Question 1

How long have you been drawing caricatures?

Accepted Answer

Court has been drawing caricatures professionally live and at events since 1996. And drawing them digitally at events since 2010. Read the About page for more information. Any other artists that we collaborate with and may book for your event will also be top-notch professionals with many years of experience. We don't send anyone out in our place that doesn't have our full confidence.

Question 2

Do I need to provide anything to the digital artists? What do they require from me?

Accepted Answer

The artists only require access to an electrical outlet, two chairs, a small table and ask to be set up indoors, or in a covered area so that we and the event guests can easily see the LCD screens. We bring everything else we need to perform. There are no hidden charges for our standard services.

Question 3

Why should I book a digital caricature artist instead of a traditional artist?

Accepted Answer

Live digital artists draw on digital tablets or iPads that are connected to a printer and a large LCD flat screen. The LCD display makes a huge difference. Guests can see what's happening and watch the fun from farther away and in larger groups, entertaining more people at once. The guests get to keep a highly personalized souvenir print which will remind them of the event and then go online to download their sketch to share on social media or use as their profile images in apps like Slack, Meet and Teams. Also, our live digital art display just looks cool and sets your event or trade show booth apart from anything the guests have ever seen, increasing foot traffic enormously and giving you a bigger return on investment.

Question 4

Why should I book Court Jones?

Accepted Answer

Court Jones is a highly experienced, award-winning artist. He has been drawing caricatures professionally since 1996 and specializing in live digital caricatures since 2010 with a focus on performing at high-end and corporate events. In 2005 he won the title of Caricature Artist of the Year at the annual convention for the National Caricaturist's Network. And in 2011 he won the title of Master Caricature Artist of the Year from the International Society of Caricature Artists. He is also a well-known art instructor who has trained artists how to draw caricatures for nearly his entire career, including at the prestigious California private art school The Watts Atelier.

Question 5

How many people can one digital caricature artist draw per hour?

Accepted Answer

One artist can typically draw 9-10 people per hour when drawing in color. Or if drawing them in just black and white lines, one artist can draw 15-20 people per hour.

Question 6

Can I book more than one artist, or several artists for the same event?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We work with many other artists around the country and around the world who we can call on to draw together at larger events. Samples of our partner artists' works are available upon request. We only work with experienced colleagues we know and trust.

Question 7

Do you have a minimum amount of hours for a booking, or a maximum?

Accepted Answer

Generally, we have a 3 hour minimum booking requirement. But we have been known to make exceptions for shorter bookings. We charge $315 per hour for a two hour booking as long as the event is local to the artist's location. We try to maintain a 10 hour daily maximum, but we have no overall maximum limit for a booking if it is spread out over multiple days, such as with a trade show or festival. Minimum booking times may be higher for December.

Question 8

What areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

Pretty much everywhere nationwide and worldwide! We are based out of San Diego, California. And we most often serve the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas. But we also fly around the country and world to draw at events. Our equipment is portable enough to travel by air. Travel outside of Southern California for an event may require a different rate structure than for events local to an artist. If Court is not available to personally draw at your event, we may be able to find a trusted artist local to your area.

Question 9

Do guests get printed caricatures or is it only digital?

Accepted Answer

Each guest receives a complimentary 4 x 6" glossy print in a clear protective sleeve or attached to lanyard badges. As part of our standard service, we include your company logo or a specialized message on each print. We also host the digital caricature files for you or your guests to download after the event. Each caricature print will have the web address of where the guests can download their art or share it to social networking sites.

Question 10

Can you put our logo on each caricature? What about backgrounds?

Accepted Answer

Including a logo or the name of the event on each caricature is part of our standard service. There is no additional charge to include any artwork or content that you provide. But if you would like the artist to create a custom background environment or cartoon body for the template, a studio fee will apply - usually $100 per custom background (example: A city skyline, or body template where the guest appears to be using your product). Please contact us for an exact quote.

Question 11

Is a caricature a drawing where the artist just exaggerates one particular feature, like the nose?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not. A good caricature is a drawing that observes your individual likeness and accentuates all the traits which make you look like you. Some features get bigger, some smaller, closer together or farther apart. There is no single formula applied to everybody. Each new face is a different challenge which is what makes it interesting for the artist and a surprise for the guests to watch each new face get drawn.

Question 12

What forms of payment do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Checks, ACH direct deposit, Zelle, Venmo or credit cards. A convenience fee of 3.5% will apply to payments made by credit card.

Question 13

What equipment do you use to draw on at events?

Accepted Answer

Court draws on a large portable digital tablet PC made by WACOM, the industry leader for digital artists. Other artists we work with often draw on iPad. Our gear is very streamlined, quick to set up and take down, and is very well-suited to high-end corporate events and trade show booths.

Question 14

Do you use generative AI to create your caricatures?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not!  Real, experienced artists are actually offended by those that do use AI to create "art." We take great pride in drawing each and every live caricature by hand. Even though we draw on digital tablets, it is always a human artist interacting with your guests and drawing them the same way we would with pen on paper that helps make this form of entertainment so fun. People tend to feel special and feel seen when a fellow human being takes the time to make their face into a quirky little work of art.

Question 15

How large of a display do you use at events?

Accepted Answer

Court brings a 32" LCD displays on a floor or table stand. Our other artists generally use 32" LCD displays as well, but some may use a little bigger or a little smaller of a screen. If you would like us to plug our tablets into your display monitors, we are happy to do so.

Question 16

Our company would like to promote our new tablet device or drawing software.  Would you be able to use it at our event?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We are happy to draw on devices supplied by the client. Although, in order to showcase your hardware or software in the best light, it is crucial that we be able to practice on it to familiarize ourselves with its functions. We would prefer a week, or at least a few days to work with it in advance. Every new device or piece of software, no matter how well designed, has a learning curve with quirks that we need to be familiar with before demonstrating it in front of the public.

Question 17

How do I know if I need to have more than one artist at my event?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how many guests you would like to have drawn. Each artist can draw about 8 to 10 people per hour in color (or about 15 to 20 people per hour in black and white). So if your party has 30 guests, one artist can potentially draw everybody in 3 hours when working in color. At larger events such as wedding receptions, corporate events and trade shows, multiple artists are always a good idea. We can work side by side in one area or be spread around the venue at different locations. The fee is generally just multiplied by the number of artists contracted for an event. And remember, even if there are many guests who don't get their caricature drawn, they are still entertained by watching the artists at work.

Question 18

Can guests use their digital caricatures on their business cards or printed on products?

Accepted Answer

The caricatures created at live events are for personal use and enjoyment only. By default an artist always retains the reproduction rights to any artwork they create, unless agreed upon otherwise. Guests who receive a live caricature are encouraged to share and post the artwork online to social media or use as online avatar/profile pictures. But if anyone is interested in using a caricature for their business card or commercial product, they may commission the artist after the event to create a studio quality caricature which will include all reproduction rights.

Live Digital Caricature Entertainment for events

Live Digital Caricature FAQs