What do an elementary school art teacher from Ohio, a fashion illustrator from Oregon and an award-winning editorial cartoonist have in common? They are all Goofy Faces caricature artists!
While you don’t have to have a degree or specific training to be a successful caricature artist, many of our artists do. What’s important is how we evaluate each artist.
Bernard’s experience as a fashion illustrator really shines through his work!
How are Goofy Faces Artists Trained?
Goofy Faces Caricature Artists Entertained Thousands in 2019
A happy fan gets to see herself skating at the Red Wings Draft Party.
2019 Has been a wonderful year at Goofy Faces! Thanks to you – all our wonderful event hosts, brides and grooms, party planners, birthday party parents, Senior All Night Party planners, trade show organizers, company picnic planners, family and class reunion organizers, zoo and aquarium guests and anyone else for whom we have drawn a Goofy Faces Caricature or painted your face. All of our caricature artists and face painters thank you for letting us entertain you as part of your special events and celebrations!
Caricature Art by the Numbers:
Make the Most of Hiring a Caricature Artist or Face Painter for Your Holiday Party
Fun!” “Entertaining!” “Such a great time!” That’s what your guests will say about your fabulous and memorable company holiday party when you hire the perfect entertainment.
Smart party planners get the most bang for their buck. Hire a caricature artist for your holiday party and you get entertainment and keepsakes all in one! How do you make sure your guests have a great experience? We asked our team of talented, fun and friendly caricature and face painting artists to answer some questions our clients have about holiday party bookings. (more…)
What do you think about when someone says “coaster?” The ever-present drink coaster as we know them today has been around nearly 140 years!
A Brief History
In 1880 Friedrich Horn, a German printing company, designed the first cardboard beer mats, as they are sometimes called. Shortly after, the Robert Sputh Company of Dresden started making them out of wood pulp.
Today you can find drink coasters protecting tables and bars from condensation in nearly every bar, restaurant and home. They come in many materials, including wood, cardboard, bamboo, cork, marble, sandstone, slate and unglazed ceramics. The best drink coasters are porous and absorb condensation from the glass.
But the very best coasters are by Goofy Faces Caricature Artists!
How did It Start?
Three Exciting Ways eSketches™ Benefit Your Trade Show Booth
Three things you want from your Trade Show Booth are traffic, impact and recall. Your booth has to stand out so people find it. Once they get there, you want them to have a great experience. And after they leave, you want them to remember you. A Goofy Faces caricature artist using eSketches™ is the perfect way to do all three!
Hire a Goofy Faces eSketches™ caricature artist to draw and keep traffic at your trade show booth.
eSketches™ attract people to your booth
“Hey, what’s going on there? Let’s go check it out!” (more…)
We Love to Draw in the D!
We’ve had a whirlwind few weeks of drawing in the Motor City this summer so we thought we’d share all of the exciting events we’ve been a part of so far this season.
Bark in the Park
The Detroit Tigers held another Bark in the Park on June 25th at Comerica Park during a Tigers’ home game. Once again, Goofy Faces was hired to draw FREE caricatures of pets with their owners. This event was sponsored by Pet Supplies Plus and it was a howling success!
Hockeytown Draft Party
The Detroit Red Wings brought in Goofy Faces to light up their draft day party with both event caricature art and face painting. Hockey fans were thrilled by both the draft and the art!
Yelp! Party
Goofy Faces had an artist on-site drawing live eSketches™ for a huge party sponsored by Yelp! at the Boathouse on Belle Isle. The “Nauti by Nature” event was a benefit to support the Boathouse renovation fund.
Freedom Boat Club Summer Kick-Off
The Freedom Boat Club is nationwide organization that allows its members access to boats from coast to coast, without boat ownership or maintenance! They held a Summer Kick-Off event at Sindbad’s in Detroit and we were there drawing caricatures for guests. WLLZ’s own Doug Podell broadcast live during the party.
The Detroit Fireworks
Once again, UAW-Ford brought in a couple of Goofy Faces artists to draw & entertain school groups and guests during the Ford Fireworks Festival at the UAW Program Center in downtown Detroit
Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau
The DMCVB booked 2 Goofy Faces artists to draw caricatures of guests from the Society of Government Meeting Professionals while they attended a party taking place at The Fillmore. Guests from across the country got to experience the best that Detroit and Goofy Faces has to offer.
UAW-Ford Safe Overnight Summer Camp
UAW-Ford hosted a Safe Summer Camp experience at Riverside Marina over the 4th of July weekend with fun and educational outdoor activities. Goofy Faces was hired to provide 2 caricature artists to entertain happy campers with their kids.
Goofy Faces books events nationwide and is proud to provide art & entertainment in our home town of Detroit, MI.
Consider adding event caricature art and/or face painting to create a more memorable experience at your next private party or corporate event. Learn more: https://goofyfaces.com/events/
Hiring an Event Caricature Artist Through Goofy Faces
If you’ve never hired an Event Caricature Artist for a party or event, you may not know exactly how to go about it. Here, we’re answering the typical questions we get from customers who hire our artists for bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, kid’s birthday parties, corporate events and more.
What kinds of caricature art can I choose from?
At Goofy Faces, we have several offerings for event caricature. For a more traditional approach, consider having a few artists draw black & white or color caricatures on card stock. For something unique, consider Caricature Coasters. They are smaller and quicker black & white drawings on 4” x 4” thick cardboard coasters. Or, go high-tech and hire an eSketch™ artist, who will work on a digital tablet with a large color monitor where guests can watch the work come to life. Full color prints are provided for each guest!
Can I get an event caricature artist in any city in the U.S. through Goofy Faces?
We have artists in most major markets throughout the United States. So if your party is in Miami or Memphis, Detroit or Dallas, we probably have someone nearby. Simply plug in your zip code on our Book an Artist page to find an artist near you.
How many event caricature artists should I hire for my party?
That depends on how many guests you will have at your event and how long it will last. You can count on about 60% of guests wanting to have their caricature drawn. Our artists average between 10 and 15 B&W drawings per hour (one person per drawing), or 5 to 7 color drawings per hour.
Here’s an example for a wedding reception:
To do some quick math, if you have 200 guests, 60% of them are getting drawn and the event lasts for 3 hours.
200 guests x 60% = 120 black and white drawings
120 drawings / 10 drawings per hour = 12 hours
12 hours / 3 hours = 4 artists
In this case, we would recommend you hire 4 artists to ensure there is plenty of time to cover the guests who would like a souvenir drawing from your party.
How do I hire event caricature art?
This part is super easy. Once you’ve found the artist you’d like to work with on our Book an Artist page, you’ll click on their profile listing to see more details about them, and click the “I’m Interested in Booking an Artist” button. Then you’ll be able to fill out a form to check their availability and get the process started.
Of course, you can always call us at 866-886-6640 during our business hours – 9AM to 5PM EST, Monday through Friday, and we’ll answer any questions you have and help you book your event caricature artist.
What Your Event Caricature Artist Wants You to Know
Let’s say you’re at a grad party or a wedding reception and there’s an event caricature artist drawing away. People are gathered around, laughing and talking about the drawing. As you’re watching, do you ever wonder what the unwritten rules are? Is it okay to talk to the artist? We spoke to our team of event caricature artists and here’s what they told us.
Yes, it’s okay to talk to us while we draw.
At Goofy Faces, all of our artists are screened for their ability to converse with the crowd. We may not answer your question or comment right away if we’re concentrating, but we typically don’t mind chatting as we draw.
Don’t get mad; find your sense of humor.
Event caricature art is meant to be satirical. We’re designing a funny cartoon, based on your specific features and your unique personality. It’s not a literal representation so please don’t take offense. In fact, we’ve all had our own caricatures done of ourselves so we know what it is like to be in the other chair!
We all have a unique art style.
If you’re looking to hire an event caricature artist, it’s best to find an artist who has a style that you like, rather than trying to push your artist to rework their style to your preferences. That’s just one reason we offer you a portfolio of art to review BEFORE you hire the artist.
It’s not as easy as it looks.
Many artists wish our subjects knew that, although it looks easy, event caricature art is actually much more difficult to learn than traditional portraiture. It requires the same degree of understanding of a human face of traditional artistry, but it takes more imagination and a lot more speed.
Please don’t ask us to start early or end late.
Unless you’re willing to extend the financial contract, please don’t ask the event caricature artist to start before their scheduled time or work past their set end time. If we’re not too tired, we might do it but the simple act of waiting in line does not mean that we will be able to draw every person in line. An experienced artist (like the ones you hire through GoofyFaces.com) will let you know how many more people they can do before their time is up.
Do you have more questions about hiring an event caricature artist? Start with our FAQ page here:
The Early Incarnations of Caricature
We’re Caricature Art geeks so, of course, the history of the art form intrigues us. Since so many people enjoy getting their caricature drawn, we thought you might find its history interesting, too. While there are pages and pages of historical reference on this art style through the ages, we’re going to give you a brief background of caricature.
What is it?
Encyclopedia Britannica defines caricature as:
“ … the distorted presentation of a person, type, or action. Commonly, a salient feature or characteristic of the subject is seized upon and exaggerated, or features of animals, birds, or vegetables are substituted for parts of the human being, or analogy is made to animal actions. Generally, one thinks of caricature as being a line drawing and meant for publication for the amusement of people to whom the original is known; the personal trait is usually present.”
A great caricature artist knows how to look at an individual, determine what features make them unique—like their larger chin, high forehead or unique eye placement—and exaggerates those features to create a stylized, typically humorous, image of the person.
Where it began
Did you know that caricature art, also known as satirical art, has been around since our earliest history? Examples of this art form show up in cave murals and Egyptian tombs. However, it wasn’t until the sixteenth century that the word caricature evolved from the Annibale Carracci and his brother Agostino. The word Caricature was used to describe the exaggerated portraits they sketched in their art school in Italy in the late 1500s.
The early incarnations of caricature
Throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, caricature style was being used as commentary on public figures and politics. Social satire was popular for centuries in Europe and the U.S. As printing technology began to develop in the 17th century, artists could have their work distributed widely on cards and bulletins, which further elevated the art form.
Royal family members, political figures and wealthy celebrities were the primary targets of the satirical artists, who weren’t the least bit afraid of being biting or even cruel in their art.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, when monthly magazine publications like Vanity Fair were launched, caricature art became even more popular. The artists made statements about cultural and political happenings, gaining huge audiences for their wit and rancor.
Today, with a global political climate that’s as lively as it’s ever been, caricature art is still popular in both printed and online publications.
The Event Caricature Artist
Many caricature artists “perform” live, creating their artwork at events or entertainment venues. From museums and weddings to boardwalks and beach parties, thousands of artists in the United States currently make a living doing live event caricature art. It’s a position that requires training and practice, which all of our Goofy Faces artists get before they join our team.
Throughout human history, caricature art has been a way to communicate and connect with others. Today, you can hire artists to create custom caricature for your guests at your wedding, retirement party, fundraiser, picnic or any other event. We’d love to provide the event caricature artist for your next party. Get in touch or book an artist here:
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