Instant Caricatures by Tony Dee

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. My services are mostly used at BarMitzvahs, Weddings and corporate events. I am presently doing art shows on occasion when I do not have a booking. Some of my work is used at grand openings, school functions, country clubs and other social events.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. The most important part of my performance is the versatility of my artwork. I offer choices to the subject when sketching at an event. I give a choice of straight likeness or cartoon style caricature drawing. My prices are very competitive. I work within the customer's budget and I am very willing to negotiate price.
The customer is engaging a professional with over forty years in the party business.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. How does the artist do it so fast and so good. Where does the talent come from. How many years has the artist been doing this. How could he do this for a living and make good.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. How many subjects can the artist do in a given time. Is the artist punctual and does he entertain as well as sketch the subjects.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. What type of event is this going to be used at...and will it work for entertainment. What some customers do is not plan with the artist where he will be sketching at the event. So this is very important if they want it to work.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. My style is very different from other caricature artists...most artists are from the amusement parks and they have about the same style. Likenesses are mostly artificial and do not grasp the personality of the subject. My work reflects the likeness remarkably. i also noticed in all my years in the field, that certain subjects are not susceptible to having a caricature vs a portrait that flatters them...so I give them a choice.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. There are many parts to my job that I like...first it is not a job to me. I enjoy sketching and creating caricatures mostly, but when a subject requests not to be made fun of then I do the portrait likeness. I also enjoy working at different venues like hotels and interesting locations.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. One of the most asked question is ...'what else do you do for a living...is this your full time work?'
I tell them that this is all I do and love every minute of it while I supported a family and now live a good life.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A.
The best one is when someone recognizes me from a past event. For instance, I was recognized by a banker that was in Naples Florida at a large event and was watching me. I overheard him telling another banker that I was the artist at his Bar Mitzvah 23 years prior to this evening.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I wish they could understand on how many ways this service can be used for. What type of events that it could be successful at. This can be a fun thing at college student activities, church fairs, retirement parties, wedding rehearsals, trade shows and so much more.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. My job at the time was in advertising and at the agency a call came in asking if we had an artist that would do caricatures at a sweet sixteen. My superior at the time knew of my interests in sketching and that I loved doing this for my co-workers. He then asked me to help the person out and maybe I would be interested in sketching at the party. I accepted without knowing what to charge and so on. At the party I was approached by another prospective customer wanting my business card. i then proceeded to give her my phone number and the rest is history...I have been sketching for over forty years at all kinds of events. I started doing it full time in 1980 when decided to go at it full time.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. i am actually proud of every job I do, because I give it my all. I was asked to put together an event for a company that wanted a circus theme. The hotel was in Fort Lauderdale and we had two rooms to work in. The client wanted, four artists and some other entertainment. Because I have been working with various acts in the past years, I suggested he book magician, a fortune teller, a greeter to welcome the folks into the great hall and a last fun and games they could play for prizes...well I took over as a meeting planner and it turned out to be a success.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. My pricing is only complicated from the terms of where the event will take place. My basic retail price ranges from $75 to 150 hourly. Depending on the location of the event I can work within the budget that the customer requests.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. First depending on the age of the person, I would suggest doing free caricatures at church or school functions. Maybe set up at a local restaurant and give them away for tips so that the artist can practice. Start by making business cards and pass them out at these venues. If you really want to get into the party business start by searching for party planners and party agents that can use the service and resell it. Never give up the ship, make friends with the ones you work with at the events like DJ's, photographers etc and do their caricatures so they can proudly hang them and pass your name on.

Q. What is your greatest strength?

A. My greatest asset is my ability to quickly draw without pencil and eraser. I can do instant cartoon bodies with all kinds of action sports etc. I now offer 'instant caricatures' for cocktail hour bookings.The speed in doing my likenesses have not been matched in the field. Some claim to have been the fastest in the trade but the results and quality are questionable.