“Frankly, I don’t know how he does it, and I stand in a long list of admirers…I think he draws everything the way we would all like to draw.” Charles Schulz
My favourite cartoonist of all time is Mort Drucker, an American caricaturist who has drawn for MAD Magazine for 55 years. Drucker is 90 and continues to draw today in a style that could best be described as honest.
Expectations for cartoonists are lower than they are for traditional artists. Many cartoonists draw quickly and boldly, trading accuracy for flair, trading observation for assumption. “Close enough” is often the target. A near likeness, a quasi-accurate portrayal of people will do.
Not Mort. Mort is honest because he does not skimp. His drawings reflect a careful observation and attention to detail.
Poses, implied lines, squiggly lines, expressive eyebrows and hands, pursed lips, cheek bones, the weight of hair and folds in fabrics, the lighting of the room, background objects, city-scapes, etc. —all reveal a patient and clinical observation. Drucker’s knowledge of anatomy is also impressive. He knows more than what body parts look like, he knows what they do, their weight and what space they occupy under items of clothing.
Drucker is an honest reporter. He does not take short cuts.
Caricaturists rely on the exaggeration of features to lampoon their subjects but Drucker is different. The humour in his drawings results from impeccable, realistic details drawn with what can only be called a playful spirit. Just look at his depiction of hair. Can you picture his pencil (which then he would trace over in ink) flying as he conveys locks and curls? Can you see Mort smile to himself while he draws a capricious eyebrow or clenched jaw?
Some caricaturists strive to insult their subjects; Drucker seems to flatter them by drawing them in “their entirety.” Mort’s drawings appear to capture the essence of a person. And his realism seems other-wordly.
Check out the expressive hands in this drawing!
What is the takeaway for all of us who love to draw? Well it’s simple: back to the drawing board. There are no short cuts if you want to draw well. Observation, trial and error —repeat!
I wish it were easier. Anyone who draws knows how exhausting (and humbling) the process can be.
The best feeling? When you know you are drawing something today that was not possible for you just a few months ago!