Laughter is the greatest of all icebreakers and a caricaturist can add a unique flavour to an event, amusing guests by getting them to laugh at themselves and each other.

A good caricaturist will be able to mix easily with young and old alike and demonstrate a track-record of working with well-known clients, particularly household name companies. Caricaturists often work alongside magicians, entertaining dinner guests at their tables or mingling with people during events. Sometimes it is best to have a caricaturist set up in one part of a venue so that people can come along and be drawn if they choose. Caricaturists usually work for about three hours.

It is very easy to book a caricaturist as they come "self-contained", needing no electrical equipment and little, if any, area in which to work.

There are a few things to be aware of when booking a caricaturist for your event: DO have a sense of humour; DON’T make them work in darkness! Be wary of caricaturists who place too much emphasis in the quantity of drawings they can produce as quality is likely to suffer. It is better to hire someone who takes time both to produce good sketches (which will be the lasting memory of your event) and to talk with your guests. Most caricaturists are willing to do drawings from photos which make excellent and surprising presents.

This article was kindly contributed by cartoonist Richard Ellis of www.cartoondick.co.uk.
© 2006 Party Offers