Art has the potential to inspire some deep emotions in each of us. We can look at a great piece of art and feel inspired and moved deeply, finding a form of beauty in the world that we never before really though existed. This is not the only purpose of art, however. Art can also be quite humorous, making us laugh and enjoy things by looking at them in an exaggerated way. There is a certain type of art which takes people and puts them into an exaggerated light. These are caricatures, which you surely have seen at some point during your life at an amusement park or perhaps on the wall of a steakhouse.

Caricatures take a person, often a celebrity, and draw them in a way that highlights some of that person’s most recognizable traits and features. These turn out to be very humorous portrayals of the person and can often make a person laugh. The same is true when these portraits are made about celebrities. They are humorous and they can feature some of that celebrity’s biggest traits. Just because this is not a realistic, moving depiction of the person, that doesn’t mean that this is any less art than the other.

Most celebrities have a great sense of humor about any caricatures done about them. They know that they have very exaggerated traits sometimes and this is what makes them powerful as those actors, politicians, or athletes. They have a trait which makes them incredibly recognizable to the public at a single glance. They are usually only happy to enjoy these caricatures as long as these portraits do not get too personal or insulting. Many times, the celebrity will even autograph these caricatures, turning them into a great example of autographed art.

A caricature can often be found adorning the walls of popular restaurants. Often, these restaurants will decorate their space with personal touches of pop culture. When these restaurants are famous restaurants, celebrities will often come in to eat there. This can be a fun event for the restaurant because they can often impress the celebrity with their food and make a fan of their service for life. In return, they usually want to commemorate the fact that the celebrity has eaten at their establishment, so in the spirit of fun, they will have someone who is talented at drawing make a caricature of that celebrity. Often, that celebrity will sign the photo and it will be hung on the wall of the establishment for everyone to enjoy.

Just say the word “caricature” and everyone conjures up a mental picture of a street corner caricature artist churning out a 10 minute creation. Annibale Carracci is famous for inventing caricatures in the 17th century when he created art that was focused on meaning rather than beauty. This quickly gained traction in political cartoons where one picture could truly equate to a thousand words and convey a meaning like nothing else could.

Now the latest link in the evolution, a caricature from photos, is growing in popularity as a means to convey meaning, not in a political sense, but in a more personal sense. Growing in popularity because of the internet, this new-age art captures relationships like nothing else. Just as the power of a political caricature dwarfed that of a photo, the impact of a caricature from photos dwarfs the photos themselves. Why? Because they can incorporate, embellish, emphasize, or even hide various aspects giving the artist and the person who has commissioned him/her, true control of the meaning conveyed.

This new age art is growing in popularity as a means to capture personal relationships, memories, and even dreams in an artistic and fun manner. A perfect example is singer Fergie and actor Josh Duhamel using a caricature of themselves on their wedding invitation. This caricature from photos is true art and grabbed everyone’s attention – helping move this form of art to the mainstream. Everyday people had already discovered the impact that custom caricatures have as gifts for various occasions like retirements, wedding attendants, and anniversaries. Caricatures lend themselves to meaningful occasions that celebrate personal relationships and experiences.

The advent of the internet makes it very easy to find an on-line caricature artist. You can simply upload pictures, and describe the scene you want the artist to draw. At the same time, caricature artists had to evolve not only to offer services on the internet but to use the new digital art tools available. As you would expect, the left-brain, right-brain thing makes it impossible for many or even most to make the transition. Today’s caricatures from photos have evolved into an art form that is light years ahead of street corner caricatures and their predecessors and are becoming a mainstream gift of choice.