Hi, I'm Tom Faraci. You may know me as the one-time president of the International Society of Caricature Artists, or perhaps as one of the filmmakers behind the documentary American Caricature. Maybe you've met me at one of the many events in which I draw live caricatures, or maybe you don't know me at all. In any case, allow me to catch you up.
I'm an Ohio artist native to the Cleveland area. I've always enjoyed drawing, but I didn't begin studying art seriously until my junior year of high school in 2003. In 2008, I graduated with a degree in graphic design and briefly pursued a full-time design career until I started doing caricatures in the summer of 2009. That's where I really discovered my passion as an artist, and saw a path before me. But that's a story I'll never tell better than when I told it to my good friends in Tenacious D.
Now that you're caught up, I'd like to talk a bit about what this space is about. For the better part of the last decade, I've relied on social media as my main avenue for showing off my art. But social media has always had its limits and it's only become less user-friendly over time (I could dedicate a blog post just to that topic). There were two things that kept me tethered to my social accounts. The first was American Caricature and its corresponding Kickstarter campaign. The other was my role with ISCA and moderating and maintaining a presence in our social spaces. But since the Kickstarter was succesfully funded, the film released, and I've stepped down as ISCA President, I've decided now is the time to pivot to my own space, where I can control how my work is presented. That's not to say I'm leaving social media behind entirely, but I am re-evaluating my relationship with it as I strive to develop healthier habits.
As a portfolio, I plan to use this site as more than just a place to showcase a painting here or a caricature there. The home page will be a gallery of highlighted work. In the blog, I will expand on select works to show sketches, progression, client briefs, and whatever other interesting tidbits I picked up during the creative process. I'll also be sharing new work here when I can, so there will likely be stuff in the blog that's not on the home page.
It just so happens that I'm publishing this first post on New Years Day 2022. I don't put much thought into resolutions or anything - but this seems as good a time to launch as any. I have some goals set, and getting this site revamped and into the world was primary amongst them. Beyond that, I have another film project in the works, some clients I'd like to pursue, and if all goes well, a full schedule of caricature events for the first time in two years.
Happy New Year. Glad you could make it.