1 Do you like his style?
2 Does he have pictures of his LIVE work?
3 How FAST can he draw?
4 How Personable is He/she?
5 What VIBE do you get from him/her?
6 How much experience does he/she have?
7 Is he/she affiliated with other companies?
8 Are his/her prices reasonable?
9 Is he/she willing to travel?
10 Has he/she worked your type of venue before?
Ive been a Professional party caricature artist for over ten years, folks, worked every conceivable venue from Anniversaries, To Zoo openings, and Ive seen this ONE thing happen over and over.
After spending time to get just the right decorations, table settings, DJ's< Party Place, etc. When it comes to hiring the best ARTIST they just get "anybody"
Ive actually heard people complain: "He didnt draw me right" , "he was rude" , He was slow" etc. etc. Believe me folks having a Poor caricature artist at your party ruins the event! WHY? well because unlike Cake that is EATEN, Wine that is DRUNK Music that is DANCED to, the CARICATURE DRAWING is a KEEPSAKE. It's a memento that is "frozen in time" pointing to that event. It's not "just a picture" it's a MEMORY.
BUT HOW DO YOU CHOOSE A GOOD ARTIST OUT OF THE HUNDREDS?
Let me go through EACH STEP"
1 Do you like his style?
As the consumer you have the right to choose an artist whose style appeals to you. If you are comparison shopping, and Im not against it, you SHOULD Do this, look for an artist whose style of work you would like to have on your wall. FEW artsits are able to deviate from their "HOME" style . If they draw wild and exaggerated, chances are they will draw YOU wild and exaggerated, and MAYBE you dont WANT that. Since you're BUYING the service you deserve to get what you want, no?
2 Does he have pictures of his LIVE work?
ANY artist worth his salt can draw an excellent picture WHEN HE HAS TIME. look on their site to see if they 're live work actually LOOKS like the person they're drawing. Ask them HOW LONG IT TAKES for them to draw. Remember you are PAYING them by the hour. If you have 20 or more guests and you get an artist who draws one picture every ten or twenty minutes then you're in for empty pockets, unsatisfied guests and a long night.
3 How FAST can he draw?
If he cant draw with a Three to Five Minute time frame he is SLOW.
4 How Personable is He/she?
The artist, unlike the hot dog vendor at the food cort is an LIVE ENTERTAINER. You WANT someone who is going to be able to entertain your guests and be personable. He should be "part of the event" This is one reason I go out of my way to interact with people Im drawing. I LOVE to engage them. It makes the whole party experience a night to remember.
5 What VIBE do you get from him/her?
Does the artist REFUSE to meet with you prior to the event> do they rush you off the phone, or are they "all business?" Sometimes this is an indication that they are "all about the money" and while it's TRUE they are working professionals, you want someone who you can work with. Ive heard accounts of people who have been insulted by artists, ignored by them, and even ridiculed all in the name of "fun" Trust your instincts if you get a weird vibe dont hire them.
6 How much experience does he/she have?
How long has the artist been doing his job? While we all must begin SOMEWHERE do you really want a novice to try their skills at YOUR event? While there are some novices who are very talented, the dynamic of a live event makes some of them fold. Ive SEEN it happen! You want your event to be a success, not some "NEW JACKS" experiment.
7 Is he/she affiliated with other companies?
While it's true most caricature artists work as independents I find that it's good to find out who they are or have been affiliated with in terms of other company's. For example I have worked with numerous event planners in NYC and across the United States for many years. Having worked with these individuals has helped me establish a track record with them for being dependable, professional, one time, courteous and fun. ANY artist off the street can tell you "they're good" how would YOU know? Professional affiliations help you to ask artist employers how good they are. Testimonials from reputable clients also fall into this category.
8 Are his/her prices reasonable?
As fun as it is, Party Caricature is a business , and yes I want to get paid. After all Ive developed some annoying habits over the years like eating, wearing clothes and having a roof to keep the rain off me. Having said that are the artists rates REASONABLE for YOU? that's the key question. Is the artist willing to negotiate? granted, some things cannot be negotiated , but find out how your artist feels about their price. You might be pleasantly surprised. Ive actually come up with many ways my clients can save money by booking me for different types of events and have even thrown in free additional specials at no cost whatsoever.
9 Is he/she willing to travel?
This is self explanatory. Be up front with the artist and tell him/her where the venue will be. Some area are either remote, hard to access or, from the artists position, dangerous!(come on , we live in NYC, we KNOW where those places ARE) Nevertheless, your location IS your location so find out if the artist is WILLING to go there and if there is additional travel costs involved.
10 Has he/she worked your type of venue before?
Every event has it's own dynamic. Ive seen artists show up at formal events wearing jeans and a tee shirt and utterly ruining the "vibe" of the event just because they aren't accustomed to working in that venue. Some artists DON'T work well with children, some do. Ive even met one artist who "didn't like" to draw the elderly! You would be surprise how many artists "cant draw Black people" It doesn't hurt to ASK the artist the truth, and to ASK FOR SAMPLES .
I hope these tips help you in choosing your artist... which of course I hope is ME..hint, hint! ... feel free to email or phone me at 347 424 5349 if you have any questions!
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