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April 4, 2011
We live in the age of the digital camera. Snaps taken in this way can be great, but there is something slightly impersonal about many of them. Not only this, but often these images are kept on computers rather than being printed out and physically stored.
When it comes to special occasions, this can be a great shame. So, if you are in the process of organising an event such as an important birthday, an anniversary or anything else you think deserves extra attention, you might want to think about commissioning cartoon caricatures. Indeed, you can take advantage of such services even if the occasion has already been and gone.
All you need to have your ideal custom caricatures made is a couple of pictures from the big day. By sending these into us here at Charlie’s Cartoons, along with some information about the people involved and the day itself, you can rest assured you will get a composition that more than does the event justice.
Personalised caricatures are ideal as a way of marking these episodes in life because of their ability to get so much detail into a relatively small space. They can encapsulate something of the personalities of the subjects, as well as the occurrences of the day. This is something other types of image simply cannot achieve.
To find out more about caricature pictures, have a look around our website or get in touch. You might be surprised by what can be achieved using a little talent, imagination and of course ink.
March 28, 2011
Retirement is bittersweet. On one hand it’s a time to celebrate the successes of a long career and look forward to more relaxing times ahead, but on the other, retirement does mean leaving. Few people leave their workplace – all the friends and colleagues, all the projects as yet unfinished- without ever looking back.
The perfect present should show your appreciation for the retiring workmate and express sorrow that they’re leaving, but without getting too maudlin. You’ll want something that is precious yet light-hearted, more interesting than the traditional clock or watch, and something that will remind the recipient of the good times they had at work. Caricature portraits are perfect on all counts.
It’s quite possible to create an excellent caricature from photos so there is no need to ruin the surprise. Caricature gifts are a little unusual and even if they do spot a paper-wrapped rectangle that looks like a portrait, they’ll never suspect that the contents are much more fun than an everyday photograph.
Group caricatures make some of the best retirement presents because they provide a reminder of the friends that will be left behind. They also show that nobody in the cartoon is taking themselves too seriously. Not even the most sensitive ego could be bruised by appearing in a funny and well executed group cartoon.
Whether you’d like to know more about group caricatures or order an individual portrait, get in touch today. We’ll make sure that your departing friend gets a brilliant, heart-warming retirement gift.
March 9, 2011
Family holidays should be celebrated. It’s often those memories that are the most precious. On holiday the whole family is together, enjoying themselves and getting along, seeing new sights and taking part in new and exciting activities. They are the times we look forward to more than any other and the times we remember most fondly when they’ve passed.
Personalised caricatures are a great way of recording a holiday. A photo will only show one moment (and one person will almost always be behind the camera, not taking part in the fun) but cartoons and caricatures can capture all the best bits of the whole holiday and combine them into one picture.
Perhaps the youngest son found a crab in a rockpool while the eldest took a windsurfing lesson. If you ask mum, the highlight of the holiday might have been the fancy restaurant dinner on the last night, while dad could have preferred reading the paper in his deck chair and having a relaxed snooze in the sun. All those elements and many more can be combined into a single picture through the magic of personalised caricatures.
We love creating family caricatures from holiday pictures and the stories that go along with them. The process is a lot of fun for us and at the end, you’ll get the perfect record of all your favourite holiday moments. Being able to put that special cartoon on the wall will make sure nobody in the family can forget what a great time they had together.
March 2, 2011
Caricature pictures make wonderful surprise gifts but there is also some value in deciding to get one made as a couple. Sure, you miss out on the element of surprise (unlike a photographic studio portrait, it’s possible to create a caricature from photos you already have in your album – make copies and nobody need know that a personal caricature is on the way), but there is a positive side.
In order to help us draw the finest caricatures possible, you have to decide what elements you’d like in the picture. If you were ordering a cartoon portrait of a loved one you might ask for something specific to be included. We can use a favourite set of golf clubs, an aquarium of tropical fish, a best dress, or a beloved pet as an element in the picture. That goes for single portraits and couples. Getting caricature pictures made as a couple gives you an excuse to sit down and work out what the most important things in the relationship are. What is it you love about one another? What do you enjoy doing together?
Special memories can also be included in caricatures. We can include a detail from the place you met or the restaurant where he proposed. You can be drawn in a tropical jungle or in front of a New York cityscape as a reminder of a wonderful holiday you took together. Commissioning a caricature from photos is also the perfect excuse to sit down together and look through your collection of pictures.
A caricature of the two of you together is a celebration of your relationship, but simply getting one done together will bring you closer and remind you of all the good times you’ve had as a couple. So go on, try caricature gifts for your next special occasion.
February 27, 2011
What do you buy the couple who have everything? When it comes to getting the perfect wedding gift, it can be tricky to come up with something that is at the same time original, on budget and will be something the happy couple will treasure.
It’s the same when someone is retiring, or leaving your workplace – you want a gift you know is personal and memorable. Charlie’s Cartoons can provide the perfect solution in the form of wedding caricatures, group caricatures and family caricatures. Working from caricature photos that you provide – usually two or three is sufficient – Charlie comes up with an idea for caricature portraits of your friends, families and loved ones that will amuse and delight them.
Everyone would love to have their own caricatures, because they can hang on the wall for years as enjoyable memories. Caricature portraits are the most personal gift you can buy – if you think the person you are buying a gift for would not like caricature pictures of themselves, get the whole family portrayed. We can also provide caricatures from photos.
It takes just a couple of weeks, often less, to get custom caricatures created by Charlie, who will then provide them finished in inks and water colours for full effect. Charlie’s Cartoons also send the finished items to you mounted and framed as you wish – and you may be surprised at the low cost of all this skill and expertise.
Give truly personal gifts – get them personalised caricatures!
February 9, 2011
Personalised caricatures have been around in one form or another for centuries – you could even argue that the ancient Egyptians were a dab hand at this kind of pictorial art. Charlie’s Cartoons haven’t been around for quite that long, of course, but we’ve already found out that cartoon caricatures are an immensely popular gift. It’s not surprising, when you think about it – they say that with gifts it’s the thought that counts, and caricature gifts are so personal they show a lot of care and consideration.
That’s not to say they take forever to produce. Charlie can produce a caricature from photos provided by yourself in a timeframe ranging from three days (in emergencies!) to three weeks, so your caricature gifts can be with you in plenty of time for your big occasion.
You can provide a story along with your caricature pictures if you wish, which gives Charlie a little extra material to work with – perhaps the person you are buying a gift for is a keen golfer, or once met somebody famous….Charlie can even take a number of separate photos and compile family caricatures or group caricatures so you can all be in on the gift together.
Once you’ve sent your pictures, Charlie contacts you in 24 hours with an idea for the caricature, which you can edit or change. From there, the artistry begins, resulting in a finished cartoon, mounted and framed to your specific requirements. It’s a thoughtful gift that will continue to delight the recipient for years.
January 15, 2011
Personalised caricatures make great gifts for families and one of the most enjoyable aspects of Charlie’s work is hearing about remarkable family stories and condensing and converting them into brilliant bespoke compositions. Caricatures amaze and delight families as they capture special moments in time, and the particular tastes and events of each family member at these moments. Furthermore, family caricatures can cleverly reference the family relationships and dynamic interactions between each member which bond the family in love, affection, and even, at times, frustration and bewilderment.
Many families choose to invest in expensive professional photographs, but the results are often mundane and underwhelming. Family caricatures are dynamic and vibrant and capture the truth of a moment in a family’s life in a way which is impossible through any other artistic medium. These gifts can be perfect for children who are about to leave home for university or to embark on independent life through a particular profession, or conversely, can be given by kids flying the nest to their parents as a thank you for their many years of love and support.
Alternatively, caricature pictures can be used to mark milestones such as graduations, anniversaries, relocations to other areas, family business achievements or reunions.
They can be premium presents for family members who have emigrated, and will bring moments of daily joy to homes across the globe. www.charliescartoons.com can capture your family’s story in an amazingly accurate manner, every brushstroke lovingly placed to reflect years of combined history.
December 12, 2010
Caricatures are all too often associated with a man near a beach who will draw you with your hair full of salt and your freshly pinked skin as a focus of the piece. Yet despite the fact people know that they are going to be drawn at a time when they are probably not looking their best does very little to dissuade people from buying them.
The simple reason for their popularity is that they are quirky and fun, and a great way to remember something special such as a great holiday. However, very few people are going to want to frame a picture of themselves dressed in only a bikini with sunglasses, tan lines and hair that is not so much demur as drowned.
So how can one go about getting great personalised caricatures to remind themselves of special occasions that they will want to show off to the world?
Well, caricatures don’t have to be reserved for the moment you have just got off a donkey. There are plenty of online artists who offer personalised caricatures based on your own unique photos that will give you a fun and interesting way to remember any special events from weddings to particular achievements. And rather than a swimming costume and a whole load of fake muscles languishing on a surfboard despite the fact you have never surfed in your life, the end result will not only be much more realistic, but also much more personal to you or the lucky recipient.
Whether you are looking for a unique present that has the most personal of touches possible or whether you simply want something more interesting to adorn your walls, creating your own cartoon of your life or the life of your loved one is a great way to do it.
November 3, 2010
Let’s face it. Caricature pictures are not for the faint hearted or the easily offended. Cartoons and caricatures are usually intended to be funny and entertaining so they may not always be the best idea for someone who gets offended easily. On the other hand, people of all ages can enjoy them – as long as they are above board and free from potentially offensive content.
Caricature pictures are supposed to make us laugh and smile. Depending on what you are after, they can also come in many different forms. For instance, if you are looking for an artist to draw pictures of guests at an event, this can be arranged. These days, having an artist draw caricature pictures at an event (such as a wedding) is becoming more and more popular. As the subject sits for the artist, the other guests can watch as the picture comes to life.
Other pictures can be drawn from photos and the artist may also pick out some aspects of the subject’s personality or interests. The possibilities are endless when it comes to producing caricatures, which is why each will be unique from the last one the artist produced. It can also be fun to have family caricatures drawn, which will be something to treasure for a long time.
When flicking through a newspaper or magazine, we may also come across some caricatures and cartoons of leading political
figures or celebrities. These are designed with mock humour and irony in mind, and are intended to either make us laugh or perhaps convey a hidden meaning beneath the surface.
October 27, 2010
With a history as long as that of caricature, it’s perhaps surprising that the art form has digressed very little from its most amiably satirical standpoint. Caricatures have long been an acceptable, cheeky form of something like an insult, only softer around the edges.
Personalised caricatures have served their respective sides well in terms of politics since First World War. Artists were afforded the scope to display unspeakable acts and heinous personality traits in a tolerable visual form. Similarly to mainstream children’s cartoons of today, where human blood and slaughter are forbidden and thusly substituted with armies of savaged monsters or massacred robots, the versatile art of caricatures granted wonderfully sneaky artistic licence to publically mock political or prominent figures, showing a level of brutality and scorn that would perhaps, in any other medium, have been unacceptable. Modern caricature continues to grace the pages of every newspaper and magazine, humorously demonstrating the failings and follies of our peers in its uniquely palatable form.
Contemporary personalised caricature has become somewhat of a tourist attraction in locales like Covent Garden in London, and on the mainland European streets in the likes of Paris, Barcelona and Rome. In these terms, caricature is no more or less than a gentle bespoke spoof. The place of caricature in contemporary street art and performance is undisputed and remains largely unchanged. Of course being able to see the funny side of a particularly biting personalised caricature is certainly necessary before engaging the services of many street caricature artists.
In a world filled with impersonal luxury and uniformity, personalised gifts mark a gesture of authenticity so often lacking in gift giving. It’s perhaps this hunt for “the personal touch” that’s currently boosting the trade of caricature artists. Unique and witty, in all likelihood the art of caricature will continue its life narrations for many satirically endowed years to come.
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