Tom Richmond,  a MAD Magazine  artist has just published his book on the art of drawing caricatures. It contains a vast library of instructional information on the art of caricature that can easily be beneficial to wood carvers, of both caricature and realistic human faces and figures. Tom draws two dimensional art with pencil/pen on paper and what he presents in the book can be applied to carving in wood. Carving in wood is to draw with a knife three dimensional art. His book may be ordered off his blog site: http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/ for $29.95 which includes shipping.

Below are photographs of examples of pages that are published in the book that begins with a workable definition of what is a caricature and proceeds with each chapter covering the various elements in exaggerating realism into caricature of the various facial features.  Using his “basic caricature theory” Tom covers head shapes and caricaturing of facial features.  He then goes beyond the face to include drawing live caricatures and use of caricature in illustration.  Of course, being an artist for MAD Magazine,  Tom adds many anecdotal vignettes about MAD.

The book is well illustrated with Tom’s original art work as well as his scholarly written descriptions and how to illustrations.  Whether one draws caricatures or carves caricatures this is a most valuable book to study and be inspired into the MAD world of caricature.

(All photographs of pages from  The MAD Art of Caricature!  are presented here with generous permission from author Tom Richmond – Thank you Tom)

STUDY OF THE EYE. Tom Richmond  offers a very detailed study on the human eye for the drawing artist. That same instruction is beneficial to wood carvers to know the anatomy of the eye as well as what to “see” for being able to draw and carve an eye. The four illustrations pictured below from Tom’s book along with his written instructions are most helpful. Regular readers of this blog who have read my discussions on the Rule of Three  for facial proportions and body proportions will notice in the photograph with number 47 that the eye illustration is divided proportionally into thirds (another example of the Rule of Three). Tom’s book contains a virtual treasure chest of information that any wood carver will find beneficial in being able to “see,” “think,” and “carve” caricatures in wood as well a draw on paper.

The next photographs have already been posted in this blog under Face and Eye Study to illustrate the Rule of Three of proportions of face and eyes.