Creating a Caricature

Artists create caricatures by drawing a person and exaggerating a noticeable facet of their look. If a politician has a habit of being caught telling the public less than the truth, he or she is often depicted with a long nose. This is an exaggeration and points to the original liar of all time, Pinocchio. It is an effective way to emphasize one point of a politician’s character. If a politician has large ears, these become even more pronounced in a political cartoon. The artist uses this form of exaggeration to ensure a political figure is easily recognized. This form of art is expressive, but must be relatively accurate. Each person depicted must be recognized by viewers easily or the art has failed.