The ToonHeadz Team get another round of a ToonHeadz Workshop, but this time with the talented, brilliant, and lovable Ash Stryker.
The incredibly talented caricature Ash Stryker, was the new teacher for The ToonHeadz Workshop this past week. Ash has become a super popular caricature artist inside the caricature community - gracing caricature artists all around the world with her amazing skill. Ash has only been doing caricatures for 3 years now, but has definitely made a big impact towards the art form of caricature. All members of the ToonHeadz Team were mesmerized by Ash's workshop. She was very informative regarding the art of caricature, educating The ToonHeadz Team on how she tackles live caricature. Caricature, of course, takes artistic skill, but there is always more that goes into it. When a caricature artist relates more ideas and concepts to a face, the better the artist can create fantastic caricatures. Ash demonstrated some of her techniques and methods for The ToonHeadz Team. They were all very brilliant and inspired them to try something new.
"Ash's skill shines because of her nature to simplify shapes and still relate the shapes to a fun design. It's very tricky to look at something so complicated, like a face, and balance cool shapes in order to fit the narrative of a person. Expressions, design, simplifying, and the use of color is what makes Ash super unique, as most artists take a different approach. I was so honored to get the opportunity to see the way she thinks on how she approaches caricature. " -A.J. Jensen
When The ToonHeadz first heard of Ash being the next host for the workshop, they were all thrilled. Ash Stryker is among some of the ToonHeadz Team's favorite artists, so everyone was excited to see her unique style, vision and execution on caricature. The ToonHeadz was able to host the Workshop by using Discord, a great way to connect everyone together. Ash was perfect! Super friendly and her personality shone through. Everyone took a liking to her immediately. Not only that, but everyone really respected her talents on how to create a caricature.
"Great stuff! I like her honesty and openness. I love her freedom to take opportunities when they appear and the learning mindset." -Bobby Morris
"I think these Workshops benefit everyone involved. You have The ToonHeadz Team get better and wiser with caricature. Taking away ideas or techniques to help better their artistic journey. Also, we get to support caricature artists that are really respected in the community! I'm confident its a win-win for everyone!" -A.J. Jensen
Ash was also kind enough to showcase her ability on creating a live caricature by drawing The ToonHeadz Top Artist of 2021, Destin Andrews. She demonstrated her artistic process, being extremely detailed and descriptive with each step. One thing that makes Ash such a unique artist is her choice in materials. Those who are familiar with the Prismacolor Art Stix know that, unfortunately, they are being discontinued. Although it's quite a blow to the caricature community, artists like Ash Stryker always find a way to adjust for their craft. Rather than use Prismacolor Art Stix, she uses airbrush. The technique for airbrush is a little different, but the result is a lovely, soft look. It's because of creative minds like Ash that the art of caricature is always evolving and changing for the better.
"It was awesome! I definitely learned a lot in terms of technique and how to approach art when it comes to developing your own style." -Lillian Cotton "I loved it! She was really down to earth and I could tell she loves what she's doing and that's always nice to see." -Gabby Gonzalez
Without a shadow of a doubt, everyone within The ToonHeadz Team are extremely grateful to have the opportunity to learn and grow alongside artists like Ash. We extend a huge thank you to her for everything she taught and for the beautiful pieces she created for us!