THE ART OF CARICATURE: BASICS AND TECHNIQUES
Caricature isn’t just about drawing funny faces, it’s about capturing an individual's essence. Easier said than done. In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of caricature, exploring the past and present work of caricature artists and how the art form has evolved. You’ll break down what makes a caricature great while experimenting with color, rendering, and a variety of stylistic approaches. Throughout the class, we’ll also highlight key animation and design principles that help bring each drawing to life.
Through hands on exercises, the course will cover:
Caricature Fundamentals
Caricature History: Past and Present
Drawing exercises in shape language and design
Inking, Color & Rendering Techniques
COMING SOON
THE FACULTY
Ricky is a mult-faceted artist with over 15 years experience in caricature, illustration and animation.
After studying animation at CalArts, Ricky's creative career took off as a caricature artist, where he developed his own business, entertaining guests at fairs and private events for over 10 years.
Ricky was a staff character artist at Disney Consumer Products, where he produced artwork that was seen on Disney merchandise around the globe. Some highlights include illustrations for D23 Magazine, art directing the Target/Disney Retail Space, and leading the merchandise character art for Pixar's “Soul," "Good Dinosaur," "Coco," and Disney’s “Encanto.” He has contributed character designs for Disney Tv Animation, Nickelodeon, and Netflix for shows such as, "Primos," and "The Casagrandes."
He has illustrated a few books for Disney, including, “Miguel and the Amazing Alebrijes,” based on Pixar’s “Coco,” and most recently, “Ready In A…Flash!” inspired by Disney’s “Zootopia 2.”
He is a member of the International Society of Caricature Artists. In 2025, he won two awards at the annual convention and competition; 3rd Place Outstanding Cartoon Style, and 10th Place Caricaturist of the Year.
You can find more of their work at: www.ricky-delosangeles.com and www.rickycaricatures.com
Prerequisites
This is an all-level lecture. In order to have a productive learning experience, students need the following:
Crayola Markers (black)
Tombow Dual Brush (black)
Crayons and/or Neocolor 1 Wax Pastels
Paper, various sizes and textures
Digital Drawing Software & Tools (Procreate, Photoshop, Drawing Tablet)
It is recommended that students have access to Discord to join The Art Club’s Discord community.
Who is this Lecture for?
The Art Of Caricature: Basics And Techniques is an all-levels lecture and is designed for:
Pre-College Students – looking to strengthen their observational skills and learn how to break down faces through clear shape language and expressive design.
Current College Students – studying animation, illustration, or visual development who want to add caricature fundamentals to their toolkit and improve their ability to quickly capture personality.
Professionals – working artists seeking to refine their exaggeration skills, expand their design sensibilities, and explore new analog inking, coloring, and rendering techniques that translate to both traditional and digital workflows.
Hobbyists – welcoming entry point for anyone interested in caricature, offering structured guidance to help you “see” and draw likenesses more confidently while having fun exploring style and expression.
LECTURE OUTCOMES
Students will gain a base-level understanding of how to design a caricature, infusing principles of animation & design, exaggeration, and color.
A better understanding on how to “see” and capture a person’s essence quickly.
Expanded knowledge of inking, coloring, and rendering techniques.
While this lecture is focused on analog techniques, the same principles can be applied to digital work.
