So, what does a caricature artist do at a party? And why might you consider having one show up at your event?

If you have ever stopped to watch a street artist draw then you understand the appeal of caricature entertainment. Likewise, when a caricature artist shows up at your party, your guests will come by and watch as the volunteer in the hot seat gets his turn.

When you provide caricature entertainment, one or more caricature artists come to your event and create quick sketch drawings of your guests on the spot. Some clients use the caricature drawings as a party favor. Many guests will frame the drawings and keep them for years.

Business clients who are offering caricature entertainment as part of promotional events such as trade shows and open houses use the drawings to aid their marketing efforts. They may choose to have their logos, contact information and marketing message imprinted onto the drawing paper for this purpose. Typically, caricature artists are seated in one place. They set up an easel and drawing table and guests come to them to watch or be drawn.

Who hires caricature artists to come out to their event? Families, businesses of all sizes, schools and colleges, and community organizations have all been clients. People hire them to draw at birthday parties, anniversary parties, holiday parties, pool parties, retirement parties, family reunions, company picnics, company open houses and client appreciation events. Literally you can find an artist at just about any kind of event you can think of.

Occupants of the ‘hot seat’ come from every walk of life and have ranged from babes in arms to people in their nineties, and even pets(!)

Caricature entertainment is extremely versatile and works for guests of every age group. But the best part is that both clients and guests find caricature entertainment to be fun. And the caricature artist is often the most popular person at the party.

These days, caricature artists are popular at lots of events. Event organizers are trading in the usual photographers for these artists for virtually any occasion, may they be grand openings, birthdays, company picnics, awarding ceremonies or weddings. The charm of caricature artists is almost as old as the art itself.

Did you know that not all caricature artists draw alike? And that there are many styles in caricature art. The stylized drawings of Al Hirschfeld, for example, are far different than Mad Magazine notable Mort Drucker’s dead-on likenesses. Unlike Al Hirschfeld and Mort Drucker who completed their work in a studio setting, caricature artists that work at parties must be able to deliver a completed sketch on the spot in a few short minutes with an audience looking over their shoulder. It is not work for the faint-hearted.

Most caricature artists produce portraits pretty quickly. They can do about 12 to 20 portraits in an hour. Just tell them who your important guests are, and they will take care of capturing their personalities in just a few strokes. You can either give the portraits to the subjects as they leave, or keep them for yourself as remembrances. You can even ask the artist to inscribe special messages.

Nonetheless, caricature artists who work in a fast-paced party setting evolve their own distinctive styles that work for them. This is important to know, because one of the most common mistakes people make when hiring a caricaturist for their party is not matching their preferences with the artist’s drawing style.

Party artist styles tend to fall into one of three categories.

The first is gross exaggeration. These artists focus their attention on any facial characteristic that deviates from the norm and really exaggerating and even distorting it. Artists with this way of working will make your big nose look REALLY big and that pointy head look like Mount Everest. Your guests will either love it or hate it, but they will definitely have an opinion.

The next is cartooning. Party caricature drawings created by an artist with a cartooning style will generally be the big head/little body type. If time permits, there may be a cartoony background. Popularized at theme parks, this style is seen at many children’s parties where the child is drawn engaging in a favorite activity, such as Johnny kicking a soccer ball.

The last is quick sketch caricature. These artists, many with classical art training, can create a dead-on likeness in just minutes. With these drawings you will definitely recognize the subject of the drawing, ie., “that looks just like Uncle Joe”… This milder approach is particularly well-liked by guests who are self-conscious about their appearance such as teens and people of “a certain age.”

Know your preferences and know your guests. Then look at your artist’s party samples to decide if his style is for you.