What is Caricature? Caricature Definition, Meaning & Explanation
- Kathy Buskett
- Mar 19, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
If you’ve ever wondered what a caricature drawing really is—or worried it might make you look bad—you’re not alone. And if you’re planning a wedding or special event, the style of caricature drawing you choose matters more than you might think.
A caricature drawing is an exaggerated portrait that highlights a person’s features in a fun and artistic way. But the best caricature drawings are not about making people look ugly. They’re about capturing personality in a way that’s fun, recognizable, and enjoyable to keep.
Caricature Definition: What Is a Caricature Drawing?
According to the dictionary, the caricature definition (or what is caricature) is:
"A drawing that makes someone look funny or foolish because some part of the person's appearance is exaggerated." (Britannica)
But if you just wanted a caricature definition, you wouldn't be here would you?
Most people searching to define caricature are actually trying to understand what caricature really means in real life.
A picture is worth 1000 words so let's look at some caricature examples.
Below, you'll see a piece of art by the best caricaturist in the world by many people’s standards, Al Hirschfeld. Hirschfeld used to draw for the New York Times, Broadway and many movies, and he even inspired the Genie from Aladdin and later the "Rhapsody in Blue" segment from Fantasia 2000.
In fact, the phrase "You got Hirschfelded" meant that if you got a Hirschfeld, you officially made it in show business. You can learn more about him here
Image courtesy of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation
Can you tell who it is immediately?
If you can’t tell who it is, you probably don’t know who that is.
If you can, you know who it is. (Spoiler: It’s Ringo Starr from the Beatles)
Which brings me to the first part of what a caricature is — and what actually makes it work:
1. A recognizable representation.
We caricaturists call that a “likeness”. Without a likeness, it isn’t a good caricature.
A caricature doesn’t have to be a person by the way. It can be an animal - I draw a ton of dog and cat caricatures - or even an inanimate object.
Ever seen The Brave Little Toaster? It’s a quirky animated classic — and actually a forerunner to Toy Story. (Fun fact: Pixar has even acknowledged it as one of their early inspirations!)
As long as it actually looks like what it’s supposed to represent, it fulfills the first quality of a good caricature: LIKENESS.
But wait. Portraits have a likeness too, don’t they? Yes. Yes they do.
And that’s what brings us to point number 2.
The definition of caricature by Britannica that I mentioned at the beginning used the word “exaggerated”. And that is the second key to a caricature.
2. Exaggeration.
It’s a common misconception that caricaturists exaggerate one thing on a person's face.
What’s actually true is that caricaturists exaggerate EVERYTHING about a person. From your poufy hair to Your tiny ears to your mischievous cockeyed smile to your huge hoop earrings to your long tapered neck.
We catch and exaggerate it all.
Exaggeration is a tricky thing. There’s a balance that must be reached in any drawing. For instance, if someone has a large nose, as an artist, you would of course, exaggerate that.
But you would also need to UNDER exaggerate other features in order to create a good drawing. (And meanwhile, also maintain a likeness at the same time!)
If, for example, I made all the features on a face exaggerated, all I would get would be a large drawing.
And that’s the second key to understanding caricature.
Which brings us to the last — and most misunderstood — part of caricature:
3. Balance.
If you look at some of Hirschfeld’s other work, you can see that he doesn’t always exaggerate heavily. But he does always get a likeness.
Case in Point:
Nothing is exaggerated in this piece except the eyes. Even the teeth and the gap which you would expect to be exaggerated is not. Yet Hirschfeld achieves a perfect balance and you know immediately who this is:
David Letterman.
Which is more important, likeness or exaggeration?
The answer is neither. Much like a caricature itself, an artist's style must have a balance between the two to be successful.
Which one takes center stage more depends on the individual artist and their personal style and outlook.
So what is a caricature drawing, really?
It’s not just exaggeration — it’s a balance of likeness, exaggeration, and artistic judgment.
If you're wondering what is a caricature artist’s style, it usually falls into one of these three categories:
The extreme exaggerated style (which you might have seen on TikTok)
These are the drawings that scare people away from getting a caricature. I am constantly having to assure people I don't draw that way - unless they ask for it.
I believe consent is important.
Here's one someone did of me without consent.
yea, its funny - but would you want this hanging in your living room? They also never told me who they were so I can't give them credit.
But Just so you know, It wasn't me.
If you’ve ever wondered why some caricatures look so extreme,
2. The cartoony style -
Many cartoons from the old days and even today caricature famous people.
Think Bugs Bunny cartoons, Disney (which often uses celebrities as their inspiration), and the Simpsons. Here's a sample of one of my cartoon caricatures I drew in the style of Chuck Jones:
3. And the portrait style (which is more realistic)
Here's one of me by my friend and mentor Ben Burgraff who passed away some years ago:
And that brings us to what you’re probably seeing everywhere right now…
The Rise of “Ugly” Caricatures
Lately, you’ve probably seen a wave of extreme exaggeration styles all over TikTok and Facebook. And they can be fun to watch.
But here’s the interesting part:
Most people don’t actually want one of those hanging on their wall.
There’s a big difference between something that goes viral and something people value.
That’s why so many people searching “caricature meaning” or “what is caricature” are really trying to figure out:
Will I like how I look?
The answer comes down to the artist.
This is especially important at weddings and events, where guests aren’t just looking for a cheap laugh—they want wedding favors their guests will actually enjoy and keep.
Some styles focus on shock value. Others focus on making people feel good.
And that difference matters — especially at weddings, parties, and corporate events where the goal is to create something people actually want to hang in their homes.
In the caricature world, there always seems to be the argument that extreme exaggerators are somehow "better' than caricaturists who draw like I do - with a less exaggerated style.
But reportedly, Hirschfeld (the artist from the beginning of this blog post) was extremely flattering, and most of his sitters loved his work.
The extreme exaggerators might be popular to watch, but not a lot of people like to get drawn that way. It takes some serious self-esteem to be able to handle that kind of drawing and most people just don’t have it.
I heard an extreme exaggerator once say that only about 5% of a crowd gets one of his drawings.
I would imagine Hirschfeld would have a line of people out the door and every last one of the guests would want a drawing.
Which would you prefer at a party?
So Which style is best?
You must make that decision yourself.
If you’ve ever wondered what is caricature, the answer is simple: it’s the balance of likeness, exaggeration, and style — and the experience depends entirely on the artist.
You decide what kind of caricature you like best.
I personally love the perfect meld of cartoony, portrait and exaggeration of Al Hirschfeld.
Don’t you?
Let me know In the Poll Below!
Which kind of caricatures would you most like to hang in your home?
0%Portrait-Like (Looks like the person)
0%Cartoon
0%Extremely Exaggerated
______________________________________________________
Hi, I’m Kathy Buskett, and I run Caricatures by Kathy. I’m a professional wedding and special event caricature artist who travels nationwide bringing fun, flattering caricatures to events of all kinds.
With over 27 years of experience and thousands of events under my belt, I know how to keep things fun, easy, and running smoothly so your guests have a great time.
Planning a wedding or special event? Let’s make it unforgettable.
I create fast, flattering caricature drawings your guests will actually love—and take home.
Click below to check availability and see if your date is still open.
You can also check out the rest of my website
HERE
Caricature Drawing FAQ
What is a caricature in simple terms?
A caricature is a drawing that exaggerates certain features while still keeping the person recognizable. The best caricatures balance likeness and exaggeration so you still look like yourself — just more fun.
What is the meaning of caricature in art?
The meaning of caricature in art is not just exaggeration. It’s the intentional distortion of features in a way that highlights personality while maintaining a clear likeness.
What is a caricature drawing?
A caricature drawing is an illustration of a person, animal, or object where features are exaggerated for effect, but the subject is still recognizable.
What is a caricature artist?
A caricature artist is someone trained to observe, simplify, and exaggerate features in a way that creates both likeness and entertainment. It takes years of practice to do this well.
Why do some caricatures look ugly?
Some caricatures focus heavily on extreme exaggeration. While this can be funny to watch, it’s not always flattering — and many people don’t actually want to look that way in their own drawing.
Are AI caricatures real caricatures?
AI caricatures can mimic exaggeration, but they often miss the balance of likeness and personality that a real caricature artist creates. They can be fun, but they’re not the same as a hand-drawn caricature.
Please Follow Me to read interesting true stories about my adventures as a professional caricaturist, watch people's outrageous reactions to their caricatures,
and so you can find me again!
Thanks!