Rodney Pike, Photoshop Caricature Artist
Rodney Pike is a digital artist who produces satirical fan art of actors, athletes, politicians and other celebrities. He also creates digital caricatures of his friends. These personal caricatures are generally more inspired and creative than Pike’s funny portraits of famous people. It is through these personal pieces that viewers can catch a glimpse of the artist’s character, humor and love for his friends.
Pike’s caricature making process begins with finding an image that inspires him. The photograph needs to have caricature potential – the more expressive the person’s facial expression, the more raw material there is for a caricature artist to work with. One of Pike’s favorite celebrities to work with is Rowan Atkinson, famed for his character Mr Bean. Rowan Atkinson has a funny face and is a master of creating humorous expressions. Mr Bean has appeared in several of Pike’s parody paintings, inspiring a giggle with each parody portrait.
Rodney Pike uses Photoshop to enlarge or shrink areas of the image to give a person big ears or tiny eyes. Exaggeration, whether it is making a feature larger or smaller, is at the the heart of making funny caricature art. Pike appears to have a knack for knowing which parts of a person’s face to tweak in order to bring out the humor of the portrait. Photoshop offers artists dozens of different tools, and Pike utilizes a variety of different editing tools in each art work. His methods appear to differ with each piece, making his art process a journey of experimentation and technical discovery.
Rodney Pike has struggled with anxiety and depression for over 20 years. His digital art has helped him to find new meaning and joy in life. According to the artist, art saved his life. For two decades, Pike didn’t create any art works. It was only when he began to use his artistic talents again that he was able to manage his depression and anxiety. Pike is an artist that is both inspired and inspiring. For more info on Rodney Pike, visit his blog. To see more funny Photoshop caricatures, visit rodneypike.com