Dump the Stamp and Capture Creativity

Article Transcript

The scenario is similar every time: You are all set up at a party, you have your best marker at the helm, and a guest sits down. This is the moment you want to make count, and make a name for yourself at this event. You say a few charming lines and create a crowd-pleasing caricature. Your line is growing, filled with eager guests. They all want a drawing from you. You continue creating the same style of drawing you started out with. You want to keep a good rhythm. One hour of drawing turns to three hours, and all of your drawings have felt uneventful, uninspired and you are already making a last call for another stamped caricature. You lie in bed at night thinking of how much better you could have done. These occurrences were the first three years of my caricature career. Then, it dawned on me. I needed to spice it up and pump up that energy! There is more to this craft than just capturing a likeness, or creating another safe-cute drawing. You can get expressive with your caricatures or just deform their faces worse than Quasimodo hung over from downing a bottle of tequila.

Diversifying your caricature approach outweighs sticking with your one-trick pony. It’s basic math. If you have more variety with your artistic abilities, you can please a greater amount of people. The more people you can entertain, the more money you can make, but before we start retiring and sipping on our Starbucks lattes for the rest of our days, let’s illustrate a few methods that help facilitate this transition.

You want to change your formula; you have to communicate to your guest, or as I like to call them, “victims.” This is easier for some than others; but the more you do it, the better you get at it. I remember trying to overly exaggerate a sketch and the clients were so offended they rejected the art. What I didn’t do was prep their expectations. Here are a couple of lines I have used that have liberated my art and prevented that outcome from recurring.

“How good is your sense of humor?” If they say “Good,”

follow up with: “You just gave me permission to draw whatever I want,” and watch them laugh. If they say “Okay,” draw them cute.

“If you get upset, don’t blame me. Blame your parents. It’s genetic.” At times, this statement will shock a patron. If that occurs, apologize, tell them they are beautiful and

draw them cute.

You should take every opportunity to talk about the artistic variety you can offer. If a guest prompts with, “How’s your day going?” Respond with: