Download The art of caricature Free PDF eBook (1914) by Grant Wright, with Illustrations





Introduction:Volumes treating of the technical side of art is plentiful. It would seem as if every detail of picture-making had been so thoroughly covered that further books upon the subject would be superfluous. It is a fact, however, that — up to the present time — the art of caricaturing has never been exhaustively explained in one volume.The earnest seeker for information could, by dint of persistent effort, gain a little knowledge here, a few facts there, but could not find any expert information about many important things. It is hoped, therefore, that the hints in this book will, in the absence of personal instruction, at least provide its readers with a foundation upon which to build an art education. Of course, no text-book can be of real use unless supplemented by interest and ability on the part of the student; practice and final success depend upon these two factors.To descend from the sublime to the ridiculous is the caricaturist's constant effort. To explain how this can be accomplished interestingly and pictorially is the purpose of these pages. Caricature, contrary to popular conception, is not incorrect or bad drawing: it is a good drawing, refined and controlled to produce a humorous effect. A well-drawn caricature has just as much and oftener more art beneath it than an ambitious painting hung on the walls of an art gallery. A beginner in the art of caricature can do himself no greater service than to get this great truth firmly fixed in his mind.It is true that " the grotesque and the beautiful are not produced by opposite means, but by the eccentric application in one of the same laws that govern the other." It is obvious, therefore, that distortion through ignorance is simply bad drawing; but distortion with an understood motive, regulated by recognized laws, is not only right but more truly ridiculous.Contents of the book:Historic Note Elements of Pictorial Art 20 Nature Drawing 28 Memory Drawing 43 Artistic Anatomy 56 Facial Expression 86 Perspective and Foreshortening .... 90 Color 96 Technique. 101 Composition 120 Applied Caricature 124 Modern Masters of Comic Art 145