Cool Party Host

As a working caricature artist and agent, I have gotten to know and hire many caricature artists through the years.

But if you were to ask me what are the most important traits a good party caricature artist must have you might be surprised by my answer.

It‘s not art skills.

I consider excellent drawing skills to be a given. Before I will even consider you, I expect that you will be able to render a caricature portrait in five minutes or less and still get a decent likeness – and yes, I will want to see party samples.

But even more important, I want to know that you have the utmost integrity and excellent people skills.

When you go out on a party booking you are representing me to the client, and I have to know I can absolutely trust you. And that includes showing up on time and properly dressed. That can be a real challenge when living in a large metropolis where the highways jam at a moment’s notice.

And I have to be convinced that you can handle yourself with the different kinds of people and situations that will face you as you face your easel.

Drawing a two-year old is a challenge you face nearly every time you are at a family event. If you have ever been around kids of that age, you already know that they are in constant motion. But when you pull that off, you have one very happy Mom.

You will frequently find yourself caught between the wishes of the client who requires you to stop at a specified time and the ever-lengthening queue of eager volunteers for the ‘hot seat.’ Techniques for gracefully cutting the line while preventing new people from sneaking in while your head is turned is the subject of much conversation even among veteran caricature artists.

Then there is the weather. You may be outdoors in August when the thermometer and the humidity index both hit 98 or in October when a premature cold snap has you working for hours in lots of layers.

Sometimes you are dealing with guests who imbibed a little too much, and tightly wound event planners who have slept too little. Some clients are nervous and some guests need to be coaxed out of their shells. You are dealing with a wide variety of humanity and that can be exhilarating, exciting, and fun, but also, at times, frustrating.

And through it all, you have to smile. Because you are the entertainment and you are there to give guests a good time.