Just say the word “caricature” and everyone conjures up a mental picture of a street corner caricature artist churning out a 10 minute creation.  Annibale Carracci is famous for inventing caricatures in the 17th century when he created art that was focused on meaning rather than beauty.  This quickly gained traction in political cartoons where one picture (or caricature) could truly equate to a thousand words and convey a meaning like nothing else could.
Now the latest link in the evolution, a caricature from photos, is growing in popularity as a means to convey meaning, not in a political sense, but in a more personal sense.  Growing in popularity because of the internet, this new-age art captures relationships like nothing else.  Just as the power of a political caricature dwarfed that of a photo, the impact of a caricature from photos dwarfs the photos themselves.  Why?   Because they can incorporate, embellish, emphasize, or even hide various aspects giving the artist and the person who has commissioned him/her, true control of the meaning conveyed.
This new age art is growing in popularity as a means to capture personal relationships, memories, and even dreams in an artistic and fun manner.  A perfect example is singer Fergie and actor Josh Duhamel using a caricature of themselves on their wedding invitation.  This caricature from photos is true art and grabbed everyone’s attention – helping move this form of art to the mainstream.
Hold on Fergie!  Everyday people had already discovered the impact that custom caricatures have as gifts for various occasions like retirements, wedding attendants, and anniversaries.  Caricatures lend themselves to meaningful occasions that celebrate personal relationships and experiences.
The advent of the internet makes it very easy to find an on-line caricature artist.  You can simply upload pictures, and describe the scene you want the artist to draw.  At the same time, caricature artists had to evolve not only to offer services on the internet but to use the new digital art tools available.    As you would expect, the left-brain, right-brain thing makes it impossible for many or even most to make the transition.
Today’s caricatures from photos have evolved into an art form that is light years ahead of street corner caricatures and their predecessors and are becoming a mainstream gift of choice.