Limit Details

• Limit the details in your caricature sketches. Two or three details will do it. Trying to fit too many details into a caricature can take away the impact of the important feature elements. Focusing on just a couple of notable details will make your caricatures represent your subject clearly.
  
  

Elements to Emphasize

• The nose and chin are elements most often emphasized in a caricature sketch because these two elements on people are often distinctive and lend themselves well to extreme modification. The eyes and earsare next. Emotional characteristics such as anger and a whiny personality can be emphasized by sketching red cheeks or by using elephant tears. These are not the only elements to emphasize. Carefully study your subjects to capture the essence of each individual.
  
  

Sketching the Whole Subject

• Many classic caricatures are done as simple profiles. Don't limit yourself to the profile. Consider doing a caricature from the front and adding a body. Clothing can be an important element in capturing someone's personality. Sketching the whole subject opens the door to another layer of personality attributes. When you do an entire body caricature, keep the focus on the head by making it bigger than the rest of the sketch. The popular bobbleheads are perfect examples of this style.
  
  

Sketching Techniques

• Sketch loosely and as quickly as possible. Sketching quickly allows you to capture what you see without giving it much thought. This means you're not looking too hard to find the right details. If specific details stand out to you, those same details probably stand out to others. Those are the details you want to focus on.