If you want to know how to draw a car, how to draw the Marvel way, is great for cars, helicopters, plane and space age gizmos. When teaching my students how to draw cartoons, I always work with different shapes and lines. The same is in how to draw a caricature, look at the shapes and lines in the face and try to represent the shapes and line direction. When looking to become a professional artist find your best current work for promotional art prints. Custom art prints sent to art directors are the best way to sell your drawing style. You can create portraits and landscape art prints, depending on the layout of your work.

Collecting famous art prints can influence your work and greatly contribute to the quality of your talent. Most of the framed art prints, I collect I see on a steady basis, which helps me creatively. I collect humorous art prints by Jack Davis and Mort Drucker of Mad Fame. Most of the art prints online, come unframed. Framing can become very expensive. I find art prints portraits of famous celebrities. These celebrity art prints can be very helpful in drawing your caricature art. Caricature drawings should always start out with a very lightly penciled sketch. Do not put too much detail in the initial caricature drawing.

The most important factor is practice. A beginner can create a caricature for a gift, for friends and relatives. Caricature gifts created by an art student or hobbyist can be a cherished gift by your loved ones. Caricature cartoons can also be created digitally with programs such as Painter or Photoshop. A caricature gift can be drawn of a single individual or created as a group caricature. Photoshop can also create a photo caricature, stretching and distorting an actual photo of a face. The key to making a funny caricature is also in creating a theme or sport that ties into the persons interests. A caricature illustration can be as simple as a 5 minute drawing to works of art that take weeks to complete. Recently we have seen the rise of caricature software that creates a comical face from a photo.

However the world-renowned animator Walt Disney claimed that animation work could be compared with caricature, saying the most difficult thing to do was find the caricature of an animal that worked best as a human-like character. One of the earliest instances of a caricature has been uncovered in the ruins of Pompeii where a graffiti caricature of a politician had been carved on a wall. Moving forward nearly 1500 years but remaining in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci was an dynamic exponent of the art.

The point of a caricature was to offer an impression of the original which was more striking than a portrait. Diodemmar Casem, one of the best early exponents, claimed to be able to sum up a person in ” three or four strokes of the pen”. Caricature underwent its first successes in the closed aristocratic circles of France and Italy, where such portraits would be passed about for mutual enjoyment.

Many award-winning artists have drawn and painted comical and funny pictures not to mention such legendary historical figures as Raphael and Leonardo De Vinci whose comical works are highly regarded.

In the 15th-century the printing press was popularised by Johann Gutenberg and later this invention gave rise to the ability to replicate satirical images for widespread distribution to the masses. In the 16th-century humorous cartoon strips gave politicians the ability to reach illiterate people to further their cause and win precious votes. They were also a powerful tool of propaganda and party policy.

Contrary to the famous Queen Victoria saying, “We are not amused” the Victorians were actually very easily titillated and throughout the 19th century funny pictures were depicted on Victorian postcards in various formats from slapstick scenes to the more innuendo orientated themes

In the 1890′s the invention of Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope heralded the age of animation screening rudimentary projection technology. Many people of the time saw the enormous potential this novel invention would provide.

The name Disney is synonymous with animation and in 1928 we saw the birth of Mickey Mouse who is still today one of the most iconic and recognised symbols in the world. In the 1950′s the United States also saw another company emerge, Hanna-Barbera Productions which went on to produce many classic cartoons, Scooby Doo, The Flintstones and The Yogi Bear show to name just a few.

Technology has come a long way and from early cartoons in comics and funny pictures on postcards and newspapers we are now treated to high spec digital animation with films like Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

So, the word “caricature” essentially means a “loaded portrait”. Strictly speaking, the term refers merely to depictions of real-life people, and not to cartoon fabrications of fictional characters. However the world-renowned animator Walt Disney claimed that his animation work could be likened to caricature, saying the most difficult thing to do was find the caricature of an animal that worked best as a human-like character.

The purpose of a caricature was to offer an impression of the original which was more striking than a portrait. Diodemmar Casem, one of the great early exponents, claimed to be able to sum up a person in ” three or four strokes of the pen”. Caricature experienced its first successes in the closed aristocratic circles of France and Italy, where such portraits would be passed about for mutual satisfaction.

Mary Darley was one of the first professional caricaturists in England and about 1762 published the first book of caricature drawing in England – A Book of Caricaturas. However, the two greatest proponents of the art of the caricature in the 18th century were Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray. Their styles of work were in great contrast. Rowlandson was the more artistic of the two and took his inspiration from the public at large.

Gillray, on the other hand, was more interested in the political scene and used his art to lampoon political life. Being contemporaries they became great friends and used to spend a great deal of time getting drunk in the taverns of London. In drawing a caricature the caricaturist can choose to either subtly mock or cruelly wound his subject. Drawing caricatures can simply be a form of entertainment and amusement – in which case gentle mockery is in order – or the art can be employed to make a significant social or political point.

Although caricaturists like Gillray increased a lot of controversy in the 18th century by their portrayal of the Royal family and especially George III, it was nothing compared to the present day uproar in the Muslim world brought about by cartoons caricaturing the prophet Mohammed. So the contemporary day caricaturist continues in the satirical mode of his illustrious predecessors.

They say laughter is the best medicine. After all, there’s no better feeling than laughing your heart out at something that’s really funny. What’s more, the funny things tend to stimulate your brain and make you think more actively. That’s because humor and laughter also take a certain level of intelligence. However, with all the jokes getting old these days, it might just be a little harder to find something that’s comical enough to make you laugh or even just smile. So how about trying out something new by learning to have fun with visual stimulation?

Knowing What Makes You Laugh

There are different things that could make a person laugh, and since pictures could say a thousand words, photos can communicate a lot of laughable things effortlessly. From things that have gone wrong to clothes that don’t fit, or from simply awkward ideas to some obviously laughable truths, there are a dozen of things that funny pictures could mean without losing its sense of being funny. There could be double meanings, silly propagandas or just plain weird ideas that could make you go crazy. Nonetheless, the funny stuff could simply make you feel better and make you look at things from a different perspective.

What the Funny Pictures are About

The funny pics could be about anything from funny Christmas pictures to bad hair days. There are pictures about funny signs, funny dog moments, evolution of robots, computers that went wrong, wedding failures and a lot of other things. When you get to the site, be sure to check out the archives. You’ll be going through one topic to the next and pretty soon you might as well be posting your own version of entertaining stuff.

Most pictures are also given captions to make them look funnier. Animal pictures usually comprise of cats and monkeys wearing huge sun glasses or holding a ball. There are funny pictures where dogs and cats act as basketballs that jump into the nets and make a goal. There are other pictures which cats are peeping out of a basket or a monkey or a chimp drinking a cola or a juice bottle. In certain pictures animals are also seen reading newspapers or sitting on bench like buddies.

With the latest technology around and the advent of mobile phones, animals are also seen talking on mobile phones or working on laptops! Sometimes they are also made to sit in cars to pretend as if they are driving a car or so. Most animal pictures are based on monkeys doing human actions since the monkey race is considered to be closest to the human race. These make hilarious pictures and these can be captioned in a very interesting way as well.

Funny animal picture are also available in terms of posters which are very famous amongst pet lovers. Pet lovers decorate these posters on their walls and children and teenagers also enjoy a great deal putting these pictures in their rooms. These pictures are widely available on the internet and can be downloaded for free. You can use these pictures as wall papers and make a collection in your computer for yourself as well.

Funny pictures have always been popular and will be popular in future as well. The beauty of these pictures lies in the fact that they are so close to nature and at the same time depict something so hilarious and cute. Funny animal pictures also carry some sort of a message with them which can either be captioned or can be assumed in a well explanatory picture itself.

So, if you have not explored these pictures then do search a few websites and download these pictures to enjoy and entertain yourself since they are widely available on the internet.

Here are some guidelines that should make the drawing of ears a cinch:

* Be Forewarned

The ear has many nuanced parts to it. So be prepared to spend some time one drawing the ears of your subject. If you know this, you will not get frustrated. There are many curved surfaces and therefore there will also be many changes in values. There will be cast shadows, reflected light, highlights, halftones, and anything in between. Be patient and spend the time.

Fortunately, on many occasions, you will find that your photograph only shows a small part of the ear and with women the ears often do not show up at all.

* Shapes

Look for interlocking shapes and take note of how they fit into the overall structure of the ear. Never deal with a local shape by itself. Always relate it to the neighborhood so it fits well in the total picture.

* Shine

The ear is made of skin that is oilier than, say, cheek skin. Therefore it will be quite shiny. So, expect quite a few highlights and don’t forget to put them in because they are exactly what will make the ears look natural. Also, because of the many creases and crevices, there will be many small dark cast shadows present.

* Edges

There are many edges to the ear and they need to be studied very carefully. There are soft edges and hard edges. There is also quite a bit of reflected light. The ear is off-set from the skull, so it will often cast a shadow and therefore the edge of the ear will show some reflected light. It is important to include this reflected light because that is what gives the ear a rounded three-dimensional look.

* Placement

There are a few pieces of information you must memorize in relation to the “average” ear. First, the ear does not sit straight up and down along the side of the skull. The ear is angled backwards.

The top of the ear lines up with the base of the eyebrow and the bottom of the ear lines up with the bottom of the nostrils.

The length of the ear is equal to the distance between the bottom of the nostrils and the bottom of the chin.

In a side view, the ear sits halfway between the back of the head and the front of the facial plane.

* Individuality

We just discussed the “average” ear. Of course, each individual will slightly deviate from this average in one or more ways. It is important to notice these deviations. This is what makes the individual likeness.

However, when you have memorized the “average” measurements and locations and have them at the ready, it becomes easier to spot the unique features of each individual.

Some people have wrinkles on their ears. Others have lobes that merge into the jaw line while still others have long dangling lobes. So, look out for these peculiarities because they are present in every pencil portrait subject.

This should do it for the ear guidelines. The main thing with ears is to be patient. The ear is quite challenging and when completely visible takes quite a bit of time and effort to render adequately.

In order to draw a caricature, the first step is to study faces. You need to study as many faces as you possibly can. You need to study them in photographs and you need to study them in real life. You should try to visualize those features that make the face unique. In other words, since you are going to capture the essence by exaggerating certain feature, you need to understand just what the essence is. The basic rule of this stage is that you are going to maximize the features of the face that are maximized in the subject, and minimize the features of the face that are minimized in the in subject. If the subject has small eyes, for instance, and you draw the eyes very large, you may make a cartoon looking image, but you will not have captured the essence. It will also be unidentifiable.

Proper equipment is important, and the next step is to make sure you have what you need. A good place to start when learning is with pencil. Avoid #2 pencils and look for 4B or 5B pencils instead. The 5B pencil makes a thick and black line. The caricature is going to have a certain cartoony look to it, and the thick black lines will help accomplish this. Then draw the subject much as you would a regular portrait, but using bold and exaggerated lines and a minimum of shadowing.

You are going to be maximizing the dominant feature that captures the essence of the subject. You should be able to determine what that is from your study of the face. It could be a large nose, large forehead, or a big smile. It could also be a small ears or a weak chin. Your caricature drawing should reflect this dominant feature. If you are seeking more of a cartoon caricature, merely do a bit more exaggerating of that essential feature. Like any art form, caricature takes practice, and when you feel you have practiced as much as you can, the next step is to practice a little bit more.

The reason that this is a good starting point is that everyone can relate to cartoons. Whether it was Mickey Mouse or it was the Powerpuff Girls, we can all relate to cartoons. The reason that cartoons are such a great place to start drawing, is that they allow you to be as ridiculous as you care to be. Cartoons by nature are exaggerated, and therefore you can get away with breaking a few of the usual drawing no nos.

A thing that you need to consider before delving into cartoon drawing is what type of cartoon you actually care to draw. Much like any other faction of artistry, there are subcategories to allow you to excel in certain types of toon creation.

You might not know someone who has excelled at drawing cartoons. Therefore, having a person to gather knowledge from might not work. Another option is to consider the many resources at your disposal online. There are different levels of these resources, and many of them are free to view and utilize. You can even find step-by-step video instructions on sites like Youtube.

There are a lot of folks that swear that through tracing some of your favorite cartoon characters, you can have a better grasp on how cartoons in general are drawn. However, a more effective plan than this is to print out some sample cartoons on grid paper. Then, using a blank sheet of grid paper, you can use the corresponding squares to show you piece by piece how to draw your favorites.

There are today many resources available which you can learn to draw cartoons from. Learning to draw cartoons may be interest and it is not too difficult to learn. The most important thing deciding your success in drawing art is just your interest.