(MENAFN- The Peninsula) marivie alabanza |
The Peninsula
DOHA: What is the key to becoming the fastest cartoonist in the world? Sometimes, all it takes is a house key along with creativity and curiosity!
Ecuadorian artist Franz Del Castillo was only 4 years old when he discovered his skill in scribbling and drawing. This was after he saw his father writing telephone numbers on a wall using a house key. As a curious young boy, he immediately imitated his father and found out that he can make various strokes and create funny shapes and was actually fast at it.
But the Guinness World Record holder was also quick to say that there's no perfect time and age to discover your talent or learn a skill. This was especially true as 30 curious and passionate people with ages ranging from 6 to 59 years old attended his free caricature-making workshop on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Museum (FBQ Museum).
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
'The intention of this workshop is to wake up people's curiosity to begin to draw. Because some of the people who are in the workshop aren't even artists - some are engineers, pilots, and nurses, but these people know that deep inside, they are artists. They are artists who pursued different careers,' Del Castillo told The Peninsula on the sideline of the event.
According to Del Castillo, the workshop is a significant way to create a community of artists in Qatar, saying: 'I think that people like Sheikh Faisal wanted to unite artists like me and artists from Qatar to convey his own soul, feelings, and creativity to other people.'
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
The 32-year-old said that Qatar is a great place to gather people from different backgrounds to show them the importance of art and culture, and for them to pass this on to the next generation.
'We are delighted to host this workshop 'Learn to Caricature with the world's fastest cartoonist' at the FBQ Museum. Our aim is to invite people to express their creativity and channel their inspiration onto paper. This is a rare opportunity to create their own caricatures and learn to capture friendly faces around them,' said Sarah Schroeder, one of the museum curators.
'The artistic session intends to create a space for visual art exploration, cultural exchanges, and community building,” Schroeder added.
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
The workshop started with teaching the participants how to draw a basic caricature for beginners. According to Del Castillo, a caricature drawing which is often created for humorous effect begins with a single line.
'Caricature is the best way to express your feelings. If I am sad, my line is sad. If I am happy, my line is happy. It doesn't have to be perfect; you just have to translate an emotion in your most creative way. And don't be afraid to fail, just practice and practice more to enhance your skill.'
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
Del Castillo created his first caricature drawing of his uncle when he was 6 years old. 'My whole family loved my caricature of him. I began drawing cartoons of my classmates and teachers and they were happy. When I became older, I told myself that I will make caricatures of famous personalities.'
'When Pope Francis received a caricatured face painting of him, he laughed so hard and then blessed me. That was a funny but very emotional moment. This is what I want the participants of this workshop to experience in the future- draw a caricature for a few minutes to give a lifetime of happiness. A caricature is one of the best gifts you can give. It will sure exude joy,” Del Castillo said.
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
Participant Nader Galal said he joined the workshop because he's interested in the art generally and especially caricature. 'Before attending the workshop, I realised that he had the talent for drawing a caricature very fast. I attended this workshop to understand his method,' said the Egyptian engineer.
'The workshop was very useful. The culture mix at the workshop was amazing, I gained the confidence of drawing directly with the marker without using the pencil and how to figure out the facial characteristics with minimal strokes,' he added.
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
Another participant was Doha-based Indian artist Shreya Suraj. She said: 'As an artist, I always wanted to learn how to draw caricatures but could never find the right teacher. There are a lot of basic rules which we need to follow to draw them properly. Caricatures of people are a representation of their faces and character. I always wanted a teacher who would explain the steps of drawing a caricature and would answer my doubts, too. So, when I found out about this workshop, I immediately signed up for it.'
Suraj added: 'The workshop was very useful for me. I have now learned another new skill. I just need to practice more to achieve perfection. Also, Franz was very friendly and sweet, which made the workshop all the more interesting.'
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
Libyan preschool teacher Aesha Elmeer attended the workshop to share something with her students, along with Sudanese pilot Yousef Abubaker who wanted to enhance his other skill besides flying commercial planes.
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
A 12-year-old Filipino student Althea Juan said she attended the workshop to improve her drawing skill. 'This was my first drawing workshop. I was lucky to have done it under a world-winning artist. I was hoping to personally get feedback from him about my drawings and my style. I should say that the workshop was really great! Since it focused on the face, which is the hardest part for me to draw, I was able to improve on that aspect by following the tips he gave us,' she said.
After the workshop, Del Castillo drew caricatures of all the attendees and handed them their certificates of completion.
Image credit: Sabrina Landázuri
Image credit: Sabrina Landázuri
Franz Del Castillo holds a world record for creating the largest number of caricatures drawn from live models (163 persons) for one hour in Ibarra, Ecuador, on October 1, 2017. And so far, he has created caricatures of around 200 celebrities, including Pope Francis when he visited Ecuador in 2015, Paul McCartney during his concert in Ecuador in 2014, Luis Fonsi, and the Backstreet Boys among others.
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
When asked if he considers the Guinness World Record award as his greatest achievement, Del Castillo replied: 'This is a big achievement, but the biggest achievement for me is what I've planned for next year - I aim to create the world's largest caricature. I want to attempt this by drawing the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. I want to make a 30,000 square meter drawing of him next year.'
As the first Latin American artist to hold an exhibition and workshop at FBQ Museum, Del Castillo said: 'I am very grateful for this huge opportunity. When Sheikh Faisal visited Ecuador in 2019 for trade and investments, it has become my goal to travel to Doha and showcase my art here. Now I have achieved that goal and even exceeded my expectation.'
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
Del Castillo also holds a painting exhibition at FBQ Museum titled 'Ecuador-The Country of the 4 Worlds' which runs until December 31, 2022. The artworks include a portrait of Sheikh Faisal which will be permanently displayed in the lobby of FBQ Car Museum.
Photo by Salim Matramkot / The Peninsula
He also created a live painting of one of the cars on exhibition when the FBQ Car Museum was inaugurated on December 3, 2022. The painting is on display at the Car Museum which currently houses 300 classic and iconic cars.
On his plans to fly back to Ecuador, Del Castillo said: 'I travelled to Doha to exhibit my artworks and to watch World Cup matches. But the first week here was amazing, the second week was also amazing, and the third week even more. I fell in love with Qatar, a truly wonderful country. So, at this moment, I plan to stay a little longer.'