My Caricatures sure are a good experience. Here is a simple email that I received even the day after an Event. It was an Engagement Party for a Repeat Client:

Just like to thank you once again.

I felt so hot outside at this Event ~ even where I was Set Up under the Party Tent. Affected my draaaaawing, but I still felt glad to be there. I just played around with the Party Guests, and they were loving it. Here are some of the Caricatures that delighted them:

It's difficult for me. It's difficult for me to draw two different types of Caricatures at any One Party. But when a client requests it, I

oh ay-ay-ay.

That's what happened with when I booked my 2nd Event for this weekend. The situation somehow got past me.

When I quote an Event, I give the client the option to order Face-Only (which is what I usually do at Parties) Or Face with Body/Hobby. That's how I write it: Body/Hobby. The upcoming client had written in the 'Notes' section of my Agreement "face only and outline is fine for guests but face and body and full color for my husband and I, if possible, please." Without thinking, I had written back that I received those instructions, and it would be fine. Which is the case. Of course I would accommodate my client even though I don't feel like it's so easy to do ~ I don't feel like it's easy to draw Only One picture during the Event in Color with a Body and keep myself to drawing Black/White Faces Only for all the others. I would just hope that I can switch it on and off. But....

But that's for "Body/Hobby". I don't have time during an Event to carefully plan a full composition. It just sort of 'happens;, and I go with it. Sometimes that ends up being Both Body And Hobby. Sometimes only Hobby. And sometimes only Body.

This time ~ I guess I was too busy to communicate carefully ~ I apparently agreed to switch gears from Face Only to drawing BODIES. I wouldn't plan on Just Bodies. Might look stiff and what to do if client tells me their Hobby while I'm at the Party ~ but I have to include the Body this time since that's what I agreed to.

So I decided to make a Practice Caricature at home tonight. I chose a random Couples Photo online, and I went with 'Sailing' ~ the first Hobby that came to mind. My first idea ~how to place the faces on the page based on what I saw in the Reference Photo ~ that idea didn't work. Even if I put the Sailboat on the bottom of the page, how would I get the Bodies into it? No just sticking the heads out of the sailboat. No just leaning on their arms in the sailboat. I have to include the Bodies because that's what I agreed to.

Start again. My 2nd Idea ~ I placed the Faces and the Bodies, but there wasn't any room for the Sail (to make the boat look like a Sailboat).

My 3rd idea ~ icky stiffy ~ and what's with those Giant hands?

Just going for it on the 4th paper. Uhoh ~ Where did his hand wind up? I Don't draw 'riskay' pictures.

My 5th one finally worked great. I even finally got decent Caricature Faces. But oh ~ now that I'm writing this, I don't remember my approach. I know I preplanned Less than on the other ones, but I apparently did a lot of predraw when I got up to placing the bodies and the sail. I'll probably do more of these after tomorrow's gig.

Crazy to have all this work, all this focus, just for One of the pictures at the Party. Not concerned about Color ~ that's kinda natural to me. But I also hope to find time to practice Black/White Caricatures. I love doing them ~ once I get in the groove.

Alone in my Studio ~ grabbed a photo from a Party Post here on my website ~ just to have a reference to draw from.

I wanted to draw the same one person ~ both Tame and Exaggerated. Solidifying in my mind the two completely different approaches.

Then I decided to use the same reference photo to get ready for one of tomorrow's (that will be today already) events. It's for Digital Caricatures. I like to make sure that all my Digital Equipment is fresh and working just before any Digital Event: