These are the questions I
tend to
be asked whilst I'm in the middle of a drawing.
How long have you been doing this? Two minutes?? Oh yes, I see. I went into business as an entertainer in 1999 but have been doing caricatures for around twenty years.
What do you actually do?
I
quickly
draw
portraits
at
social
events
to amuse
and
engage
with
people
and
deliver
good
drawings.
I
'mix'n'mingle', 'table-hop',
or
sketch
from one
place 'stall format'.
How much do you ask for a job? Each job is different, so I have to take certain variables into account. Things to factor in are distance travelled
~ I got
rid of
the car,
it
wasn't
paying
for
itself,
so I use
public
transport...length of the booking, the season of year, the day of the week and so on. Just phone, pop me an email, or fill in the form for a quote.
Do we
get to
keep the
drawings?
Yes of course. Guests get to
treasure a memento of your event which is unique
to them.
How long does each drawing take? Five minutes is average...that said I can do some in a couple of minutes flat
or even
less.
The type
of face
actually
makes a
big
difference
- some
people
have
naturally
amusing
faces.
Did you study art? Chelsea College of Art for two years - see HERE. Illustration degree at the University of Portsmouth for three years, drawn animation
for a
guy from Warner Bros for one. Oh and a special mention for Monsieur Iselain, who was the best art teacher I could have had at the French Lycée in London.
Does art run in your family?
My
grandfather
was a traditional Viennese realist societyportrait painter. He had to escape Austria just before WW2 and settled here in London. My Parisian mother
was a
brilliant
dress
designer.
She had
a
boutique
in
Chelsea
during
the
sixties
and
seventies.
I'm
lucky
enough
to have
many
other
family
members
involved
in the
arts.
Do you only ever do "funny" drawings?
I can
adapt -
If an
event is
a
knees-up
I can do
extreme
caricatures
that
have
people
in fits, but in a more
genteel
setting
I tone down the exaggeration and simply do portraits. At most jobs I do a combination of both.
Do we have to pose for a long time?
Not
really. What I do is quite versatile, as I can mingle with guests whilst they socialise. There's no need for any formal "sitting" for the sketches.
Do you do children's parties? Yes - the kids always have a lot of fun. They "get it", and enjoy a funny face immensely.
I'm
really
good at
drawing
kids.
What materials do
you use and what
size do you work?? Mainly Ink pens on card, but sometimes I use black pencil when a softer image is more suitable. I work A4 size but sometimes like to go large or small.
Where are you based?
Holland
Park in
west-central
London,
but work
takes me
all over
the UK
and
beyond.
It must be nice to work at something you enjoy...
Yes, it's
good to be helping
people
have fun. I get a lot of compliments as I go along, which
is a
bonus.
~ please
contact
me if you have any
further questions
~
