Talkin’ ’bout a Resolution: The Birth and Success of a New Annual Caricature Event
Article Transcript
The brainchild of ISCA member Patrick Martinez, Caricature Resolution 2017 was an event that grabbed the imagination of many caricaturists in the first month of this year. Inspired by the likes of Inktober, Patrick came up with a challenge — initially only for himself — to draw a caricature a day for the month of January, and posted to Facebook encouraging others to do the same. The concept generated quite a bit of interest, with many people expressing a desire to take part, and the idea of making a group specifically dedicated to the event was formed. Fellow ISCA members Maria Picassó i Piquer and Euan Mactavish, who had experience in running Facebook groups, came on board to help with administrative duties.
The group opened its doors to join from late December 2016, and on January 1st 2017 Caricature Resolution started with people invited to post caricatures of Danny DeVito. In the first 24 hours, by the time the first caricature of Arnold Schwarzenegger (the second day’s subject) appeared, there were over 50 entries for Danny DeVito; but, given the different time zones of the world, that was just the beginning.
By the end of the initial week, the first 6 subjects had accumulated over 100 caricatures each, far surpassing any expectations for the group. The fun of the challenge built a massive momentum, with new people joining far into the month, and if perhaps not every subject managed the high number of entries of those early few, the final had as many as (if not more than) there had been on that inaugural day one month before.
The event was a hugely enjoyable experience for those involved, with an easygoing, encouraging and non-competitive atmosphere throughout. All styles and levels of skill were welcome — from realistically rendered to the highly stylized, from beginners to experienced professionals.
The only challenge for individuals was whether they could complete the full month, and many achieved that goal. Some even chose to participate with live broadcasts as they drew. Once the 31 days were over, there were some suggestions to continue the challenge, but it was felt better to stick to the original remit, rather than diluting the strength of the concept. And so, after a small amount of time allowed for anyone wanting to catch up, Caricature Resolution closed its doors to new entries in early February 2017, but the proven success meant it would live again.
As of writing, plans are in early stages for Caricature Resolution 2018, which promises to be bigger and better than before. Hope to see you there!
To join up for Caricature Resolution 2018, or to see 2017’s entries, find the group by using the Facebook hashtag #caricatureresolution2017.
This Navigation box may not show up on mobile browsers. Please see Exaggerated Features Issue 2017.4 for the full contents of this issue if the navigation box does not display.
 |
| | |
| |||
| |||
