Drawn From Life: Picasso Griffiths
Jul
He spent 12 years animating classics like SuperTed before a friend’s joke gave him a nickname that stuck. Thousands of caricatures later, Graham ‘Picasso’ Griffiths explains why drawing starts with seeing
He has drawn thousands upon thousands of faces at weddings, festivals, and parties across Wales, each one captured in around three minutes. But before he was making guests laugh with a sketchpad and a quick line in banter, Graham ‘Picasso’ Griffiths was helping to animate some of the best-loved children’s television ever made in Cardiff.
Graham grew up in North Wales, but it was the Welsh capital that shaped his career. “Cardiff drew me in because the animation industry was really taking off at that time,” he says. “It quickly became clear this was where I wanted to build my career. I’ve now lived here for decades, raised a family and been lucky enough to make a living doing what I love. Cardiff has changed enormously over the years, but it’s always had a wonderful creative spirit.”
The nickname that has followed him for three decades arrived, fittingly, mid-drawing. “It came from a friend of mine who, while watching me draw a caricature, jokingly called me ‘Picasso’. Or at least I think that’s what he said! Before long, ‘Picasso Griffiths’ had stuck, and 30 years later, plenty of people know me by that name before they know my real one.”
Long before the nickname, though, came the animation. Graham spent 12 years as an animator on programmes that a whole generation grew up watching – SuperTed, Shoe People, and Funny Bones, all made here in Cardiff during what many now regard as a golden era of Welsh animation.
“It was an exciting time,” he recalls. “None of us realised those programmes would become classics. We were just a team of passionate artists working hard and enjoying every minute. It’s lovely now when people tell me they grew up watching them. To have played a small part in so many childhood memories is a real privilege.”
Among the projects he looks back on with particular pride is the animated adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, a piece of work that carried a special weight of responsibility.
“When you’re working on something as treasured as Under Milk Wood, you have to treat it with respect,” he says. “Dylan Thomas painted extraordinary pictures with words, so our job was to complement that visually, not compete with it. As an animator, it was an honour to help bring it to life.”
These days, Graham is best known for his live caricature work, appearing at weddings, corporate events, and community celebrations, where he produces each drawing in around three minutes. So what is actually going through his head in those three minutes?
“I’m looking for what makes someone uniquely them,” he explains. “It might be their eyes, smile, posture or the way they carry themselves. A good caricature isn’t about making someone look silly. It’s about capturing their personality with warmth and humour.”
That ability to really see a face has been honed over more than 30 years of teaching animation and life drawing, and it has inspired his latest project, a book, provisionally titled The Art of Looking.
“People often tell me, ‘I wish I could draw,’ or ‘You’ve got a natural gift.’ I don’t believe drawing is simply a gift. I believe it’s a skill that starts with learning how to see. The book will take readers through practical exercises that develop observation, helping anyone, from complete beginners to artists, teachers, designers and animators, learn to look differently and, in turn, draw with greater confidence.”
Anyone who has watched Graham at work will know that the drawing is only half the show. He describes himself as a showman who can ‘draw and talk’ at the same time, and the entertainer in him emerged, he says, almost by accident.
“The artist came first, but the entertainer grew alongside it. Years ago, I was working at an event with top caricaturist Dave Lewis. As I was about to reveal a caricature I’d just finished, I made an off-the-cuff joke that got everyone laughing. Afterwards, Dave said he loved the way I engaged with people and that the entertainment was just as important as the drawing. That’s when the penny dropped. I realised this was something I could develop into my own style.
“Since then I’ve developed my own mix of humour, conversation, and live drawing. A caricature isn’t just about the finished picture. It’s about making people laugh, relax and enjoy the whole experience.”
After thousands of events, you might expect one moment to stand out above the rest. Graham insists it doesn’t work like that.
“No single one stands out because every event brings something different. That’s why I never get bored. Every face, every personality and every conversation is unique. After more than 30 years and thousands upon thousands of caricatures, I’ve collected enough funny stories to fill a book! Seeing people burst into laughter when they recognise themselves is still the best part of the job.”
And has anyone ever taken offence at seeing their features gently exaggerated? “Very rarely. In over 30 years, I can count the unhappy customers on one hand. My aim has never been to embarrass anyone. It’s about exaggerating with kindness and making people feel at ease.
“I usually start with a bit of banter. ‘It’s only a bit of fun! No crying if you don’t like your drawing. It’s not nice to see grown-ups crying. And definitely no kissing me if you like it!’ I chat throughout, pamper the ladies and tease the guys. Once everyone’s laughing, they relax, and that’s when the best caricatures happen,” he says.
Graham helped set up the first animation workshops in Wales and taught part-time for many years. His advice to young artists starting out today, in an age of digital animation and AI, is characteristically down to earth.
“The tools will always change, but creativity doesn’t. Learn the fundamentals, keep practising, and develop your own voice. AI can be a useful tool, but it can’t replace imagination, observation, or personality.”
He has recently stepped back from teaching to concentrate on his own creative projects, including writing, animation, and producing short films that celebrate local people and community projects. “After spending years helping others develop their creativity, it’s nice to have time to explore a few ideas of my own.”
Not that he is slowing down. Far from it. “I’m busier than ever,” he says. “Alongside weddings, festivals, corporate events and community celebrations, I’m developing a new animated film, which I’m self-funding through my caricature bookings. Every event I work helps bring that project one step closer.”
The Art of Looking is also nearing completion. And somewhere between the weddings, the festivals and the film, the pen that has been working for more than 30 years shows no sign of being put down.
Find out more at www.picassogriffiths.com
