Why Can't I F*cking Draw Loki?!

Frustrating attempts at caricaturing Tom Hiddleston.

Oct 17, 2023

I’m so frustrated.

The ridiculous possibilities of time travel and jumping into different dimensions always capture my imagination. That’s not what’s frustrating me, though.

I love the Disney+ series Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston as the Marvel villain and god of mischief, tearing himself apart trying to figure out how to make sense of what’s going on with that universe's wacky timelines.

He’s an excellent actor, but why is his likeness so f*cking hard to draw?!

I made a wacky decision to challenge myself by attempting to caricature him as Loki. You see his small eyes, prominent forehead, and large grin wrapping around his thin jaws.

Definitely doable. Pretty easy, even. Or, so I thought.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki. I love the personality in his smile, so I had to capture it.

I sketched him first using a blue pencil, playing around with face shapes and where to place the eyes. His large forehead begs to be exaggerated, but you must simultaneously nail his likeness.

I was clearly failing.

Some people are difficult to capture. It is a thing. It’s not just me. How many times can I try his eye shapes and get them wrong? I decided not to give up.

Taking out a trusty black Crayola marker—you guys know I’m working on getting better at drawing with—trying several different versions yielded mixed results. The drawings themselves are fine, but they don’t look like him.

This one is the best; it’s drawn well enough but still doesn’t quite work.

Tom Hiddleston is a handsome guy, but not with my pens. What the f*ck?!

I know that with caricature, it can be that the photo you’re using for reference might not work well, so it’s good to try different ones. I did that. You can try turning the head or exaggerating various features. I did that, too. Still, he doesn’t look hot.

I tried another version to get closer to his likeness, but not quite there.

I wish I could tell you there’s one more drawing where I get everything just right, but I can’t. My vision was to take you through my creative process, the ups and downs, and end with a nice “If you keep trying and never give up, you can reach your goals” type moment.

Nope.

Creative pursuits don’t always work out how you want them to, but you can rethink how you look at them.

Maybe my drawings could work as cartoon versions of Loki but not actual caricatures. I could simplify his likeness to a chibi version with dot eyes and not worry about getting his features right. For now, though, I’m tired. You can tell because I’m internet cursing—putting asterisks inside the word F*ck.

Sometimes, you’re just not ready and need more time to practice. Or, you have to throw in the towel and know when to quit.

It’s time to let this one go, take a break, and return later.

I’ll watch the show weekly to see Tom Hiddleston playing the character and hopefully discover an expression that inspires a new approach or think of another way to illustrate his likeness.

Have you got any tips?

Share it in the comments if you’re working through something creatively challenging this week.