Caricaturist is not an easy word to spell!

SOMETIMES I WONDER why I became a caricaturist. Caricaturist is not an easy word. Every time I have to announce what I am, I find myself plumping for the much easier and equally valid ‘cartoonist’ or ‘illustrator’. But every so often no other definition will do and I have to laboriously spell out caricaturist over the phone or the slightly simpler word caricatures which is key part of this website’s domain name caricatures.org.uk.

“Caricatures dot org dot uk . . . yes, that’s right – c, a, r, i, c, a, t, u. r, e, s NOT charicatures and not charactertures.

Party Caricaturist

And, of course, many people can have the wrong idea about caricatures whilst at the same time getting the words wrong. A few years ago I was drawing Live Caricatures at a company event which was evidently not going well as a woman looking over my shoulder was shouting at the ‘victim’: “It’s not supposed to look like you – it’s a ‘characteristic!'” Well, you know, the life of an on-the-spot caricaturist can be subject to such highs or lows. I can rest safe in the cosy company of my many testimonials assuring me that 99% of my clients are very happy!

‘Caracatures’, ‘Charactertures’ and ‘Charcatures’ are some other ways caricatures has been spelled. And, combined with my surname, Ellinas, I can spend seeming hours on the phone reciting letter after letter in the vain hope that the caller has taken things down accurately. Fortunately, in this increasingly digitized age, more and more communication is done at the click of a button so spelling caricaturist becomes less of a problem.

I’ll be adding more stories from my life as a cartoonist and caricaturist in London, but in the meantime you can find out more about me HERE.

See a List of Famous Caricaturists HERE.