and style of the person in question. The beauty of such services lies in the ability to create unique artwork that looks exactly as you want it to look: you’ll see the idea for the finished caricature before its drawn so you can make comments and changes to ensure that you’re totally happy with the finished product.

No hassle: If you’re shopping for a wedding present or birthday gift, the chances are that all the other present buyers are hunting in exactly the same places, and the shops are often less fun when you’re not selecting things for yourself. Not only will a caricature be a unique gift, it will be completely hassle free for you to get your hands on: with an on-line service like Charlie’s, once you’ve sent a few photos with some supporting information, the finished product will be delivered to you framed and ready to go – hand painted and beautifully finished.

Wedding season is in full swing, and over the next few months many people will find themselves attending at least one or two – if not an entire summer’s worth. Although weddings are always something to look forward to as a guest (minimum hassle when it comes to organisation, just a great party and a lovely celebration to look forward to), they do take a bit of work as well, from organising transport and accommodation to finding a suitable outfit.

But the really tough nut to crack when you’ve been invited to a wedding is buying the perfect gift; how can you make sure you find something that the happy couple doesn’t already have, and that they’re not going to get from anyone else?  A wedding is one of life’s most memorable events for the bride and groom so, even for those couples who wisely choose to set up an online wedding shop or opt for gift vouchers, it’s worth investing in a more personal gift that will remind them of their big day for years to come.

If you’ve decided you want to find a personal and unique wedding gift for a close friend or relatives, Charlie’s Cartoons is the bespoke answer you’re looking for. Charlie’s Cartoons are custom made, beautifully painted cartoon caricatures that are especially designed to provide a lasting memento of the highlights in life – and what better highlight to celebrate than a wedding?

With an on-line service like Charlie’s, all you need to do is send a few photos with some supporting information about couple for whom the cartoon caricature is intended. Once you’ve fine-tuned your request the result, which is always hand drawn and painted, will be delivered to you framed and ready to go, so you won’t ruin the surprise by asking your friends to pose for the painting.

The beauty of this service lies in the ability to create unique artwork that looks exactly as you want it to look: you’ll see the idea for the finished caricature before its drawn so you can make comments and changes to ensure that you’re totally happy with the finished gift. The newlyweds will be delighted not only by the present, but by the thought and effort you’ve obviously put into to your choice. Caricatures are fun and original, so they’ll provide a unique contrast to the traditional wedding photos or posed portraits that many newlyweds pose for, as well as a lasting memory.

Sometimes, on those bright sunny days in the cities of the world you will see an artist sitting with a small crowd around them, sketching a subject and drawing cartoon caricatures of passers by. Have you ever wished that you had the kids with you so that you could get personalised caricatures made of them, or members of your family or your best friend? Maybe even your boss! Sadly this isn’t always possible but there are now caricature artists who operate online who will do this. But how do they do it?

A good online artist will work in a similar way to the street artists, but because they can’t see their subject they will require a number of photographs to work from. In many ways this can be an advantage because the photographs will show many different sides to the subject’s personality. They may show them being sporty, being with their families or pets, being in a party mood or a reflective mood. This is only half of what it takes to make good personalised caricatures though; the artist will also ask for some personal information. They will want to know some of their subject’s history, what they like to do, what their hobbies and interests are and they will ask for some amusing anecdotes from their past that better reflect their subject’s personality.

This gives the artist a much more clear idea of who their subject is. The online caricature artist will take all of this information and come up with an idea of what they want to draw but generally, before they actually commit this to a final portrait they will run this past the person commissioning the work and get their feedback to check this is how they want it to be. Once there is an agreement the artist will create the final work and send it out to the buyer. Simple, but very effective.

Have you ever been looking for a perfect gift for a wedding and wanted to get the happy couple something unique that nobody else will have thought of? In many ways this is the Holy Grail of wedding gifts but here’s a useful tip – Why not take a look at getting personalised caricatures made of the bride and groom? Cartoon caricatures are a wonderful gift and a good artist will be able to use a number of photos plus some information on the people to create a humorous piece of unique comic art that the bride and groom can keep forever, they can even include them in their wedding photograph album.

What is so unique and special about Cartoon caricatures is that they take in all aspects of the person or people represented. Often an artist will want quite a lot of information about their subject, some details about them as people, things they like and dislike and some amusing anecdotes from their past. This will give them a much better idea about their personality since the cartoon is meant to be much more than just a photograph; it is meant to reflect the best parts of the subject in a picture and to bring out their inner characteristics as well as just their looks. A good artist will work with you and give you an idea how the personalised caricatures will look before they do the final piece of artwork – This is much more than a few minute street artist would do because you will be allowed to work on ideas and put a lot of your own ideas into the final product.

Of course you could use these for things other than weddings. Are you stuck for a 21st Birthday present, maybe a special graduation gift? The caricature is surely a gift for every occasion.

Shoppers wanting to buy unique presents for their friends and family are likely to be impressed by personalised caricatures.

At times it may prove difficult to purchase gifts for individuals who may already own lots of items, or are simply fussy and are consequently a challenge to get items for. However, expert artists are available to create wonderful drawings that capture the personality of the individual concerned. These humorous portrayals are a great way to brighten the receiver’s day and bring a smile to their face.

Shoppers are likely to be aware of caricature portraits and how they highlight people’s features that are most recognisable. This art form is popular around the world, with models appreciating the expertise that goes into creating them. Rather than just drawing an impression of someone’s looks, artists specialising in these images can also add many details about the individuals’ hobbies in a humorous way.

Those keen on purchasing the portraits collect several photos of their loved ones, which form the basis of the artwork. Following this, shoppers have a chat with portrait experts about the person concerned and these extra details assist the finished product in being truly representative. For example, if the image is for a man who enjoys playing football and going out on his motorbike, then elements from these hobbies can be added to the drawings.

In order to inject humour into the creations, the artists may suggest adding details of in-jokes or funny situations that have cropped up throughout the life of the person concerned. In addition to this, shoppers are able to offer their thoughts in regard to the finished goods, meaning they can help direct its development. In this way, the buyer is able to give their suggestions concerning the ideas that make up the personalised caricature, ensuring it is a good reflection of their family member or friend that will receive it.

Cartoons are not just for youngsters, as adults who buy caricature portraits get as much pleasure from the brightly coloured images as children.

Expert artists are aware of the appeal of drawings that form a likeness of the individual receiving the finished product. These kinds of portraits are humorous by nature as they play up people’s most recognizable features in a funny way. They give great pleasure to individuals who find it interesting to get an impression of themselves from a different angle. In order to make these artworks even more appealing, specialist drawers can add in other details that transform the images from likenesses to full blown cartoon caricatures.

Artists work from photos of the subject and fill in backgrounds using information given concerning the person being drawn. This means that people who share a history together can have elements of their past brought to life in the lively colours of the images. There is much scope for what can be included in the drawings, making them highly personalised.

For example, the person buying the image as a gift, may like the artist to highlight landmarks in the subject’s career or personal life, leading many shoppers to purchase them to celebrate special events. Expert artists have produced cartoon caricatures that reflect people’s prowess and achievements in a hobby, for instance. While success in exams and recent anniversaries have all been noted pictorially on the drawings.

As well as their personalised nature, another aspect of these portraits that sets them apart from other gifts is their sense of fun. Expertly drawn cartoons mixed with humorous events from peoples’ lives are a great way to make them smile and usually see the image becoming a treasured gift. Specialists are available to help make appropriate suggestions, while buyers are free to add their own thoughts on the finished product, as they know the individual best.

If you’re buying a present for someone close to you and you want to make it really memorable, the challenge isn’t ‘what can I afford?’ To find a really special gift you need to invest some cash and most people are readily prepared to do so.  The question of ‘where should I look’ is also no longer a problem  these days thanks to the plethora of specialist gift and gadget retailers that have sprung up on the high street and the internet, all offering a whole range of thoughtful, unusual items for every occasion form christenings to crystal weddings.

The real nut to crack when it comes to buying the perfect gift is, ‘how to I make sure I find something that they don’t already have, and that they’re not going to get from anyone else?’

If you’re shopping for a wedding present, birthday present or gift for any memorable event, the chances are that all the other guests are probably thinking exactly the same thoughts and hunting in exactly the same places.

But luckily there’s an easy way to solve this conundrum – give them a painting of themselves; not an old fashioned oil painting, but something fun, original and personal like a personalised caricature, which can reflect many aspects of their appearance and personality or remind them of a special event or memory.

Thanks to the appearance of websites specialising in cartoon caricatures, you won’t ruin the surprise by asking your friend to pose for the painting – all you need to do is send a few photos and liaise with the artist online to ensure you get exactly what you want. If your friend enjoys sky-diving, commission a caricature that shows them in action; if you went on an amazing holiday with them, ask for the picture to be set in that holiday location. The details are entirely up to you, and once you’ve decided on your requirements you’ll be sent a beautifully painted, framed cartoon caricature that’s all ready for the big day.

As well as being amazing gifts in themselves, caricature portraits really prove that you’ve thought long and hard about finding the right thing, invested time into purchasing it. What’s more, caricatures are guaranteed to be completely personal and unique to the recipient – this is the real key to ensuring you find a gift that will never be forgotten.

If you have a friend with a great sense of humour and you want to find them the perfect gift, caricature portraits are an unusual and inspired idea. The word ‘caricature’ might conjure in your mind a crowded beach front with a row of artists sketching uncomfortable looking tourists, but rest assured that in reality the days when the sea side was the only place you could get a caricature drawn are gone.

These days you can find on-line services offering a whole range of personalised caricatures, and you won’t need to sit in front of a crowd of onlookers as they’re drawn – this means you can totally surprise a friend or relative with a caricature as a gift. All you need are a few good photos, a little bit of time to browse the internet and find a service like Charlie’s Cartoons.

Charlie’s Cartoons is a personal service offering caricature portraits that are not only great quality but couldn’t be easier to order.  With an on-line service like Charlie’s, all you need to do is send a few photos with some supporting information about the friend or relative for whom the caricature is intended. Once you’ve fine tuned your request the result, which is always hand drawn and painted, will be delivered to you framed and ready to go. The beauty of such services lies in the ability to create unique artwork that looks exactly as you want it to look: you’ll see the idea for the finished caricature before its drawn so you can make comments and changes to ensure that you’re totally happy with the finished gift.

Caricature portraits are fun, memorable and thoughtful, plus they make for a very personal present – as you go through the design process you can ensure that they really reflect the personality and style of the person in question, then see the surprise and delight on their face as they open their present and see their caricatures looking back.

They make striking and very individual presents and are always sure to be memorable – but what is the secret of creating cartoon caricatures that really capture the person or people being portrayed and sum up their personalities and their attitudes to life in a way that will really appeal to the receiver of the gift?

Caricature portraits are available on the street corners of many of the world’s most famous cities or wherever there are tourists ready to spend their money on something that will remind them of their trip and amuse family and friends at home.

But creating something really special with pens, brushes and ink is very different.  Obviously, the artist will want to make the final product look like the person featured in it – picking out the distinguishing features of their face and body.  But doing this is in a way that is funny and yet warm and endearing and will not cause offence requires extra skill.

Knowing something about the subject’s character, manner, likes and dislikes as well as their personal foibles and hobbies will also help to create an image which is not only amusing but is accurate and has clearly required some thought on behalf of the artist and the person providing the brief.

Choosing the right occasion to capture on paper – a graduation, a birthday, a wedding or even a special holiday or an anniversary is important.  If there are to be two or three people – perhaps friends, family members or even business partners – in the picture the artist will want to know something about how they relate to each other and how they behave together as well as the character traits of each of them in order to show them in way that accurately sums up their relationship.

Drawing caricatures is easy, but creating something that is funny but not offensive and that has real insights requires a particular talent.

If you think that we’re unkind about politicians, celebrities and the Royal Family these days, then you should look at some of the cartoon caricatures of centuries past.

Take the case, for instance, of George Cruikshank, an eighteenth century British painter of caricature portraits and prints that mercilessly ridiculed members of parliament and of the government and that attacked the then Royal Family.  It’s said that in 1820 he was bribed to the tune of £100 – a huge amount of money in those days, simply not to create caricatures of George III, who was then king and was easily mocked.

Despite this generous financial incentive, Cruikshank created prints and other images that ridiculed and satirised public life for popular magazines and pamphlets such as The Comic Almanack and Omnibus.  He was also an illustrator for the novelist Charles Dickens amongst other writers.

Later, on the other side of the Atlantic, Thomas Nast was credited for cutting American politicians down to size with is pen and paintbrush.  He is also considered to be the creator of the Democratic Party’s donkey and the Republican elephant and, even, Father Christmas.

More recently Gerald Scarfe and Steve Bell in Britain and Sebastian Kruger in Germany have been celebrated – and attacked in equal measure – for their pictures which puncture the pompous and poke fun at our leaders.

But cartoon caricatures are not purely destructive and negative – they can summarise what many are thinking, getting to the heart of issue more effectively than journalists, writers columnists.  They can express anger, outrage but also amusement and affection in a way that is immediate and striking if they are done with real skill, insight and wit.

Caricature cartoons can use images as a metaphor to make a point in a way that creators of the written word often cannot – after all, as they way, a picture paints a thousand words.