Free caricature-making workshop was held by World's fastest caricaturist Franz Del Castillo at FBQ Museum

Ecuadorian artist 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.

He 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).

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."

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.

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."

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.

After the workshop, Del Castillo drew caricatures of all the attendees and handed them their certificates of completion.

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."

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. 

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."