Draw a caricature
Draw a funny caricature of a friend or family member by exaggerating facial features, practicing observation, proportions, and simple shading with pencils and eraser.
Step-by-step guide to draw a caricature
Caricature Drawing 101
Step 1
Gather all your materials and place them on a clear workspace so you are ready to draw.
Step 2
Pick a friend or family member you want to turn into a funny caricature.
Step 3
Look at a photo of them or have them sit in front of you and study their face for one minute.
Step 4
Choose one or two facial features to exaggerate because those will make your caricature funny.
Step 5
Lightly sketch a simple oval for the head using your pencil.
Step 6
Draw a faint vertical center line and a horizontal eye line inside the oval to guide placement.
Step 7
Mark big shapes for the exaggerated features you picked like an oversized nose circle or huge eyes.
Step 8
Draw the exaggerated features clearly on your marks so they become the main focus of the face.
Step 9
Add hair ears and smaller facial details to finish the face around your big features.
Step 10
Trace over your favorite pencil lines to darken the final outline of the caricature.
Step 11
Use the eraser to remove extra sketch lines and tidy the paper.
Step 12
Add simple shading with your pencil and then color any parts you like with your colouring materials.
Step 13
Share your finished caricature on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a pencil or eraser when the instructions say 'Lightly sketch a simple oval for the head using your pencil'?
If you don't have a pencil, lightly sketch the oval with a soft charcoal stick or blunt crayon and plan to darken final outlines with a marker, and if you lack an eraser use a kneaded eraser or a clean piece of white bread as a temporary alternative.
My exaggerated nose or eyes look off-center after I drew the faint vertical and horizontal guide lines; how can I fix this before tracing over my favorite pencil lines?
If your exaggerated features fall off the faint center or eye lines, lightly erase the big shape marks for the nose or eyes, realign them to the vertical/horizontal guides while checking the photo, and step back to compare before you trace over your favorite pencil lines.
How can I adapt the step 'Mark big shapes for the exaggerated features' for younger children or older kids?
For younger children (about 4–7), have them use crayons to mark one big exaggerated shape and keep hair and details simple, while older kids should follow the faint center and eye lines, refine smaller facial details, and add simple shading with a pencil.
How can we extend or personalize the finished caricature before we 'Share your finished caricature on DIY.org'?
To personalize and extend the activity, add a colored background, draw costume props with your colouring materials, write a funny caption or speech bubble, and make a mini-series of friends to compare exaggerations before sharing on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw a caricature
Easy Caricature Tutorial For Beginners
4 Videos
Easy Caricature Tutorial For Beginners
How To Draw A Caricature Using Easy Basic Shapes
HOW TO DRAW A CARICATURE STEP BY STEP For Beginners
HOW TO DRAW CARICATURE (ART LESSONS FOR KIDS!)
Facts about portrait drawing for kids
✏️ Graphite suitable for pencils was discovered in 1564, which led to the modern pencil artists still use for sketching and shading.
⏱️ Many street caricature artists can draw a quick likeness in just 3–5 minutes, great practice for observation and speed.
🧽 A kneaded eraser can lift graphite gently to create soft highlights and clean corrections without smudging.
🎭 Caricatures exaggerate distinctive features (like noses, eyes, or chins) so people are instantly recognizable and it makes the portrait funny.
🖼️ Honoré Daumier, a famous French caricaturist, once faced jail for a political cartoon — caricature has real historical punch!
How do you draw a funny caricature?
What materials do I need to draw a caricature?
What ages is caricature drawing suitable for?
What are the benefits and fun variations of caricature drawing?
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