How To Draw Caricatures Lenn Redman Pdf Work
Every head fits into a primary geometric category. Redman identifies the standard shapes: (The baseline standard) Round (Apple shapes) Square (Blocky, angular jaws) Oblong (Long, narrow faces) Pear-shaped (Narrow forehead, heavy jaw) Egg-shaped (Wide forehead, pointed chin)
, the following guide summarizes his core principles and workflow. 1. The Core Philosophy: "The In-betweener" The foundation of Redman's approach is the concept of the In-betweener Reference Point
: How to soften lines for children and women while still achieving a funny likeness. how to draw caricatures lenn redman pdf work
The idea is elegantly simple. Before you can exaggerate a face, you need a baseline to exaggerate from. Redman asks you to imagine an "average," idealized face—the "Inbetweener." By comparing a real person's features to this standard of average, their unique characteristics become glaringly obvious. "You see, by comparing a subject's features to those of the Inbetweener, the differences—the things that make a face truly unique and interesting—jump right out at you," Redman explains. "And that, right there, is your starting point for exaggeration."
Redman demonstrates how features are interrelated. If you elongate the chin, you must adjust the surrounding features to complement that distortion. Every head fits into a primary geometric category
: Having the complete guide on a tablet means you can practice live caricatures at cafes, parks, or conventions with your reference material handy.
Redman strongly advocates for looking at the human head not as a complex series of lines, but as a compilation of basic geometric shapes. He breaks down the skull into fundamental forms: Viewed primarily as an oval or circle. The Core Philosophy: "The In-betweener" The foundation of
A rigid, square structure where the width of the forehead matches the jaw.
Beginners often make the mistake of drawing a large nose simply because they notice the subject has a prominent nose. Redman taught that a nose only appears large because of its spatial relationship to the eyes, mouth, and chin. His work emphasizes three primary steps: Finding the dominant rhythm of the face.
Redman simplifies complex anatomy into five basic shapes—the head (circle), face (oval), eyes (two circles), and mouth (curved line). Manipulating the distance and size of these shapes is the key to caricature.
The most significant technical contribution in Redman’s work is his systematic approach to exaggeration. He does not teach artists to simply "guess" what looks funny; he teaches a mathematical comparison.