I'm not a machine. I can't just switch between this type of Art and that type of Art. I can't just say, "Now I'm going to draw an Exaggerated Caricature. And then I'm going to draw a Simplified Caricature." This is a feeling, an Art ~ not a Craft with rules to follow.

I really loved my Exaggerated Caricatures. It was so much Fun ~ for me as well as for the Cool Guests at the Parties. I admire Artists who draw in an Exaggerated Style. I don't like dinky Caricatures, but I do also admire Artists who draw in a Simplified Style. So I felt compelled to figure out that Simplified Style earlier this week. I did very well with that.

But my Client for tonight's Party surprised me. She's making a Party for 12-year-old Girls, and she actually said to me: "I don't know how to say this, but you know sometimes they draw well you know, but I want happy pictures with Color yes with Color that you know like Fun Pictures Not Boring."

"You found the right Artist", I happily said like yeah ~ This is what I like to hear! ...... I felt totally surprised because this isn't what I usually experience at 12-year-old Girl's Events..........

So I took a moment to get back in to my Exaggerated approach for drawing Caricatures, and I felt oh surprised. It's just been a few days now that I've been using my new Simplified Style, and I couldn't jump right back into my previous Exaggerated Style.

The First Picture posted here was my first attempt at drawing a 12-year-old Girl from a random photo that I found online. With my Exaggerated Style. Oh that's awful. That's not it. I've got to loosen up.......

So I drew a 2nd Caricature ~ ~ that one looked the most like the girl. But it was more in the Simplified Style that I had just developed earlier this week......

I was working from a Side-View Photo. Then I remembered that I had been Turning Front View Pictures in my mind to draw them 3/4 view ~ so I decided to do that with this Side-View Photo ~ this is Not easy to do. So the 3rd Caricature that I'm posting here was turned in my mind to be a 3/4 view. But it still wasn't Exaggerated enough. I'm still doing the Same Thing. The Simplified Style I switched to earlier this week. ......

About to post the pictures here, when I said 'I can do this. Just go for it. And I drew the 4th picture. It is more Exaggerated, but not enough. I know what to do. I know what to do. Let me do it again......

But I have to wake up in 2 hours for my first Event of the day.

I'm glad I'll have several Hours after my Early Morning Event before drawing at the Exaggerated 12-year-old Girl's Party.

I know just what to do. But I'll feel better if I do it right Before I get to the Party

Follow Up: I did it! No time to Color it ~ I got to get out to this Party. But I'm back. Back into Exaggerations. Perfect!

I don't see why a Special Needs Prom would be any different than anybody else's Prom. But that's how my upcoming job was described to me: to draw Caricatures at a Special Needs Prom.

People are people. And all I'm doing is drawing them. But in choosing what to draw for my Pre-Gig focus, I Googled "Special Needs Prom".

Obviously, the Feather has nothing to do with Special Needs ~ but that's where my experience took me. I noticed that I spent way too much time on the 'Feather'.

So I gave attention to the 'Feather' situation here ~ I had approached it with a Quick hint at what I used to draw for Ornamental Calligraphy. So now I learned how to Simplify ~ Cartoonify a Feather. Drew a better Party Caricature approach for Feathers.

Then I decided to Simplify the Caricatures altogether. To up my Speed:

It feels useful to be able to Switch back and forth between my Tame Caricature approach and my Exaggerated Caricature approach at Events. There are several reasons why this ability comes up ~ so I don't want to be limited by my mood.

I usually draw in my Exaggerated style ~ because that energizes and attracts Guests at Events. Not boring ~ we never know what we're going to get until it comes out. So I figured I would practice my Tame style tonight ~ something I usually only do if I have to.

The first one I drew ~ the curly-haired girl wearing shorts ~ felt fine. And the 2nd 2 were okay too. But the last one ~ ugh. I've seen other artists handle whole Parties with crap like that ~ but it would just send me right to the dessert table, if you know what I mean. I would not want to be drawing like that at Events.

So I switched to my Exaggerated style for that one. Much better. But I was only reacting to the Non-Tameness of it. I could have done even better if I remembered to feel some of the other aspects of my Tame approach. Tired ~ middle of the night ~ but I feel like I know one more thing to try when I'm making the Change from Tame to Exaggerated

It's hard to do, but I can do it.

Tonight I wanted to hone my clarification between Tame Caricatures and Exaggerated Caricatures. I'm really developing a very good ability to control this. I set out to draw Tame Caricatures, and they stayed that way. I drew Tame Caricatures. Based on some Photos that I had taken at Events.

But they were all Front Views. When we're involved with people, they have a habit of turning straight toward us. I wondered if I could draw 3/4 view Caricatures even if a person was looking directly at me. It's hard ~ takes a little more time and effort if the Guest doesn't sit in 3/4 view when I want to draw 3/4 view. But I can do it!

Hmmm..... Sometimes the Caricature looks better in the Front View, and sometimes it looks better in the 3/4 View. I feel like the best way to use this skill (if I have the nerve to do it at a Party) ~ is to choose the easiest way to get a good Caricature. I would only choose to draw a Different View than the one that I actually see ~ If I don't feel like the Front View has anything interesting in it. Or if I'm getting tired of drawing Front Views.

I'll frequently make Changes at intervals throughout the Event to keep myself interested. Because if the Artist isn't interested in what she's drawing, usually nobody else will be either. This could be just one more of the many different things that I change up when needed.