Ever wondered how we create our infamous caricatures? Let us take you on a time lapse video tour that begins with a hand drawn sketch and ends with the well known faces you may have seen on our website and business cards.
Here’s a quick backstory about the evolution and history of our caricatures: When I came on board in 2007, we had decided to do something a little different with our team members’ profiles (rather than merely having our photographs). Using my trusty illustration skills, I managed to create caricatures of each of our coworkers (which were only 5 of us at the time). As we’ve grown, every new employee has reluctantly allowed me to draw their portrait, and in return, they would receive a free coffee mug with an image of their new cartoon face.
Click on the image below to see a caricature drawn from start to finish:
(A big shout out to our newest newbie, Jamie Brooks, for allowing us to demonstrate how the magic happens!)
Caricature Creation: Step by Step
- I start out by hand drawing a basic sketch of the person’s face with a plain ol’ pencil and paper, focusing on his or her unique facial features.
- After I’m pleased with the sketch, I scan the drawing into my computer.
- Using a digital drawing tablet and Photoshop, I outline it and loosely paint a flat flesh tone
- Then, I work in the shadows and highlights to gradually build up the skin tones little by little.
- Hair color, clothing and accessories are the fun part.
- The super fun part is in the creation of the “funny face.” (You may have noticed on our website that each person has a humorous and/or random rollover effect, which consists of a superimposed object or facial feature).
Our brand is about characters, so we came up with a unique way of showing that through our caricatures. Take a peek at our work to see how our very talented designers have helped companies create a unique brand.
