“Beyond the Brush” a three-day Caricature and Cartoon Making Workshop

The Department of Applied Arts & Sculpture, IIS (Deemed to be University), Jaipur, in collaboration with the Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy, Jaipur, organized a three-day Caricature and Cartoon Making Workshop titled “Beyond the Brush” from 17–19 September 2025. The sessions were conducted in the Study Studio and Gallery from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm and were attended by students of BFA (Semesters III, V, and VII) and MFA (Semesters I and III) specializing in Applied Arts, Painting, and Sculpture. The workshop was conducted by the renowned cartoonist and caricature artist Mr. K. G. Kadam from Bhilwara, who has made a mark with his wit, creativity, and skillful use of caricature as a form of visual storytelling. The workshop was designed with the aim of nurturing imagination, developing a unique style of expression through cartoons, and enhancing the ability of students to portray gestures, expressions, and situations with humor and creativity.

The workshop began with an introduction to the world of caricature and cartoons. Mr. Kadam explained that caricature is not simply an art of distortion but rather a sensitive and intelligent exaggeration of features that highlights the unique essence of a person. He emphasized that observation is the foundation of caricature; the artist must carefully study facial structures, body language, expressions, and subtle gestures before attempting to sketch. While caricature involves exaggeration, it should not lose the identity of the subject or turn into disrespectful distortion. He stressed that a successful caricature communicates personality and mood more than physical accuracy. Students practiced by observing their peers and attempting quick sketches, focusing on enlarging or emphasizing dominant features such as eyes, noses, or hairstyles while keeping the overall identity intact. This exercise helped them understand the fine balance between exaggeration and recognition.

Then the focus was shifted from caricature to cartoons, highlighting the importance of cartoons as a medium of storytelling. Mr. Kadam explained that cartoons are not limited to humor alone but can also be powerful tools of satire, commentary, and social critique. He shared that effective cartoons depend on clean, bold lines and simplified forms that can be understood at a glance. Gesture and movement play a vital role in cartooning, as they give life and dynamism to otherwise static drawings. Facial expressions too were emphasized, since they carry the bulk of emotional communication. Composition was another key aspect discussed, as the arrangement of elements within the frame should naturally guide the viewer’s attention. Students were given tasks to create single-panel cartoons which enabled them to experiment with visual storytelling and humor in simple yet effective forms.

Then Mr. Kadam focused specifically on the process of simplification in caricature and cartoon making. He explained that the ability to simplify forms without losing their identity is one of the most essential skills for an artist in this field. Simplification begins by breaking down features into basic geometric shapes—an oval for the head, circles for the eyes, a triangle or bulb shape for the nose, and so on. Once this foundation is created, the artist must eliminate unnecessary details such as minute textures or intricate folds while still retaining the subject’s personality. The next step is to highlight dominant features that stand out and to exaggerate them appropriately. However, he reminded the participants that simplification and exaggeration must never be overdone to the point of disrespect or unrecognizability. A caricature or cartoon should make people smile or reflect, not feel insulted. Through guided demonstrations, students learned how to reduce a complex figure into a combination of simplified shapes, which could then be developed into either a caricature or a cartoon with expressive value.

On special request from the students and staff, Mr. Kadam also gave live demonstrations of landscape and portrait sketching. In the landscape demonstration, he showed how to capture the essence of a scene through simplified lines, tonal variation, and composition rather than detailed replication. His approach emphasized suggestion overelaboration, making landscapes feel fresh and spontaneous. In the portrait demonstration, he began with the accurate proportions of a subject’s face. To make the workshop more engaging, he also created a caricature of Dr. Giriraj Sharma, Associate Professor, along with a few students, much to the delight of the participants, who could see how live observation quickly translated into humorous yet recognizable artworks. These demonstrations gave the students valuable insight into how traditional art skills and caricature/cartoon creation are interconnected.

The key learnings from the workshop were manifold. Students realized that observation is the starting point of caricature and cartoon creation. Careful attention to detail allows an artist to notice quirks like the tilt of the head, a habitual expression, or a characteristic gesture. Simplification of form emerged as a crucial lesson, as it enabled the students to strip down complex subjects into essential visual elements without compromising meaning. They also understood the principle of exaggeration with respect, learning that humor works best when it is playful, not offensive. The storytelling capacity of cartoons was highlighted, showing that they are not only for entertainment but also for making impactful statements. Another important aspect was the emphasis on speed and practice; caricature often requires quick sketching to capture fleeting expressions, and this speed sharpens decision-making. Finally, the workshop reinforced the balance between technique and imagination, as technical skill alone does not make a memorable caricature—imagination and humor bring it to life.

The participation and response from students were overwhelmingly positive. They enjoyed experimenting with caricaturing each other, creating humorous scenarios, and practicing the art of simplification. Many initially hesitant students gained confidence after receiving constructive feedback and realized that exaggeration could be used tastefully to enhance expression. The interactive and light-hearted atmosphere created by Mr. Kadam encouraged questions, laughter, and learning, making the sessions enjoyable as well as educational.

In conclusion, the three-day workshop “Beyond the Brush” proved to be a meaningful and inspiring learning experience for students of Applied Arts, Painting, and Sculpture. Under the guidance of Mr. K. G. Kadam, participants not only gained technical knowledge of caricature and cartoon making but also learned the importance of observation, wit, humor, and simplification. The live demonstrations of landscape and portrait sketching added an extra dimension to the workshop, showing how artistic fundamentals can be applied across different styles. The workshop successfully broadened the creative horizons of the students, encouraging them to think beyond conventional realism and to explore humor, exaggeration, and imagination as tools of visual communication. It left them with not only enhanced artistic skills but also the confidence to experiment with their own unique styles of expression.