Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful - Molly Ivins
A drawing class nowadays has come a long way from being the traditional art class. It has expanded to a course of analytical thinking where you get to learn a thousand different ways of expressing yourself through art. Online drawing classes are in vogues and makes it easier to access the best courses and learn drawing skills from the best artists. But the satirical political cartoon art is a different genre altogether. And not so easy to draw and master.
Humor has long been part of social and political issues for many centuries. Writers, comedians, journalists, artists - they all have used satire to amuse as well as persuade others on sensitive and often controversial topics. Political cartoon is one such type of satire that has stood the test of time and gained popularity both as an art and a form of expressing personal opinions. It is an extremely effective tool of communication that uses stylized illustrations to bring forth public opinion on political issues. Political satires were the most prominent form media once upon a time but you will hardly see any drawings in the print media today. It has, however, survived many technological advancements and can be said to be alive and well. It breathes life to an otherwise tense political atmosphere.
History of Satirical Political Cartoons
When you enroll in a drawing class, any course would start with a little history of the genre of art you have chosen to learn. Similarly, when you are unfolding how to learn political drawing, you will first have to understand a little bit about the history of how it originated and took shape.
What are Political Cartoons?
An artist uses caricatures to draw political cartoons, using a special technique that was first witnessed in Leonardo da Vinci's sketches. Some of the best online drawing classes today will teach about this unique drawing technique. A Harlot's Progress was one of the first political cartoons ever drawn in history.
Father of Political Cartoons
James Gillray is credited with pioneering the art of political cartoons. He was no doubt a brilliant artist, but he was even better at satires which made him quite popular. His cartoons were mostly targeted towards the British monarchy. Europe's politics and the monarchy itself were huge inspirations for Gillray's art, finding expression in his satirical political illustrations.
Political Cartoons in the West
America, England, and France were the leaders in popularizing the creative techniques of political cartoons coupling it with satirical humor. America's first official political cartoons is the iconic "Join or Die" by Benjamin Franklin. The simple illustration depicted a severed snake, representing the American states and the piece of art called for unity against the fight for freedom against the British. England and France were quick to jump the on the bandwagon by launching several magazines on political cartoons. One such publication was the "Punch", started by Henry Mayhew and Ebenezer Landells in 1843.
Find drawing classes for adults here on Superprof.
Evolution of Political Cartooning
The main goal of an artist or illustrator is not just to amuse the audience but also to provoke them into new thinking perspectives. There is an underlying objective to persuade viewers to their personal opinions on important current affairs. Some of the most used techniques of artists today include,
- symbolism
- labeling
- analogy
- irony
- exaggeration
You can find a dedicated book or two on each of these techniques made famous by great artists.
Famous Political Cartoonists in India
Like other forms of creative art, India is also a frontrunner when it comes political cartoon artists. Here is a look at some of the most influential artists who brought life to political satires, by taking them to the next level -
- Abu Mathew Abraham
- Bal Thackeray
- Sattiraju Laxmi Narayana
- Barun Roy
- G. Aravindan
- K. Shankar Pillai
- O.V. Vijayan
- R.K. Laxman
- Raj Thackeray
- S. Jithesh
How to Learn Political Drawing?
Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own - Jonathan Swift
If you are are an artist or like to draw and also like politics, then here are the best online drawing tips to produce your next satirical political cartoon.
Step 1: Decide on A Topic
If it's a politician that you want as a subject, then find someone or something that you are most interested in at that moment. Then choose the image, one without too many shadows. Ensure that you have studied the subject well. You can choose a politician who is extreme in his views or policies or is too polarized to bring out the illustration well.
Step 2: Draw the Caricature
In order to complete this step, you will need to understand the drawing techniques of human anatomy, especially to draw the facial features. You can use the Reilley Method that helps you map the face accurately.
Step 3: Ink the Caricature
This is the fun part where you get to actually outline the features the way you want it. This is also the most critical step.
Step 4: Fill the Colors
In satirical political cartoons, everything is symbolic. For example, using the opponent's color preferences could be very telling. Play around with the saturation, brightness to bring life to your cartoon.
Find drawing classes in Bangalore here on Superprof.
Online Drawing Classes to Help Analyze Political Cartoons
Looking for some info on political cartoons or video tutorials on satirical illustrations? The following are the best ways to analyze your own drawing as students of art -
- Explore the elements of the drawing - As part of your drawing class, you will be taught about the significance of symbols. Students of art need to find meaning and messages in these symbols before analyzing political cartoons. Let alone creating one.
- Discuss with peers - A good drawing course will offer you ample space to discuss your ideas and thoughts with other students. These, in turn, will generate more ideas for your next illustrations, further refining the quality of your final product.
- Create the political cartoon - Follow the steps as discussed above and discuss the final product with your class or peers.
- Reflect - Generate insights from the discussion to build deeper understanding of the genre of political cartoons.
Video tutorials can be very helpful to break down the process of analysis and creation of satirical political cartoons. You can also start to build your skills through online drawing classes or artist forums.
The Rise of Satirical Political Cartoons in India
The British introduced political cartoons in India. And India being a politically fertile land, it has taken strong roots in this country. There is never a scarcity of issues to be discussed and brought to the limelight to provoke public opinion. But in a harmless way like art. Elections, for example, are a hot topic for most political cartoonists in India. They bring in their own colors and are full of emotions. A drawing class can teach you the techniques of caricature but not about being fearless. That part has to be taken care of by the artist itself in a politically lively environment as India.
Did you know? India has 800 million+ registered voters and over 2000 political parties. Take a minute to absorb that statistic. Now, imagine the number of candidates looking to gain popularity by hook or by crook. Come election season, the entire nation turns into a playing field for these candidates. And thus go up the number and variety of political cartoons. They cover everything from personal tastes of politicians to the idiosyncrasies of political parties, scandals, the race to get tickets, testing their loyalty to the extensive travel. They are all up for grabs for the cartoonists who are eager to jump to the roasting wagon and showcase their artistic skills through satirical political cartoons.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
