JESSE of the animated movie Toy Story series is an animated cartoon character.  Carving  JESSE as a caricature of a cartoon character is a reversal of what is commonly understood about caricatures.  A caricature is an exaggeration of realism that sometimes appears to be almost a cartoon interpretation of the real thing.  Caricatures and cartoons are separate forms of art and interpretations while having similar characteristics.  Caricature carvers often will study cartoon drawing as reference for exaggerating a realistic human face and figure.  Sometimes a caricature carving will tell a cartoon like story in its visual appearance.  That said, a caricature is still a caricature and a cartoon is still a cartoon standing on their own merits.

A caricature carving is intentionally designed and carved to be a caricature  in order to emulate a humorous visual story.  A caricature is never a carving that has turned out bad, thus making it a caricature as is so often said by an amateur carver who says, “If this carving does not turn out to be a realistic cowboy at least it can be a caricature cowboy.”  A bad carving does not make a caricature even though a poorly designed and carved caricature can become a bad carving.

A caricature is determined by either its style or theme.  Andy Anderson, Emil Janel and Harold Enlow wrote the book, so to speak , on a style in  caricature carvings inspiring carvers to learn a style of caricature carving.   But within that style of caricature carving there developed the theme of caricature carving which has branched out into many other styles of caricature carving.   Some caricature carvings are very exaggerated while others are very subtle in their caricaturization, thus remaining true to the theme more than the style of certain types of caricature carving.

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