Live Caricature Artist, Sydney & Australia-wide

Speed

Sam draws live caricatures at a rate of 5 minutes per person, both pen and ink and digital. Sam the Caricaturist prides himself on client satisfaction and will always work as efficiently as possible.

It takes the same amount of time to draw a person in a group as it does on their own.

Impacts on speed

Certain things can impede the speed, such as guests slowing down change-overs (“I’m waiting for so and so…”) and people who are distracted: children, pets, people on their phones.

Lighting (digital only). If you’re booking Sam for digital colour live caricatures, he strongly recommends a well-lit location. In the past Sam has performed live digital colour caricatures in candle-lit situations, and this is not advised. The artist’s eyes need to look from the guest to the screen frequently. If there is little light, the eyes must adapt and readapt hundreds of times over. That is bad for their vision and massively slows the process.

Wi-Fi speed (digital only). If the Wi-Fi is slow it slows down delivery of digital colour caricatures. Printing has a similar issue. Sam advises against printing your digital caricatures on the night unless someone on your team who is an expert in print management is looking after it. Let the artist make the art and someone else manage the tech.

Speed variation

Five minutes is an approximation. Bald blokes and babies are quicker, whereas elaborate curls and special requests take longer. Sam also spends slightly longer with brides and grooms (approximately 6 to 7 minutes).

Guest change-overs can often take about a minute, as humans are curious and frequently tipsy creatures. Sam cannot promise to draw every single guest but can assure you he’ll do as many as possible in the time.

If your event is large or you’d like every single person drawn, please say so in your quote request. Sam can organise additional artists (depending on availability) who have been verified for the same rates, speed and talent. Alternatively, you can book additional artists separately if you prefer.

Set-up: roaming or seated

Sam can work seated or roaming. If seated, he just needs a table and three chairs with adequate light, shade and noise protection. Please don’t put Sam directly in front of the sound system.

Sam works roaming most often, as it saves people queuing and saves time: he can quickly skip between table groups and activate spaces.

Materials and sizes

A4 (standard). Sam normally works on A4 card (200 gsm, thick paper) using Tombow and Artline markers. Live A4 caricatures can be done roaming or stationed.

A3 (on request). Sam can work on A3, with some limits: live A3 caricatures can only be done stationed or seated.

Packaging for A4 and A3

Once the works are finished, plastic sleeves are provided to protect the artworks.

A4: standard sleeves are free of charge. Deluxe sleeves (thicker, without binders) are available for $1 each ($12 more per hour).

A3: standard sleeves are $1 each ($12 per hour). Rubber bands are a free substitute, though not recommended for outdoor events where it may rain.

Digital caricatures: packaging and delivery

Digital caricatures take the same amount of time as traditional pen and ink. The recommended delivery method is: you provide Wi-Fi and Sam either AirDrops or emails the artwork to the guest. Wi-Fi speed can affect the pace.

In the past Sam has printed on the spot, but it is not recommended, because printing always slows the process. Most clients have better print set-ups in their office.

Pricing and quotes

Quotes for live caricaturing and custom caricatures are based on your specific needs and the size and prestige of the event. Sam works for multinational, multi-billion dollar companies and for little backyard family gatherings, and the price is not the same for both. There isn’t a set fee.

If you are on a tight budget, or booking for a charitable or ethical client, please say so and Sam can work to your budget. Similarly, if you are booking on behalf of well-compensated industries (for example Big Tech, Finance, Mining, Tobacco, Motor, Gaming, Law) please say so. Pricing reflects Sam’s equitable approach. By analogy, you wouldn’t expect a musician to get the same fee for a small bar as for a stadium show.

For Australian peak-time bookings (October to January) the fee is higher. The last two weeks of November and the first two weeks of December are the absolute busiest of the year. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

Bookings

To make a booking, contact Sam for a quote. Once the quote is agreed, Sam will send a payment link and deposit details for a non-refundable 10% deposit. This reserves your date. If you haven’t paid the deposit, the date will remain available to other clients and you may miss out.

Insurance, WWCC and paperwork

Sam has Public Liability Insurance (PLI), a Working With Children Check (WWCC), First Aid, CPR and all sorts of paperwork available on request. Coincidentally, Sam also has a Bachelor of Primary Education.

Invoicing

Sam operates under an ABN and you will receive an invoice for your services. Please be specific in your first message about what your accounts team requires: is the client an individual or a company? Do you need a purchase order (PO) from your accounts department? Please send all of this in point form to minimise admin back and forth.

Sam appreciates your time. Please appreciate his.

The live caricaturing process

Sam arrives 15 minutes before the official start time and finds the organiser or planner for the exact set-up and any specific advice, such as who the VIPs are. Then he gets straight to it and draws for the duration of the booking.

If the booking is longer than 3 hours, Sam would appreciate food and drink, especially if the venue involves substantial travel. If on the day you decide you would like Sam to stay longer, this can be arranged depending on availability.

Additional artists

If your event is large or you’d like every single person drawn, please say so in your quote request. Sam can organise additional artists (depending on availability) who have been verified for the same rates, speed and talent. Alternatively, you can book additional artists separately if you prefer.

Queues at very large events

If your event is large and you expect very high demand, Sam recommends having someone assigned to manage the queue. A great deal of time is wasted by guests asking “how long will it be?”. It will be the number of people ahead of you multiplied by five minutes.

Your queue manager can also advise people not to join the line beyond what the booking can cover. For example, if more than 12 people are queued when there is only 1 hour left, the 13th onwards are queuing for no reason. This matters especially at large festival events and free promotions.

Sam can’t manage the queue and perform a highly cognitively demanding task at the same time. Let the artist make the art.

Premade client templates and pre-printed paper

Sam can pre-print the paper with your logo or template on it. This works especially well for trade shows and promotions. Quite often the caricatures Sam draws become treasured items in guests’ homes. Your brand framed on the mantle, pinned to the bedroom wall or stuck to the fridge is pretty effective branding.

Pre-printed paper for bookings of up to 3 hours (if longer, please advise):

A4: black and white $30, colour $40. A3: black and white $50, colour $70.

No graphic design is included. If you’d like, Sam can create a custom design for you, priced depending on your brief. Please provide reference images at least 7 days in advance.

Large-scale caricatures of VIPs

Large (A2+) artworks can be commissioned. They work well because they help guests visualise what the service is, for instance a larger pre-drawn caricature of the bride and groom. Please allow a minimum of 7 days to produce these.

Price varies according to your needs: size, black and white or colour (if digital colour, printing), and presentation (framing and an easel to display your artwork). Please email or call Sam to discuss.

Group pictures

It takes the same amount of time to draw a person in a group as it does to draw an individual on their own. On A4 the maximum per page is approximately 4 people. On A3 the maximum is 6; more is possible but not the best for size and composition.

If you have a large group you’d like all together (for example a bridal party, a sales team or a sporting group), please advise and Sam can bring larger paper such as A2 for an additional $30.

Why Sam the Caricaturist?

Quality between caricaturists varies significantly. If you book through an agency you may get an under-experienced artist. Sam has more than a decade of happy clients (please see the reviews) and, unlike most artists, his personal touch is charm and personality. Sam is a character. He makes people feel comfortable and special, and he holds space so people can be themselves.

Are Sam’s caricatures cute or exaggerated?

Normally at weddings the default is cute, Disney-esque depictions, but if requested Sam can do the more full-on, exaggerated ones. At corporate events it’s a mix of both: Sam reads the room to work out who might be offended.

Payment terms

A deposit must be paid to confirm the booking.

Direct deposit is preferred; cash on the day or card payment is also accepted. Card payment incurs a 2% fee (because banks are tyrannical). Please request a payment link and Sam can generate one for you.

Please contact Sam if you have any questions.

Cancellation terms

Cancellation of the booking by the event organiser for any reason will forfeit the deposit.

If the booking is cancelled by the client within 5 weeks of the event, Sam requires payment in full, as multiple other bookings may have been declined to reserve your date. Many clients book months in advance and it is notoriously hard to replace bookings at the last minute.

In the unlikely event that Sam is unable to attend a confirmed event, he will organise a verified artist of equal talent, speed and accuracy to perform in his stead.

Finally

It’s super easy and fun. All this info makes it sound complicated, but Sam shows up and people have a good time. 10+ years of experience: see the reviews if unsure. He’s boss.