Caricaturist hire in Australia: the complete guide

Every other act on this site ends when the music stops. A caricaturist sends your guests home holding something, and weeks later it is still stuck to somebody's fridge. That is the whole argument for this booking, and it is a strong one at an event where you want people to remember they were there.

The live prices from the caricaturists listed here are below. The figure that decides the value of the booking is not the hourly rate though. It is how many drawings come out of an hour, and that varies enormously between artists.

Capital city figures are set out under this section. Bookings are hourly with a minimum block, and this sits among the more affordable categories on the site. A two or three hour block at a party is the standard shape.

Compare quotes on drawings per hour rather than on the hourly figure alone. An artist working faster gets through noticeably more guests in the same time, and that difference is worth more than a small gap in the rate.

Ask every artist how many people they draw in an hour, and whether that number is for singles or for couples in one picture. Speed varies by style: a quick line sketch moves fast, a detailed colour piece takes several times as long and looks better on the wall afterwards.

Then multiply by your hours and compare it with your guest list. If the sum leaves most of the room out, either extend the block, book a second artist, or accept that the act is a feature at the party rather than a gift for everyone. All three are fine as long as you decided it rather than discovered it.

Traditional artists work on paper with markers and hand the drawing over on the spot, often in a sleeve or a folder. Digital artists draw on a tablet, usually with a screen the crowd can watch, and guests get a file, a print, or both depending on whether the artist brings a printer.

Digital has a real advantage at corporate events because the files can be emailed afterwards or branded with your event name. Paper has the advantage of being immediate and physical, and there is something about the queue watching a drawing appear in marker that a screen does not quite match. Ask which one you are getting.

Most caricaturists work seated at a spot with an easel, and a queue forms. That is efficient and it creates its own bit of theatre, since the people waiting watch the drawing being finished and laugh at it before the subject has seen it. Others rove and draw people where they stand, which suits a room where you do not want a line forming.

Placement matters. Near the bar or the entrance, with light on the artist and a bit of space behind for onlookers. Tucked in a dark corner is where this act quietly fails, because half the room never notices it is happening.

How many drawings an hour, and is that per person or per couple? Black and white or colour? Paper or digital, and do guests get a print on the night? What do you need from us, in terms of table, chair, lighting and power? And can we see a set of finished drawings rather than only the artist's best work.

For company events, ask about branding. Many artists will put an event name or a logo on each sheet, and some will send you the full set of images afterwards, which is a useful thing to have for a newsletter or a wall.