The sources of the comic effect in the literary works of V.V. Veresaev have scarcely been studied and therefore require systematic scholarly investigation. The purpose of this article is to analyze the functions of the techniques and devices used to create a comic effect within the artistic anthropology of Veresaev’s prose. The study demonstrates that the principal source of the comic effect in Veresaev’s works lies in the portraits of literary characters. These portraits form a system in which each element manifests a specific character trait of the character. The poetics of the comic in Veresaev’s writing is realized in either a humorous or a satirical mode. Satire constructs a form of negative artistic anthropology, while the objects of satirical ridicule are depicted through aggressive rhetorical strategies. Humor, in contrast, produces a more benevolent rhetorical perspective toward the characters. Both the physical and inner qualities of the characters are actively involved in the creation of the comic effect. To achieve the desired artistic result, the author transforms elements of portrait description - either by hyperbolizing or reducing particular features. This transformation creates the conditions necessary for the emergence of the comic effect. Each component of the literary portrait of a satirical or humorous character functions as a sign carrying a specific semantic dimension of the comic. Humorous and satirical contexts thus concretize and give visible form to the artistic anthropology of Veresaev’s prose. The elements of the comic impart a realistic character to the artistic anthropology of Veresaev’s works.