Question 1

How long have you been drawing caricatures?

Accepted Answer

Both Court and Debbie have been drawing caricatures professionally live and at events since 1996. And we've been drawing them digitally at events since 2010. Read About Us for more information. Other event artists we collaborate with also have many years of professional experience.

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 networks or use as their profile images. 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

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. Each additional artist multiplies the total cost of one artist.

Question 5

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. We charge $300 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. Minimum booking times may be higher for December.

Question 6

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 listed above. If Debbie or Court are not available to personally draw at your event, we may be able to find a trusted artist local to your area.

Question 7

What does each guest walk away with?

Accepted Answer

Each guest receives a complimentary 4 x 6" glossy print in a clear protective sleeve with an adhesive strip that can be used to seal it shut or attach 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, unless requested otherwise.

Question 8

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 9

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 10

What forms of payment do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Checks, ACH direct deposit, Zelle, Venmo or credit cards. Details can be worked out when you contact us.

Question 11

What equipment do you use to draw on at events?

Accepted Answer

Court and Debbie both use portable Wacom tablet PCs to draw on. Debbie sometimes draws on an iPad. We also bring backup tablets and printers. Many other live digital artists still use older separate laptop and tablet combos which are more cumbersome, require more space and have a LOT more unsightly wires. 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 12

How large of a display do you use at events?

Accepted Answer

Court and Debbie bring 32" LCD displays on floor or table stands. 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 13

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 14

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 15

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 Art Entertainment