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October 22, 2011
So what have been the highlights of the business so far? We’ve been making cartoon caricatures at Charlie’s Cartoons now for almost two years, and it’s true that the day to day process is pretty exhausting. Some of it is exciting and creative, some of it repetitive, like in any industry. But I suppose the main thing that lets us have fun is the fact that we have to be immersed, very quickly, into other people’s lives. Good cartoon caricatures require intimate knowledge of people .
One definite highlight has to be when the secretary to Francis Baron, the former chairman of the Rugby Football Union, invited me to Twickenham to discuss producing a caricature of the England team, and of Francis himself. Now most cartoon caricatures require us to enjoy getting acquainted with people from photos and emails. For this caricature, I was actually invited to come and see the England versus Barbarians match, just to get a feel of the stadium! Anyway, I hope the feel was conveyed in the cartoon… because it was one of the best cartoon caricatures I’ve had the pleasure of doing, and one of the most immersive creative processes I’ve ever enjoyed.
Once the match was over, it was time to knuckle down and get to work. The problem was: I do most of my cartoon caricatures with watercolour on paper… and this one had to be done with oil paint on canvas! Added to which, the only oil paint I had were the primary colours: red, yellow, blue. Oh, and some green thrown in too. Not the easiest cartoon caricatures experience – but we got there in the end.
October 15, 2011
Many cartoon caricature artists work simply with one picture in mind, and will drawn the same figure in the same context. However, here at Charlie’s Cartoons, we only draw our subject exactly how our customer wants them. So, whether your chosen subject likes football or shopping, there is always something for you. We offer many different styles of caricatures from photos as well, ranging from graduation gifts, to anniversary gifts, to more humorous and funny gifts.
Our range of caricatures is available to view on our website. We can tailor any cartoon caricature to however you want it. So, whether you are looking for your brother, for your father, or for a friend, we really can help you in every way. Most of our caricatures also have a humorous side to them, and they can also tell tales of a person’s life and past experience. We can incorporate any past experience into your caricature, and the more suggestions you give us, the more we get to play with.
The process for a caricature from photos is made simple by our experts. All you need to do is firstly contact us, just to gain further information on exactly what we can offer. The next step is generally sending a few photographs of your chosen subject to us. Now, these photographs are best when taken as a portrait, and possibly from different angles. Normally 2 or 3 photos will suffice. Once we have received these, as they say, the rest is history!
October 12, 2011
More and more companies are turning to people like us for cartoon caricatures to use as their website mugshots, rather than photos. Maybe it’s because they think we’re more flattering, maybe it’s because photographers cost so much? (Well I know we’re not exactly cheap – but £300 for a headshot? Come on!) Maybe it’s just that cartoon caricatures can convey that dynamic glint in the eye that companies want to convey… And also, when you’ve had that swanky website designed to make your company look like the hottest on the block, cartoon caricatures can be the final touch that just makes you look like you don’t take yourself too seriously.
Then there are the style choices: Do you want your cartoon caricatures to be heads only, head and shoulders only, or full body? Full body cartoon caricatures are my favourite: they enable for an element of personality to be worked in: sportiness, geekiness, any personality facet – or else the caricature can convey a hobby, a particular profession, anything.
And then, what’s great for us is that companies require continuity… So to preserve the consistent style of the website, whenever people are fired or hired, cartoon caricatures are removed and replaced. Might seem like a harsh and slightly mercenary way to look at things, but it’s a great stream of caricature business for us!
We can also be a very cheap option for businesses. As a start up, we need to get our cartoon caricatures out there into the public eye, so I’m more than ready to strike deals: cheaper cartoon caricatures in exchange for references and clickable links on the page. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours!
October 10, 2011
Christmas is fast approaching, and you always find yourself buying the same gifts for the same people. For your parents, socks and nice jumpers always suffice. For friends and family, gifts seem to centre around cds, dvds, and other such items. Whilst the thought is there, you can’t help thinking that something more unique may have meant more.
Here at Charlie’s Cartoons, we produce high quality cartoon caricatures from photos. As all of our drawings are made from photographs, you can be sure that whoever you are giving this gift to will be fully appreciative. With that extra humour added into the mixture, this is also a funny gift, and will be sure to make you smile every time you see it. So, whether you are buying for your granddad or your mother, these cartoon caricatures are an absolutely brilliant gift idea this Christmas.
The process could not be simpler. All you need to do is send us a photograph or two of the person you wish to be drawn, and we do the rest. It is important however that the photographs are good, and depict the chosen person well. It is not so good to send group photos, unless you are in need of a caricature cartoon of a group.
The cartoon caricatures can be made specifically to you, and tailored however you want it. Thinking of a Christmas present, you could always have a Santa’s hat or beard drawn on to your chosen person, or they could even be riding a reindeer! It is completely up to you!
September 9, 2011
Looking for a gift for an animal lover in your life? How about caricature cartoons of their pets? This is a fun way to give a piece of original artwork that will have special meaning to the recipient.
Pets offer lots of fun and humorous potential for a caricature cartoon as they are often doing funny things, acting mischievous, and posing cutely. Caricatures from photos of pets make good Christmas and birthday gifts. But they would also make a good tribute gift for someone who has recently lost a beloved pet.
For an adult pet portrait, why not consider sending us some photos that span the pet’s lifetime? For instance, if your friend or relative has a cat, send us a picture or two from when the cat was a kitten, and then one of it as an adult.
Or, you could send photos of the pet in some favourite activities or positions. Is this a dog who loves to sleep on his owner’s bed? Or perhaps it’s a rabbit who loves to be cuddled like a baby? Send us these great shots so we can incorporate them into our caricature from photos.
Tell us a little bit about the pet’s personality too. What is his or her name, what are their favourite foods, favourite toys, and who is his or her carer? Once you have chosen your photos, just send them to us via the contact form under the Order Your Cartoon tab. Then we can get started on your caricature pet portrait!
August 21, 2011
Do you love making people laugh? Maybe you’re the one who always gives novelty gifts and funny presents? If so, you’re probably a kid at heart. And most likely people love the gifts you give because they’re fun and unusual. So, why not make the people you care about smile this Christmas with personalised caricature gifts?
A fun way to order your cartoon caricature gifts is to send us some photos of family or friends in their favourite holiday outfits. Perhaps you have photos of siblings or cousins playing in the snow? Or maybe you want a family portrait by the Christmas tree? We can do personalised caricatures from any photo you want to send us.
Caricature cartoons can feature one person, or more than one person. We do group custom caricatures too, so feel free to send any photos, even if they feature multiple people. You can use the contact form (under Order Your Cartoon) to send us as many as four different photos for us to use.
All you need to do is tell us a little bit about the people you want in the drawings so that we can make your caricature gifts fit the personalities and styles of the people you are giving them to.
If you need more help deciding what you want, or you still aren’t sure how things work, please feel free to get in touch with us about our caricature cartoons. We’d love to help you create gifts that will make someone laugh this Christmas.
July 25, 2011
Like many people, you may well have seen caricature cartoons. Such images often feature in newspaper sketches and magazines and you might have seen street artists selling the creations when you are out and about.
However, you may never have considered getting caricature pictures, whether as a gift or for yourself, because you simply don’t know how to approach the task.
The good news is, getting your perfect personalised caricatures may be much easier than you think. The web has had a major impact on many areas of modern life and this is yet another example.
Here at Charlie’s Cartoons we specialise in providing superb quality caricatures and the process of ordering through us could not be more straightforward. All you have to do is send us a few images of the subject in question. Meanwhile, details of the individuals or stories that feature them should also be provided.
We will then get back to you within 24 hours detailing some ideas for your custom caricatures and, if you like the sound of them, we will make a start. Of course, you can add to and edit these suggestions as you please.
After the process is completed, you should have the ideal caricature pictures, and all without having to venture out of your house to order or pick them up.
So, if you think you could benefit from creations like this, now could be the perfect time to investigate further. The only tricky part is deciding which photos to use.
July 14, 2011
If you have been on a trip to remember, you may well want to commemorate it. Perhaps you went with colleagues from work, a group of friends, your partner or your family. Whoever was involved, the memories might be something you are eager to hold onto.
The trouble is, in this age of digital photos, many of the images you take may simply be stored on your computer or downloaded onto the web. This can be a great way of sharing pictures, but it is never as good to view them in this way. They don’t seem as real.
Of course, you can choose to print out some of the photos to place around your home or office, or to keep in albums.
However, you can take this one step further and have special caricature cartoons created to celebrate your adventure. Such pictures are fantastic because not only can they be humorous and great to look at, they also tell a story about your trip.
By sending images into us here at Charlie’s Cartoons, along with a number of anecdotes concerning your holiday, you can rest assured the final product will provide a superb reminder of your experiences.
Among the best images to send in are action shots. These make the perfect base for custom caricatures as people’s features already tend to be exaggerated.
Each time you look at the cartoon caricatures you order, you will instantly be transported back to your trip.
Meanwhile, you can also have such caricature pictures created as a present for your fellow holidaymakers.
July 1, 2011
What does it feel like to make a caricature cartoon? Well it depends on the occasion, really. Last July I was commissioned to create a cartoon for the leaving party of Francis Baron, chairman of the Rugby Football Union, to be presented to him on the day of his departure at Twickenham Stadium. Obviously, it was an important commission for us, and it was of critical importance that I should get it right. I had set aside a week of afternoons (the mornings would be used for administrating the business) to complete it. I had only just received the final bits of information from his secretary, and the deadline was in a week.
It was crucial not to mess this one up. Because of the size (80x60cm), I decided to go for canvas. The tricky thing being, canvas is not the same material as paper, and the medium you use to produce a caricature cartoon on paper is totally different to what you’d use to create a caricature cartoon on canvas… But I did not know this. Instead, I just went ahead with my usual watercolours, which proceeded to fall off the canvas like oil drops off a Teflon pan. I had to bite the bullet and buy some oil colours. Not only had I no experience at all at using oil, but the shop only had three primary colours – blue, yellow and red. I treated myself to some black, white and green, just to be safe. Then, I had to make up every colours (skin included!), from scratch.
Needless to say, it was the most stressful caricature cartoon commission of my life. Still, when a friend called me up 5 days before the deadline, I put the paintbrush between my teeth, wiped the sweat off my brow and answered – Hewwo? She had tickets to Glastonbury festival. Would I work hard and spend the weekend sad and alone, or would I drop everything for the time of my life and almost certain professional ruin? Of course I chose the latter, got back on the Monday hungover, way behind on my deadline, and about to turn thirty the following day. I finished the caricature cartoon in two days, and it was a huge success.
June 17, 2011
When a friend of mine recently sent me an attachment containing a slideshow of different cartoon caricatures, I was less than excited about the prospect of flicking through yet another pointless collection of visual anecdotes, combined by some bored office worker into a “jazzy” pdf. However at the time I had nothing better to do, and although producing cartoon caricatures is what I do for a living, day in day out, I thought: Why not, this might even have a 2% chance of being quite inspiring.
When I opened the attachment however, my entire perspective changed – my expectations had been fundamentally challenged. This was not just some oddball selection of cartoon caricatures, this was a true art gallery, containing some of the finest examples of the genre that I have ever seen.
So what made these cartoon caricatures so good? It was not just the immaculate, photo-real precision with which the artists carved out every character in perfect 3D, nor even the clear technical proficiency each artist showed in their familiarity and mastery of the human physiognomy, but more the ability the artists had to distort feature to such extreme extent, to quadruple a forehead and quarter a nose proportionally, in a way which did not prevent the viewer from recognising the subject.
On the contrary, these cartoon caricatures contained more “reality” and likeness than the best photo ever could. Such is the power of the subjective artistic vision, which is at its best when it communicates with the general psyche in such a way as to make art more real than reality, to make people appear more as themselves through a more contrived medium involving more artistic intervention than the mechanistic processes which produce, say, a photograph.
I realised even more then that making cartoon caricatures is not just a frivolous bit of fun (although it certainly works well as a frivolous bit of fun), but that they sometimes, for all their non-seriousness, are a truly sublime art form. That is, when exaggerations are not gratuitous, but flights of genuine artistic fancy. Those extremes, like in any art form, when sincerely motivated, are most welcome.
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