This varies from job to job; I’m usually booked for a two or three hour session. My record is 137 caricatures in a day, but afterwards I did have a swollen thumb! I’m very often booked for a whole day, particularly for digital caricaturing.
For pen & paper each person takes around three minutes, depends on how good looking they are and how well behaved! Usually, I’ll get through 12 to 16 people per hour.
Also, entertaining is an important part of a caricaturist’s job and it’s important for the victim to like their tormentor! I may spend some time chatting and bantering with the guests so they’re comfortable and enjoy their experience.
The victim gets to keep their caricature and it’s delivered to them straight away.
The guests NEVER pay for their caricature – they are always free of charge to the victims. I’m paid to be at the event, based on the date, location and length or performance. The client pays the agreed fee and there’s no extras – ever!
Every wedding is different and it’s important to fit into the flow of the day. I’ll usually draw for two or three hours. In my experience the best times are: from the start of the drinks reception through until the speeches; between the meal and the party; throughout the evening do. Please do let me know the timings of your ceremony, breakfast, speeches and party and I’ll happily offer you a recommendation.
They’ll love it! The guests will be fascinated by the drawings and want to take part. Often they’ll compliment the organisers for their creative thinking in booking a caricaturist. Many people will appreciate the opportunity to be drawn amongst friends in a relaxed environment and who doesn’t love a freebie? I like to make sure everyone is entertained, even those who don’t end up being drawn.
Only intentionally! A good caricaturist will be able to gauge his victim’s resilience; with some people he’ll tread very carefully, with others he may fire away with both barrels.
Each victim is different, the trick is to figure out how far to go; some will want to look like a Kardashian, others won’t settle for less than Quasimodo! The aim is to have a laugh with the guests; poking fun without offending them.
I’ll get through as many guests as possible in the time given. It’s impossible to guarantee everyone will be drawn, as there are too many variables to consider. I do like to work hard, though, and will always maximise the work flow, depending on the event.
I like to stay as mobile as possible, mingling with the guests, catching them as they chat, sit or stand on their heads. I’m quite a ‘physical’ artist and like to put some energy into the drawings. However, there’s often a good place to settle down and let the guests come to me, particularly when using a big screen digital set up.
Couples definitely! Around 50% of paper pictures will be twosomes. Groups are more tricky – the more people there are the longer it takes. It’s often not practical to draw groups in the middle of the event and it slows the flow down dramatically. However, if it’s doable I’ll give it a go!
Marker pens and a sensible pencil! Wherever possible, I’ll use high quality recycled paper and home-brewed elbow grease.
I’m pretty self contained, so there’s no equipment for you to worry about. There are specific requirements for digital caricaturing (see below).
I travel 30,000 miles per year all over UK. I regularly work internationally too and have covered events as far afield as Vegas, Moscow and Swindon (enquiries from the Caribbean are particularly welcome).
Reasonable travel costs are factored into the fee and accommodation is not usually required within 100 miles of London for a single event. For international events, the client is expected to pay for flights, transfers and hotels.
Generally I’ll work alone, but I’ll often help organise several other top quality caricaturists too. I can also recommend some very good table magicians and silhouette artists and have built up some excellent connections within the events industry.
Yes! See my Studio Commissions page. I’ll never draw from photos at an event, though – I’ll only end up with a queue of folk showing me blurry phone photos of their baby, dog or long dead granny! Avoid, avoid, avoid!
I’ve been a professional caricaturist for over 20 years. I’ve drawn around 200,000 faces at over three thousand events, across five continents – I think I’m getting the hang of it now!
I’ve got a first class degree in art, but it’s about as much use as a chocolate tea-pot. I’m a natural cartoonist, not a fine artist, and like to concentrate on what I’m good at.
This depends on where, when and how long; please contact me for prices and availability.
I’ll ask for a deposit before confirming a booking. The balance can be paid anytime in advance by bank transfer, Paypal or credit card (cheques no longer accepted).
Digital caricatures are a modern, funky twist on traditional drawings. The pictures are sketched on a tablet, supplied as Jpegs and delivered by email, social media or printed out. They can then be used wherever you want – for profiles, web or print – and as often as you like.
Digital caricatures are much more tricky to do – it’s vital the artist knows what they’re doing! They require more skill and concentration than pen/paper and the drawing environment is important too. They do take slightly longer, but technology is improving all the time and speeds are picking up. The results are incredibly impressive and the guests will be blown away.
This very much depends on the event; they’re both excellent in the right circumstances. Walkabout digital caricatures are brilliant for drinks receptions, parties and events where I’ll need to hop around tables.
Static digital caricatures are superb at trade shows, conferences and events where the guests are in one area.
I’m always happy to advise on the best service for your specific event, simply get in touch.
For digital caricatures, each person takes around five minutes for full colour caricature. There’s also the ‘delivery’ of the picture to consider – whether by print, email or social media – this can take several minutes. Usually, I’ll get through eight to 12 people per hour. Black & white digital caricatures are slightly quicker, but not massively.
Yes, one of the benefits of digital caricature is the almost limitless potential for branding. Logos, tag-lines, backgrounds, bodies and themes can be added at the press of a button. Bespoke templates or frames can be created to your spec, including brand colours and design schemes. These will appear on the soft copies and any print outs too.
Logos and branding are included in the fee. Bespoke backgrounds, bodies and themes may incur an extra charge, depending on how complicated they are.
It’s best to stick with singles to keep it speedy. Drawing couples on the spot can get quite complicated and time consuming! The individuals can be stitched together into a group after the event, though.
Yes! It’s a very different cup of tea to pen & paper though, so please get in touch or see the digital wedding page for more details.
I use an iPad, Wacom tablet, Samsung Galaxy or Microsoft Surface.
Over the years I’ve been involved in the launch of several new devices, including phones, and am always happy to try out new tech. Some time may be needed beforehand to develop a smooth work flow.
The caricatures are printed on 4 x 6 glossy postcards. These are dry straight away and handed over in clear plastic wallets (not required) and hung on a lanyard. I’ll provide plain coloured lanyards, but am happy to use branded ones supplied by the client.
All equipment and WIFI can be supplied by me. For a full digital set up I’ll use a standard TV, Canon printer and sometimes an Apple TV, all mounted on a tripod stand. All cables are tucked away neatly and everything is kept as wireless as possible.
An electrical outlet is essential! A couple of chairs come in handy too. Other than those, I’ll need decent lighting, a place close to the guests and a ready supply of smiley guests.
Yes, as long as it’s set up correctly. I can connect to most large displays, as long as it takes HDMI. There are specific requirements though, so please get in touch for full technical specifications.
Digital copies can be sent by email, Bluetooth, social media, Dropbox, SMS or hosted on a website.
Anything you like! Emails can be sent with a personalised signature, including web addresses, contact details and marketing material. They can also be sent from the client’s own account (login required). My own signature will be warm and simple, without over-egging any self promotion.
Any data I capture can be supplied to the client after observing GDPR regulations and gaining the relevant permissions. I won’t use any data for any other reason and will not hand it over to a third party.
