How To Hire An Artist
Who Draws Live
If you dont know anything about art and you can't draw a straight line, you can still hire an artist who draws caricatures, live illustrations or even cuts silhouettes for your next event!
Read this quick guide to help you learn how.
What's Most Important?
Learn the Live Artist's DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
They don't want you to know!
What's the Most Important Thing
when you hire an artist to draw live?
WHAT ISN'T:
What it's not:
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Price
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Art Style
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Service
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Professionalism
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Putting on a Show
WHAT IS:
Time = Money. We all know that.
and IF your Live Artist isn't FAST,
THEN They AREN'T worth the Money.
SPEED
Don't make the mistake of hiring an artist without verifying their speed first!
Imagine how horrible it would be to have a roomful of guests and only get a handful of them drawn. Unfortunately, this happens all too often. I've actually seen it more than a time or two.
That's what happens when you hire an artist based on price alone.
Price is NOT your most important factor. Let's See Why.
Why SPEED COUNTS
When you hire a Live Artist
Speed Caricature
This is me. Yes it's edited and sped up for youtube - but not much. You can see more speed drawings there at Kathy Buskett - YouTube
The faster your live artist can draw, the more people they can serve and the more people you have favors for.
In the corporate sector, they call that price per person.
So if you're paying a little more for an artist who can draw twice as fast, you're still getting a deal because it cuts the cost per person in half or more.
Ultimately this matters more than the Price Per hour.
According to Goofy Faces, an etnertainment booking site, Most Caricaturists draw between 10-15 faces per hour. Some even only draw 4-5 per hour! (I've actually seen this! Not naming names!)
When you have a live artist who draws slower, you're actually getting less for your money.
Live artists are essentially Live Favor-creators. There's absolutely an entertainment element there as well.
But when you look at it as a purely favor-making enterprise, you can see the value in speed.
The Value of SPEED
Cost PP Cut IN Half
HI! My name is Kathy Buskett. I've been drawing caricatures professionally for 26 years, this is my Full-Time Job, and
I am one of the fastest caricature artists in the world. I have won awards for my speed which is 20-30 people per hour.
2-3x Faster than Average!
This keeps lines down, guests happy, AND cuts your price per person in Half or more!
Who Am I?
At your typical wedding of 100 Guests and a 4 hour period, I can draw ALL of your guests - including the Bride and Groom in FULL COLOR
Learn more on my Wedding Page HERE
STYLE is also Paramount
When you hire an artist to draw live
A caricature by Al Hirschfeld.
His style was immediately recognizable by its elegant simplicity
But what if you know negative zero about art?
Trust your eyes. Look at your potential artist's portfolio.
If you like what you see, then you've found a good one!
But if it looks like AI (and is WAY underpriced) then RUN!
I won't rant about how AI is stealing from artists and literally can't make anything on its own here, however, you DEFINITELY DON'T want an "AI Bro" pretending he or she can draw at your event!
One BIG "tell" for AI is to look at the anatomy. Look at fingers, hands, arms and legs. If it's disjointed in creepy ways, it's AI.
Another reason to pass an artist up is if all the drawings look the same and don't look enough like the sitter. Anyone can draw a smiley face.
What You're paying for is the magic of likenesses to appear as if out of nowhere. Not faces that all look the same with different clothes and hair. Might as well just get one of those "no face artists" (pituey)
Dude, Where's my face?
OMG wasn't hirschfeld amazing???
The reason I'm posting his work is to show the consitsency in his style. You can tell a Hirschfeld anywhere.
Oddly enough, Another thing to look out for in a portfolio is an absence of a consistent style. If the drawings in a portfolio dont look like they were all from the same artist, they probably aren't.
I personally have had someone lift an image of mine from the internet and claim it as their own in order to "pad" their portfolio.
It happens more often than you'd think, and if you think about it, it's theft by deception. If they can't draw their own samples, they can't be very good artists.
Or very good human beings either.
The solution: Watch them draw LIVE!
I was hiring people for my caricature Stand in Las Vegas. An older gentleman came in and said he could draw caricatures and had been doing it for years.
Something told me he wasn't telling the truth
(Live artists are experts at lie detecting. We can read microexpressions like nobody's business. We might not let on, but we know when you're lying.)
Anyway, I remembered a trick my late husband
Buddy Rose (also a caricaturist) taught me - hand them a marker and tell them to draw you.
I did, and the guy nervously drew me. He was really sweating. When he finally revealed the drawing,
it was clear he couldn't draw AT ALL.
Of course, I smiled and politely showed him the door.
That's a little trick you can use Courtesy of Buddy Rose, the Godfather of Caricature, founder of the ISCA, and my late husband.
Ask 'em to draw you on the spot. Works every time.
Can they even Draw?
How to hire an artist to draw live
So when it comes to style, you may ask:
WHAT ABOUT THOSE TIK TOK VIDEOS?
We all love to laugh at them.
But would you want to BE them?
No?
Neither do your guests.
For Parties, Weddings and trade shows, Look for live Caricatures that are flattering and fun.
THAT is what you want to give your guests!
Please read my related blog post about Al Hirschfeld, Arguably the Greatest Caricaturist in the world, and how his Caricatures were FLATTERING HERE
(Secret Tip: if you want to look BETTER than you actually do in real life, hire a female artist! Generally speaking, of course... ahem... Check Out My Gallery HERE)
Caricatures should also have a good "likeness". In other words,
It needs to LOOK LIKE the sitter. If it doesn't consistently look like the person sitting, they aren't very good at the job.
As I mentioned before, the BEST way to tell the style and speed of a caricature artist is by watching a prospective Caricaturist draw live.
You can check out my live schedule HERE.
I ENCOURAGE you to come watch me draw live!
In Fact, Don't even tell me you're scoping me out!
Finally, Professionalism remains the litmus test for ALL of your hiring decisions.
Ask around. Search for real reviews from real people, or verified reviews from independent sites.
Ask for references from real customers! Recent ones are better.
For Example, I recently had a bride-to-be ask me for references from real brides.
I'd never had this happen before, (maybe she read this page?) but it wasn't a problem
I got permission to give out phone numbers and the bride
happily booked me - I have no idea what they said to her
but it must have been good! (her wedding is coming up soon!)
A True Pro should have a good amount of clients and be able to supply references.
Three is a good number to ask for, but you can always ask for more.
If they balk or it takes more than a day or two, that can be a red flag!
Questions to ask:
Did they offer you a contract?
Did they honor it?
Were they on time?
Did they dress professionally?
Was their setup Professional Looking?
How did the guests like them?
How long did you hire them for?
How many Breaks did they take?
Were they easy to work with?
What would you say about their speed?
What would you say about their attitude?
Did they draw couples? Families?
Did they finish at the end or did they require overtime because their line was too long at the end?
Would you hire them again?
Remember you aren't just hiring an artist when you hire a caricaturist -
You're hiring an ENTERTAINER.
So find out in an interview - Are they Entertaining?
DO they have an Engaging and Fun personality?
If they sit and scowl or don't talk while they draw that might be another indication to look elsewhere.
(NOTE: Some sitters just DO NOT want to talk. I respect that and give them what they want. If I was silent with EVERYONE, however, that would be a problem!)
Miss Mississippi at Beau Rivage
Finally,
DO YOU LIKE THEM?
Just because Caricaturists are rare,
it doesn't mean you have to put up with one with an overinflated ego, or who shows up to your interview smelling like weed.
You'd be surprised how prevalent this is and it's a huge problem!
That's one reason I put no substance use in my contract, to put you at ease about it.
By the way, No, I don't smoke weed. I rarely drink either.
I have too much work to do!
So to recap:
Make sure your prospective caricaturist
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Is FAST
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That you like their Style
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That they act Professional
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That you LIKE them
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Look at their Portfolio
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Interview them
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Interview their Refrences
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Watch them while they work
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Look for Red Flags Including
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Slow Speeds
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Takes too many breaks
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Rudely asks for tips (most of us take them but we shouldn't be hawking for them)
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Eating on the job without permission
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not well dressed for the occasion
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Smelling like weed!!!
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No web presence
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Not enough reviews or references
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No Contract or one that only protects them
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Want you to pay without a contract
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No Clear Process
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All drawings look the same
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Can't draw all age groups (especially babies or children)
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People don't want to sit for them
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Bad Attitude or a Primadonna
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Treating People Poorly
If you do all of this you're sure to hire a real professional caricaturist!
Hi My name is Kathy Buskett.
I was raised in an entrepreneurial household and learned to run a business from a young age.
Drawing Caricatures is my joy and its also my "real job." I support my family with my art business. That's why I take my reputation so seriously.
I know that EVERYONE is my customer, and I know that being easy to work with is paramount. That's part of why I have worked with so many top tier companies. (see my footer at the bottom of this page)
You're getting a real pro with me!
Reasons TO Hire me as Your Caricature Artist
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One of the Fastest Caricaturists in the World and can draw up to 30 people per hour
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25 Years of Experience
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10 of those years were spent drawing in Las Vegas
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Top Tier Clients such as Samsung, AT&T, Verizon, Coca-Cola and even Cirque du Soleil.
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I keep in contact in the months, weeks and days before your event so you don't have to worry.
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I have never missed a paid event in the 25 years I've been drawing Caricatures
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I use a contract to guarantee you that I will show up, which helps set your mind at ease. I won't cancel on you for a better opportunity like some other artists are known to do.
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Guaranteed to show up or your money back
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(which has never happened but if it does you're covered)
Kathy Buskett is Your Clear choice for a Speedy, Stylish and Professional Caricature Artist Near Me