This is a good question that many people start out struggle with.
Disclaimer: This
is for the caricature artists for the UK. USA and Europe will have
different prices, so if you're not in the United Kingdom
then best Google this elsewhere.
I started out charging £50 for the first hour and £45 per hour after that for my first ever caricature booking. I thought it was reasonable but then a friend, who also does live caricatures, pointed out that that is really under valuing what I do. He told me the industry standard is around £100 per hour plus travel costs and as I went from part time to full time caricaturist it made total sense to charge this.
WHY?
First of all this is a skilled job. Skilled jobs pay WAY more than minimum wage as not everyone can do them and it takes all your skills and more to produce a high quality service. There are times you will have to adapted and ad-lib to make sure you produce good caricatures. If your markers run out you may have to switch to something different then you should have the skill to produce the same quality but in a different style.
Secondly it's a high pressured job. SURE it looks fun and it can be (if you don't have drunk people breathing all over you as they suggest what to draw) but you're also having to draw caricatures in about 5 mins or even less. If you take 10 mins or more to draw a caricature than you need to quit and practice more. You have LOTS of people to draw and sometimes you're only booked a few hours to draw lots of people plus some of these people keep moving or start eating/drinking mid drawing. You need to be sure you give them value for money. You think you'll get a 5 or 10 minute break but there's no chance of that if you're good at what you do.
Thirdly if you have travelled to get there to work your talent under high pressure, then have to travel back again, it's exhausting! You don't want to lose almost all your money on travelling as all that hard work will be for nothing. Then there's the hours of your time on a train or in a car in which you aren't earning which you need to cover and also... don't forget that after a few days of caricaturing you will be exhausted and those days off you aren't earning you anything so you need to cover for them too. You'll be working weekends then days off are usually mid week so the price will include your social life sacrifice. (some artists charge less during the week because of this).
Fourthly, and here's the arty farty part, if you produce good work (and you will if you're full time and get paid enough to perfect your skills and art) then people are going to keep and treasure their picture you've drawn. Caricaturing is an art in itself and the fun people had at the event will be reflected in the picture you've drawn. You're not just creating a caricature but a memory for people. "I remember getting this done at..." or "Here's Lisa's caricature we got while at Blah blah festival when she was 7" etc, etc.
Fifthly, you are connecting people. As they show off each other's caricatures they can form new friendships, break the ice at events and help everyone have a good time.
It's not "just a drawing". You aren't just doing a drawing of someone - you are so much more and as such you are worth so much more.
The art of it all.
I see some artists who look like they were told at school they could draw a bit better then the other kids - so they decided to do caricatures for a living. Unfortunately these better than joe blogs artists stop there and their pictures all look the same (but with different hair and clothes) and look/feel clunky in their finish.
I've even seen some artists just draw cartoons rather than caricatures. There's minimal likeness of the person they're drawing and it feels like a sham.
Is this you? Take a look at what you've done with your caricatures and compare to some professionals out there. Smooth out those lines, make sure your caricature looks like that person even if it has a big nose or tiny eyes.
Agencies.
I'm hearing from entertainment agencies that more and more caricaturists are popping up and really under charging which makes full-timers like myself struggle to find work. What happens after that?
These part timers can't afford to go full time because of how little they earn and then life gets in their way with kids or relationships or moving or something else. At this point full-timers have had to quit or move into different fields and then there's no more caricaturists.
Okay that's a worst case scenario but charging so little will make clients expect so little. How can anyone earn a living from this career? Artists do not really starve if they are good and they are smart on how they charge.
Animation Students
Yes your tutors and well know character designers like Stephen Silver and Will Terrell started off as caricaturists and they say it helps in developing your character design skills but that is NO excuse to undercharge for what you do as you build your skill sets while living at home before you go into animation. If you can do it well then you should be getting paid well.
SO my suggestions for you are as follows:
You quote clients £100 per hour plus however much it will cost you to travel to them. You can flex a little with this price if you wish but don't do it too much. People should choose you for your work and not choose you over your prices. (if your art is shit then practice to make it better or quit and do something else - don't let everyone else suffer because you're so bad you have to charge less to get work)
You work on making your artwork stand out as unique and not as standard caricatures. Find techniques and styles that will make you stand out. Find ways to make your caricature portraits fun. Please don't just draw a face and think you're done.
Do something that makes people come back for more. I've had clients re-book me for other events and if you upgrade your skills you can come back with something fresh.
I hope this helps new artists and I hope it helps clients understand what they're paying for. Yes a photo booth at a wedding costs less but you're not having someone creating individual drawings none stop for 3-4 hours. A photo booth just needs a camera and a printer no matter how you dress it up.
After typing this out (then editing it to remove the more ranty points) I am aware there's certain points that I also need to work on and as such I am not preaching as if I am a perfect professional but as someone who has had enough experience to understand an artist's work. I look forward to improving some aspects of myself after this so I am not all talk and no substance.
Good luck and thank you for indulging me.
Are you a caricaturist with some additional tips? Drop them in the comments below and any new artist have any questions then put them in the comments below as well.
Additional Update 19/03/2018:
Some advice from someone who started in Caricatures.
For all your caricature, entertainment for parties, weddings, corporate events, promotions and gifts ideas needs drop me a line: caricatures@theartyone.co.uk
Mikey
Birmingham, West Midlands based caricaturist
For those who follow me and you haven't noticed already I have a new website. Now it will be more compatible with mobile and tablet devices and easier for me to upload and update.
Also a reshuffle with my website and the different work I do.
1. Firstly you no longer need to type www.theartyone.co.uk/caricatures to visit my caricatures website as www.TheArtyOne.co.uk is now all my caricature work. What has happened to my illustration work? Well...
2. My illustration work is getting more focus from now on and can be accessed at a new website: www.ArtyMikey.uk
Christmas Offer
Christmas is coming (the goose is getting fat...) and Christmas parties are getting booked up and organised. To celebrate the launch of my new website I am putting a Christmas Parties Special Offer HERE (limited availability).
Get clicking, get booking and for any other enquiries for Weddings, gifts, etc for this and next year please drop me a line.
For all your caricature, entertainment for parties, weddings, corporate events, promotions and gifts ideas needs drop me a line: caricatures@theartyone.co.uk
Mikey
Birmingham, West Midlands based caricaturist
I hope you're all well and enjoying the good weather.
I thought I would update you on what I'll be doing in the next 6 (busy) weeks ahead of me starting with:
Big Family Festival
On 29 & 30 July I shall be at the Big Family Festival at Dunton Hall in Curdworth selling on-the-spot caricatures on the day. If you're planning on going or are looking for a family day out - feel free to drop by.
Birmingham Wildlife and Conservation Park
During August I will be back at the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park drawing on the spot caricatures of people and their favourite animal.
Cramar Cat Sanctuary and Rescue Open Day
On 20 August 2017 I will be at the Cramar Cat Rescue Sanctuary raising money for the charity by selling on-the-spot caricatures of people and/or their pets. All proceeds will be given to Cramar so come along to the Open Day and get a caricature done and help raise some money. If you're looking to adopt you can also view the cats available on the day.
My girlfriend and I got out 2 kittens from here (who turned 1 year old on 23 July so technically not kittens any more) and I can tell you first hand how good these people are and how much they care.
Our cats. Let: Tarth and Front: Pod.
I look forward to seeing you at one or a few of these events.
For all your caricature, entertainment for parties, weddings, corporate events, promotions and gifts ideas needs drop me a line: caricatures@theartyone.co.uk
Mikey
Birmingham, West Midlands based caricaturist
Hola Hello! I hope you're all well. Since Easter it has been a bit crazy for me. So much so I forgot to showcase some caricature work I did at the Walsall Jobs Fair back on 30th March 2017. I was hired to not only provide some light entertainment on the day but also draw people in their ideal career or job role to inspire them to achieve it. ...or just a caricature of a few people from the other stands.
Here are a few from the day...
Photographer of the day
From nearby stands
Aspiring florist
Aspiring business manager (Look out Alan Sugar!)
A future retail guru
A good time to be a footballer for women as it's now becoming a bigger thing.
Aspiring Cosmetics expert
Who needs a good receptionist? There's one right here!
Forklift Truck driver for hire.
Nearby stands
No idea what he wanted to be/do ...but he LOVED Elvis.
Aspiring musician. Tickle those ivories for me one more time, brother!
Another aspiring musician - ROCK ON!
Aspiring chef (there was talk of opening a coffee shop - and I LOVE coffee!)
The team who hired me... who's caricatures got rolled up and a bit squished (oops!)
Watch out Alan Sugar! We have a business woman out to beat you!
It was a fun day and I hope that those people are now in their dream jobs.
For all your caricature, entertainment for parties, weddings, corporate events, promotions and gifts ideas needs drop me a line: caricatures@theartyone.co.uk
Mikey Birmingham, West Midlands based caricaturist
I was out the country so couldn't make the Bournville Festival this year but I did manage to get booked in and enjoy..
CoCoMAD 2017!
Another busy day for me and thankfully I had my glamorous assistant with me to help because, as always, I was none stop crazy busy!
Wasn't long after setting up that I got my first "muses"
I managed to sell a few animal prints on the day too.
First couple of the day finished!
What a lovely family
A little camera shy but he loved his customised caricature.
Was I falling asleep at this point? If so that I need to add to my skills "can draw while asleep".
BATMAN!
BAT-GIRL!
The happiest person of the day.
He loved his caricature - honest. Just a little camera shy...
A BIG thank you to the organisers of CoCoMAD for inviting me back again this year. As always it was a fun and lively event and if you haven't been yet than be sure to look out for CoCoMAD 2018!
For all your caricature, entertainment for parties, weddings, corporate events, promotions and gifts ideas needs drop me a line: caricatures@theartyone.co.uk
Mikey Birmingham, West Midlands based caricaturist
