Caricaturist asking your advice

[Frederico Rogeiro]

Hi, Friends!

I've been working on a collection of caricatures of great historical figures.
Now, I need some feedback about the drawings and some advice about some options of the business that are still open. So, I prepared a brief presentation of the ideia, with some few direct questions about it.
For those of you who are willing to help me, here it is my caricatures presentation. It will take you just 2 or 3 minutes.

I would be most appreciated if you give me your advice!
Thank you!

 

[Fuzzylogic]

I thought they were really cool. I filled out your questionnaire/survey, also.

Keep up the awesome work!

:wave:

 

[ledbeauty]

It is so cool! I like the caricatures. I think your collection is valuable.This kind of works can always give people a new angel of view to see the world.

 

[Frederico Rogeiro]

Thanks a lot, I'm most happy for you to like them!
I wish you good luck for the draw! %%-

 

[HostMantis]

Excellent work! So you are going sell reproductions of the drawings? What if someone wants an original, do sell them?

 

[Frederico Rogeiro]

Thank you, Plexihost.
The plan is to sell reproductions, yes.
I think I´´m going to treat the originals as we do with everything that's really valuable to us: we can give it, but never sell it.

 

[Acroplex]

In my opinion you are overly exaggerating the features of each person, beyond the necessity of a caricature. The drawings look distorted, much like after a photo has been passed through a Photoshop filter with the intention to "bug out" eyes or to elongate noses.

 

[Frederico Rogeiro]

That's a personal judgement, Acroplex; the matter of how or how much to distort is subjective. Of course you can like it or not.

The reason my drawings look like this doesn't obbey to any rule I self imposed of how much distortion, nor the appliance of some photoshop-type effect.
They are the natural result of the sketches through I look to my unconscious selection of most relevant expression and formal elements.

Some people will identify with the image I reach and some will not, beside the technical work people may or not appreciate. This is clear from the comments I got so far.

Thanks!

 

[Acroplex]

No, I am not saying you didn't use conventional media. Simply saying that they are drawn in a manner excessively distorting the image. E.g. I recognize Marie Curie but I don't like her appearance, it's like her skin was cut and stretched to perform a cosmetic procedure. As you're looking for a commercialization of your work you need to keep it marketable

 

[kiore]

I've had a look at your drawings and see them as a personal artistic statement, a kind of fine art. As you express it, you are drawing them as your artistic view tells you you should be drawing them.

I think Acroplex's world view and yours differ in that you want to produce art in your personal style while he is pointing out that a less personal vision is required to change your art expression into a more commercial art that might sell more copies.

You are both right within your respective world views and both world views have a down-side. A less personal, more draughtsman-like style may sell more copies, but you are putting yourself into a market where it is easy to compete with you. Sticking with your current style may limit your maximum percent of the market, but if you start to acquire a reputation you may find word of mouth means you will ultimately sell more than the more commercial look.

Your problem, is you need to decide to decide which way to go.

hope that helps

 

[Frederico Rogeiro]

Thanks, Kiore. I agree with your clarifying view.
I realy can't think about sales when I'm drawing.

As Picasso said, one thing is to paint what you sell, other thing is to sell what you paint. I'll go for the second.
It may result in similar things, but having one priority or the other results in a totally different mental process, and that's hardly changeable in a person.