As caricatures, abstract drawings of people or things, become famous today in the form of wedding entertainment & newspaper comic strips, a curiosity takes root in mind about the origins of such a drawing style. Read more to know about it.

1. Know Your Caricatures
As caricatures become famous today in the form of wedding entertainment and newspaper comic strips, a curiosity
takes root in mind about the origins of such a drawing style. Everyone knows by now that caricatures are abstract
drawings of people or things that highlight a particular aspect of that thing or individual. It has largely become a
drawing style projected as sarcastic and funny. It has a long history too. The first caricature was spotted in the
excavations of the ancient city of Pompeii, where they found pictures resembling caricatures, not of humans, but of a
building. Even stranger is the fact the famous artist, Leonardo Da Vinci, had also taken a keen interest in caricatures.
He used to look for people with deformities on the faces to draw his cartoons.
It wasn’t until the 17th century that this style of drawing gained widespread recognition as a distinct art form. It was
the result of the works of an Italian artist, Annibale Caracci. While conventional art aimed at reproducing the subject
and imagination as something surrealistically beautiful, the caricature art form relied on giving the subject more
meaning than beauty. It often produced contorted pictures that conveyed more meaning than words. Another
original caricature cartoon artist was Gianlorenzo Bernini, the word of whose deftness at this art form traveled swiftly
around the place. With a minimum number of strokes, he could produce powerful pictures.
England saw first of her caricatures in the 18th century when they became a source of amusement for the wealthy
class. As soon as mass media of the print arrived, caricatures found themselves making their way into newspaper and
magazine columns, making regular appearances. It was here that this art form transformed into something that could
create chaos through open mockery. Newly born political systems were rapidly being shot at with these cartoons,
ruthlessly addressing public figures – for the good or bad. When World War I ended, caricatures took a boost in the
United States and became irresistibly famous. The days of open shootout through caricatures had long gone. The age
of movies had now settled in, and here too caricatures sprang up like mushrooms. This was a period in the history of
caricatures when they were not merely used as tools to defame someone. Amusement now became the real essence
of a caricature drawing. In the newspapers, magazines, other printed media, all around were caricatures – quick to
draw and easily understood.
Nowadays, caricatures have settled in peacefully with other art forms. They have adjusted with the mainstream art so
well that they’re almost mainstream themselves. As a form of street-side art or event entertainment, there exist
artists that make a custom illustration for people for a basic fee. In big shopping malls or their showrooms, caricature
artists are starting to make their presence known. Widespread acceptance and appreciation of this art have led to its
shift from focussing only on famous people to the common masses. Now, anyone can be caricatured!
To know more about hiring a cartoon artist in Pittsburgh, visit Pittsburghcaricatures.com