How To Draw Caricatures Lenn Redman Pdf -
Redman started every day with scribbles. Not random scribbles—emotional scribbles.
Redman emphasizes that a drawing must have a solid underlying structure. You won't find "tricks" here; you will find lessons on head construction, planes of the face, and how the skull dictates the outer appearance.
Published in 1984 (and still in print through Dover Publications), How to Draw Caricatures stands apart for several reasons:
The biggest mistake beginners make is thinking caricature is about drawing big noses and tiny eyes randomly. Redman’s book disabuses the reader of this notion immediately. how to draw caricatures lenn redman pdf
The central thesis of How to Draw Caricatures is that you must understand reality before you can distort it. The book spends a significant amount of time teaching you how to see. It breaks down the human face into measurable relationships.
Redman introduces a systematic approach to measuring:
Redman argues there are only five basic head shapes in humanity. He provides grids and sketchbook exercises to memorize these shapes until they are muscle memory. Redman started every day with scribbles
This is the most important distinction in the book. A cartoon is a generic face (big eyes, small mouth). A caricature is a specific face (George Bush’s ears, Einstein’s hair).
Since you are hunting for the PDF, let me give you a taste of Redman’s actual teaching style. Try this exercise using only a pen (no pencils, no erasers).
The "Closed Eye" Caricature
Redman believed that our conscious brain ruins caricature by trying to "fix" proportions. This exercise forces you to commit to the exaggeration.
Despite being old-school, Redman’s tool advice is timeless. He advocates for: