How about hiring a Caricature artist for your wedding? Lately these days, a lot of couples are taping into their creative side, and want to give something unique to their guests. I had the opportunity to work with Cathy Nolan at an event that I hosted as well as had the opportunity to interview her work of art and services. She sketched a cartoon of me, which looked like me! I adored how she captured all the positive qualities that signified my personality.
This is such a great treat to give your guests in your wedding- comical and friendly. You can have an artist in your reception ballroom giving your guests a one of a kind sketch of themselves! Or you can have a caricature of you and your soon-to-be in your invitation or have it displayed on matte board- so your guests can sign it, replacing the traditional guestbook. Please contact Cathy Nolan for rates and more information- http://www.cathynolan.com. Enjoy the Q&A interview with Cathy below!
Q: How long have you been a Caricature artist?
A: Gosh, since I was 18 years old so over 20 years! Thank goodness I don't look my age! LOL
Q: What inspired you to work in this creative field?
A: As a kid, we used to go to the Six Flags Great America amusement park and I would stop at the caricature booth and stand for HOURS mesmerized by these artists doing caricatures of people. At such a young age I was always drawing and just love being with people so it's been a good fit for me with my personality. Then in college for extra pizza money, I would do caricatures of people and then it wasn't until on a dare that a friend of mine wanted me to do a county fair. The fee was $100 and I had grossed $1000 at that time so the lightbulb went off! I can make money drawing people! :-)
Q: What kind of service do you offer? And do you travel?
A: Yes, I travel in the tristate area. I offer a variety of different options. I can either show up to the event and draw people for a few hours as entertainment. In the studio I can create a nice "save the date" caricature reminder, a wedding invitation, a nice card to present to the bride and groom or a caricature framed in a nice matted frame so guests at the wedding can sign it. That makes a great unique gift for the couple that has everything!
Q: Do you recommend having a Caricature artist at an event?
A: Absolutely! It's a lot of fun and there is an element of surprise to the person(s) being drawn and can be very entertaining for the other guests to watch the action. Plus, it's a unique souvenir for guests to take home as a reminder of the fun time they had at the event.
Q: What kind of events have you worked in?
A: I have worked at corporate and charity events, private yacht parties, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, weddings, and birthday parties for children and adults.
Q: What do you think about having a Caricature artist at a wedding?
A: It can be a fun element to have at a wedding and can be very entertaining for guests. I think more importantly, having a caricature of the bride and groom in a very nice matted frame makes a great wedding gift. At my wedding I did one of my husband and I and all of our guests signed the mat around the image and it's a great keepsake. (Photo enclosed) Plus, as guests enter the venue, they sign the mat and it makes a great conversation piece.
Q: How many hours do you recommend to have a Caricature artist at a wedding?
A: I recommend three hours for a minimum - the first hour for cocktail hour and then two to three hours afterwards while the party begins. A lot does depend on the number of guests that the bride and groom have. I usually can do 10-12 people / couples per hour.
Q: What kind of supplies do you use for your art? What kind of colors?
A: I use really nice black cardboard frames to add a unique touch along with Paris bleed proof paper that has a smooth quality. Most of the time I use a black Sharpie pen along with brushpen markers. To crank out the most drawings per hour I usually do black ink with a shade of gray to give a nice "classic" look. I can do caricatures in color which does add more brightness and vitality to the artwork but it takes longer per person / couple. However, sometimes I will just draw the bride and groom in color and then do the guests in black/white/gray.
Q: Since, caricature involves comical attributes, how do you capture someone’s personality on to your canvas?
A: I have a great demeanor with people and always have a conversation with the person(s) I am drawing. First of all, it breaks the ice so that the person(s) are not "freaked out" that someone is observing them the whole time. I ask them to look at my forehead so they don't feel so uncomfortable and then just get them to talk about themselves, what they like to do, where they live, how they know the bride and groom etc. I ask a lot of questions to get a feel for their personality and observe their interactions with their spouse, boyfriend, friend(s) etc. What is great about this technique is that the person(s) get so busy talking with me that after a while they really don't notice that I am drawing them!
Q: What is the best highlight of your job as a Caricature artist?
Making people smile, laugh and loving the artwork! Brightening someone's day is a great compliment and it's very fulfilling to me being able to bring joy to others with my art.
P.S. If you have a guestlist larger than 100 guests an assistant is required.
