Questions about how we do business? We would love to talk to you personally about your expectations and the details of your event. Although the best way to answer you questions is by talking to a "REAL" person we have created a FAQ sheet that may answer some of your immediate questions.
What should I expect when I hire you?
Frankly..."The hardest working artist in OH, WV, KY, and PA!"...other than that...
What is the process for hiring a caricature artist(s) for my event?
- Contact us either by phone (740-221-2480), email (info@dreierdesigngroup.com), or the contact form on this site and tell us about your event.
- We will respond back quickly with a quote.
- Once we have come to an agreement we will send you a formal contract with a request for a deposit.
- You will return the signed contract along with the deposit in order to secure the date. The deposit can be made via Visa, Master Card, Check, Paypal, and Cash.
- Usually a week prior to the event the artist will make contact with you to confirm details and their arrival time (which is usually 20-30 prior to the performance time).
- The day of the event all you need to do is sit back and enjoy!
Is a deposit needed?
Yes, in most cases we ask for 1/2 of the balance down at the time of booking confirmation with the balance due at the beginning of the event.
Can I get my logo or pre-printed message on the paper?
Yes, Pre-printed paper is a great way to extend your companies brand. For a small additional fee we can pre-print a grayscale image or full color image in the case of digital on all of the paper used for the event. All we need is a high resolution company logo or message that you want printed. Samples of previous work can be provided.
Do you draw head and shoulders or full bodies?
We recommend head and shoulders only for event drawing. ...I realize that a lot of artists draw fun bodies on all their drawings (especially at amusement parks when they are charging a lot and have a lot of time), but in our 27 years of entertaining we have found that is is much better to draw MORE people than reduce the number of drawings by drawing details such as bodies. People really enjoy and appreciate a caricature but don't want to stand in line all night. Guests feel as though they are missing something if the caricature takes more than 3 minutes.
Do you do private commissions and draw from photographs and ship to other locations?
Yes, Drawing from a photograph is a great way to get a caricature for a family member or office colleague for a gift. All we need is a good high quality, well lit head and shoulder picture. Additional candid pictures are helpful because most people are on their best behavior for a studio picture so you lose the quirkiness of a candid snap. Contact us for specific details and pricing.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Visa, Master Card, Check, Paypal, and good old Cash 🙂
How fast are you?
We are fast! But more importantly we are entertainers. We can be drawing machines, and as one of our artist friends term," going into "beast mode"" but with limited returns. We draw approximately 15-20 people per hour using traditional media which is around 2 1/2 minutes each face. That is very fast but still allows you to talk to the person you are drawing making them feel like a person not a cog on an assembly line. Digital caricatures range from 8-12 per hour.
What are the advantages of both traditional and digital caricatures at an event?
Traditional Media Pros:
- The fastest and services the most people in the evening. 18-22 per hour for Black and White,
- Less cost than digital
- Very portable, Great for outdoor events where electric is unavailable.
- Large 12" x 16" print size
Digital Media Pros:
- Full color
- Can have corporate branding easily applied
- Prints are available in minutes along with digital copies made available to organizer and/or client via email
- Small portable size (4" x 6") that easily fits in a lanyard sleeve. Great for trade shows **(Larger sizes are available)
- Highly visible with either mounted 30" monitors or projected on a screen
What type of events are good for caricatures?
Caricatures are great for all sorts of events where you want to create a memorable occasion. The list is almost unlimited but here is a list of just some of the events that we have entertained for:
Wedding receptions, Proms/After Proms, Corporate Picnics, Trade Shows, College Homecomings, Bar / Bat Mitzvahs, School Festivals, Grand Openings, Conferences, Class Reunions, Holiday Parties, Birthdays, Retirement Parties...and almost any Family-Friendly events.
Yeah but should we hire you for the wedding reception cocktail hour and dinner?
The best thing to do with questions like these is talk with us. But in our experience having us begin as your guests arrive at the reception works very well. It gives your guests something to do while giving you piece of mind that your guests are being entertained while you get that last picture with the flower girl and Grandma.
As for drawing during dinner...in most cases everyone is not eating at the exact same time so while some are being served the people at table 35 can still be entertained. Sometimes serving can take an unexpectedly long time. By the time your last guests are being served the first ones to eat are often done. Rarely is there any down time for the artist.
We realize that weddings can get crazy expensive but we feel that if you know you can not hire an artist for the entire duration of the reception it is better to have the artist at the beginning of the reception to keep everyone entertained. Often times as the evening goes on there are more natural activities that will occupy your guests like cake cutting, father-daughter dance, and dancing.
Do we need to invite the artist to eat with us?
Although we appreciate the offer we take our commitment to you very seriously. We realize our fee is significant so we want to give you your money's worth from our time. So although a glass of water or soda won't be turned down a full meal is not why we are there. 🙂
How do you charge? Who pays for the drawing?
We charge the event organizer a flat hourly fee. We draw as quickly as we can during the event and the caricatures are then free to your guests.
Do you provide discounts for non-profits and charity events?
We approach each event individually. We are very mindful that there are great organizations and great need in our communities. When possible we discount our cost or suggest alternative ways of funding the caricatures.
How do I know if I need additional artists?
In our pre-event conversation we can talk about how best to service your guests. We can provide multiple artists if need be and often at a reduced rate. Event budgets can quickly get out of hand so we are happy to discuss just what is right for your event.
What type of location and set up requirements to you have?
The whole concept is about entertaining the guests as you gently caricature the subject so it works best if we sit in an area that has some traffic (but not in the food line 🙂 ) and is close to the dance or activities so your guests don't feel like they are missing out while they are waiting. We do feel that talking with the guests is part of the entertainment so position us somewhere away from the band or DJ's speakers. In many cases a few chairs behind us will help in adding to the "embarrassment/entertainment factor" so the occasional kind "heckler" can chime in from time to time.
For TRADITIONAL CARICATURES: We take up about a 6' x 6' area for each artist and generally ask to have 2 chairs provided. We provide stools for ourselves and draw on small easels so that our drawings are easily visible.
For DIGITAL CARICATURES: Our artists need a bit more space. A small 6' table is all that is necessary with ample electric available for a computer, printer, and monitor/projectors. Display can range from a 30" monitor to large projected images on screens.
Do you draw outdoors...rain or shine?
Yes. All we need is to be in a space that will be in the shade or is rain protected throughout the length of the event. We can provide a 10' x 10' white tent if necessary.
We draw rain or shine and provide heavy weight clear product bags at no extra cost to protect your keepsakes.
Anything else I need to know?
It is all truly very fun and we believe the guests always have a great time! We probably didn't answer all of your questions but we would love to talk to you about your individual event. Call 740-221-2480.