How Do You Know Which Caricaturist is the Best One for Your Event?

You are having a party and you want to provide the best type of entertainment so your guests aren’t bored. Or maybe you are the exhibit manager at a booth at a big trade show and you are in charge of entertainment for your event. You were told to hire a caricature artist. Your manager told you to hire the best caricaturist that you can get, but you can’t even pronounce the word. So you go online and “Google” caricaturist and maybe put in a few more key words for your state, city, etc. You come up with tons of web sites with slick pictures of caricatures done by the artist, along with a bio and client list. You might make a few phone calls. One artist tells you that he only draws big heads with no “little bodies”. Another artist tells you that she only draws profiles with little bodies and to draw in color will be an extra charge. Another artist tells you that she will do the job but you must get a back up in case she doesn’t feel good that day. By this time, you are feeling dizzy from all this searching around for the best caricaturist in your particular city or town.

Caricature artists are a rare breed of artist. They are just like flowers, not one is exactly like the other. Because caricaturists are artists they look at a person or even a person’s dog or cat and render their interpretation of the subject. Caricature is a French word and it means to exaggerate. Traditionally caricatures were first done and supposedly invented in Eastern France in the 19th century to make fun of the political figures of the time. Obviously it took off from there and the world has fallen in love with caricatures since then. Therefore you must be aware of the way an artist exaggerates their subject.

Some caricaturists draw extremely comical renditions while others are a bit more flattering of the person in the “hot seat”. Some caricaturist, for example, exaggerates big beautiful eyes rather than a big nose. This might be good if your clients or your relatives are vain. Knowing all this information is not enough. You also need inside information, so you’ll know how to get the best caricature artist for your particular needs.

First, it is important to know that if you are having a large turnout of people, the artist must be able to draw more than four pictures per hour. There are caricaturists who draw “masterpieces that were museum quality,” but have up to 25 people standing in line waiting patiently while the particular caricaturist took twenty minutes to draw one person. This is downright sad and disappointing to the guests who went home empty handed. This is why when you select a caricaturist for your next party or even, that you get one who is quick and accurate.

It is very important as well to check references of the artist. Ask for more than one reference and ask if the guests seemed happy with their caricature. Ask if the caricaturist was personable and nice. There are some artists that hate the job and just look at it as a stop gap to their big break in Hollywood. The caricaturist you hire doesn’t have to be a stand up comic but a pleasant disposition is important and a genuine liking of people is important as well. It is also necessary for your own peace of mind to sign a contract with the artist. In case of an emergency, the contract should state that they supply an adequate substitute. Caricature artists are very familiar with networking and trade jobs with other artists all the time.

Gerry Hoylie is known as the Hollywood Caricaturist. Gerry is a licensed NYC and New York State Art Teacher. She has taught painting and drawing to both adults and children. Gerry is also a Alumni of the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. If you wish to contact here you can by sending her an email to gerialana@aol.com or call her at 212-532-1142, or go to her website at http://www.allanaenterprises.com.