I'm about to start my 8Th semester teaching
The Art of Caricature for
Schoolism. I often get emails from people asking if they'll get anything out of the class, if it's worth it. So I wanted to share a little about my class at
Schoolism and what it's all about.
It is a course on caricature, but more than that, it's a course about developing yourself as an artist. Pushing yourself and taking chances. I teach how to see people differently. Caricature is not about picking out one or two features on a person's face and then blowing them out of the water with your "mad" exaggeration skills! It can be so much more than that, and it's more enjoyable when it is. What I'm after and what I teach is to capture personality, character, and the essence of a person.
When I draw people, I'm not trying to be "funny". I don't focused on what I "should" or "could" do to be super funny. If I capture the person's essence, and even if the exaggeration is minimal, it will be funny, because the truth was captured, or enhanced. Hence the title of my blog, "It's Funny Because it's True". Of course I throw humor in there, but it's like cooking, just a little seasoning here and there so that the meal as a "whole" is delicious!
In my course I cover everything from exaggeration while keeping likeness, to structure, form, anatomy, cross hatching and other drawing techniques, values and color techniques, painting and much, much more! Near the end of the course I explain my process for drawing people in any environment or position that an art director could muster up. The students finish a piece that they can use for promotion, a nice piece of art that they can hopefully grab the attention of art directors with.
I've taken on students who could barely draw and by the end of the course they were doing better work than is seen in most publications out there . . .
no joke! This is why I continue to teach for
Schoolism. On the other hand there have also been a few students who were pretty good, but had poor work habits and or thought they were too good to listen to my advice (why they signed up, who knows?). And they failed miserably.
If you really want to learn, and if you're willing to work hard and push yourself as an artist, you will finish the course a more confident and equipped artist! I don't play around, I tell you how it is, but mostly I care about you and your art and want to help you reach your goals!
The only thing standing in the way of reaching your goals artistically is you!
Here's a little something written by a previous student of mine,
Torren Thomas.When I first saw Torren's work on the first assignment, I knew there was talent, but more than that, Torren had the ambition and passion to grow and achieve his goals! Torren worked very hard, and did some great work throughout the course!
"Since i started my blog and website I've had a few people ask me how much i benefited as an artist from taking classes through the schoolism.com online courses. though i always sing the praises of school whenever i am asked, i think its easier to show you than it is to tell you. As i stated in a earlier post I'm currently working on a few paintings that may or may not end up hanging in Antonio's Pizzeria, the new restaurant a friend is involved in. one of the signature sandwiches on their menu is the" Tony Soprano" and since I am a huge fan of that show i thought he was good person to start with. Well how does that fit with Schoolism? I'll tell you. while working on this piece i came across an old painting i did of Tony Soprano in summer 2007. i think you can see the differences between the two. So for anybody that is on the fence about signing up for a schoolism course, DO IT. It is some of the best money you will ever spend."
-Torren Thomas
Tony Soprano before The Art of Caricature at
Schoolism.com
Tony Soprano after The Art of Caricature at
Schoolism.com
If interested in, or want more info, visit Schoolism.com
Click
hereto see a sample critique from one of my past semesters.
My next course starts on
October 9Th, spaces are filling up, sign up today!
