PINK caricatures and commentary

This past week, the subject at Traditional Caricature Art Contest on Facebook was pop star Pink (real name Alecia Moore, and like me, she hails from the Philly suburbs---but all similarities end there. She is a gymnastically inclined, powerhouse singer with cutting-edge looks.)

I did a #pencilsketch and submitted it. To my surprise, it generated over 100 likes and some interesting commentary on whether or not it was a caricature or an illustration. 

You can read how the conversation went above (click to enlarge), and it was so nice that everyone's opinions were respectfully given. It's not always a pleasant topic among caricaturists: those who prefer strong exaggerations often feel that milder ones are not true caricature, and the ones who don't heavily exaggerate often look on wildly distorted, out-there caricatures as lacking likeness. Of course, the truth is that masterpieces come in both types. Click here to see the three winners of the Pink contest. 

I've always veered toward the less exaggerated end of the #caricature spectrum. My goal is to come up with the essence of a person within an enhanced likeness, and prefer my drawings to be rooted in reality. A portrait with the volume turned up, as I mentioned in my comments above. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the work of my crazier colleagues!

Also, the level of caricature in a caricature ( hah) is something that is hard to judge unless it's part of a comparison. I've been told in various caricaturist settings that I am both the "meanest" and the "nicest" caricaturist there… :-)