I have been drawing caricatures live at all types of events throughout the Midwest for 20 years. My goals are speed and likeness, and my style is 'portrait with a bit of caricature'. I strive to I produce drawings the subjects would want to frame and hang. An important part of my work is in the performance, the show, and so I work large, 18X24, with a vertical easel set up for easy viewing by onlookers and those in line. People crowd around to watch, line up, and joke and laugh with their friends. I treat each person with respect, engaging in conversation to elicit natural expressions, and do my best to see that everyone has a good time and gets a GREAT drawing!
Bernie was on time, professional and a super nice guy!
We hired him for my wife's 40th birthday party and he was a hit.
I plan to hire him for many more events in the future! Thanks Bernie.
Bernie did a fantastic job creating keepsakes for attendees of our event! We could not be more happy with communication, set up, and the professionalism displayed. We will definitely book Bernie again for another event.
Bernie was very communicative leading up to the event and was a pleasure during our wedding reception. Our guests told us over and over that this was such a special addition to our wedding and they have never seen this done before. Bernie was very friendly, and we would definitely recommend him to anyone!
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Everyone had an absolute blast - Bernie did a fabulous job and my only regret is that I didn’t book him longer!
Bernie was a hit!! so personable and talented!! All of our guests raved about him, I will definitely be using his services again!!
I hired Bernie for my wedding in 2017, and also recently for a school function in 2022 and at both events he was amazing! Amazing and truly professional! He stayed a little after his time to be able to fit in a few patrons that were still waiting in line. He was fast and efficient, and the portraits were wonderful! I continue to recommend him and hire him whenever I need. He is definitely my go-to caricature artist!
Bernie did such an amazing job for our wedding! He was very personable and his drawings are outstanding! Everyone at the wedding loved him! I highly recommend to anyone wanting an artist or entertainment at any event! Thank you so much!!!!
Bernie was fantastic. The guests enjoyed the experience immensely. Highly recommend!!
Quality art work by a quality gentleman. Our guests young and old were made to feel comfortable by Bernie. He really brought out the best of their personalities and then masterfully crafted their caricatures to fit. He was very accommodating in every way. We choose Bernie because some artists can over accentuate peoples features when drawing and while that can be fun, we have found through previous experiences that guests can get hurt feelings. Bernie’s caricatures seem to have a perfect balance.
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Bernie did an amazing job. He was an amazing artist and made the people he was drawing feel very comfortable and relaxed while he drew them. I would recommend him and would definitely choose him again if we decide to have a Caricaturist at our next event.
Bernie was AMAZING at our end of year Girl Scout party. The kids had so much fun getting their portraits drawn!! He is super talented and super friendly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Bernie did a fabulous job. My guests were very pleased with his drawings. I highly recommend him for any event.
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Bernie was fantastic! We loved having him at our wedding reception and guests were so complimentary! Everyone enjoyed his work!
Bernie,
Thank you for a great job last night at our Reunion. Your drawings are wonderful and the many classmates had many great comments.
Thanks so much!!
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Bernie was a great addition to our wedding reception. The guests loved him and all complimented what a wonderful job he did! There was never not a line waiting to have a drawing done and he kept it moving along quickly. Definitely recommend having him at any event!
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Bernie did a great job. Arrived on time, was friendly, and is very good at what he does. I would highly recommend him.
Bernie is wonderful he is so talented .
I had Bernie come to my wedding cocktail hour. All of my guests loved him! I highly recommend.
Bernie was amazing! He was a very nice guy, very professional and on time. He was one out of two caricaturists we hired for our Mardi Gras themed recognition banquet, which had an RSVP of 150 employees. Needless to say he was a hit! I have no idea how he did it but he was extremely fast and right on the money with his portraits!! We definitely look forward to booking Bernie again!
Thank you Bernie!
-Michelle
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Bernie was a hit at our wedding reception - we ended up asking him to stay a little longer because so many people wanted a caricature drawn by him! He was on time, very professional, friendly, and his pacing was great. The artwork speaks for itself; we had people, young and old, lining up to watch him at work. Thanks so much, Bernie!
Bernie did an amazing job at our wedding reception! After researching several artists in the area, we decided to choose Bernie----not only for his years of experience, but also for his style of drawing----professional, yet fun!! Bernie was easy to reach whenever I had a question in the months before the event, and was always ready with an answer or great suggestion to help our guests enjoy their experience! His schedule allowed for flexibility with his hours at our reception and he was able to stay longer than we had planned. This was largely due to the fact that our guests loved him and didn't want him to leave!! Thanks Bernie for helping us make our wedding reception a night to remember!!
Caricatures by Bernie did an excellent job. He arrived early and was set up and ready to go well ahead of schedule. He completed the drawings quickly and made them look exactly like them. Everyone enjoyed Bernie and his caricatures. Would definitely recommend him
Price Range: $125 - $160 / hr
Gig Length: 120 - 660 minutes
Languages: English
Insurance: $1,000,000 - Liability
At all events I arrive early to allow time to find my contact and get set up. I search out a prime location, preferably in the middle of the action, or set up where the client has designated. I begin drawing immediately when the time begins; people usually start lining up quickly and I draw fast and furiously for my contracted time!
My goals are speed and likeness. I try to produce drawings the subjects would wish to frame and hang. An important part of my performance is in the process, the show, and so I work large, 18X24, with a vertical easel set up for easy viewing by onlookers and those in line. My location usually becomes a gathering spot for socializing. People will crowd around to see the show, line up, and joke and laugh with their friends. It's an opportunity for guests to converse and enjoy a shared activity, a focal point that prompts them to move around and mingle.
My style may be described as 'portrait with a bit of caricature'. I treat each person with respect, often engaging in conversation to elicit natural expressions and keep people at ease.
I use Caran d'Ache Neocolor painting crayons, which produce charcoal-like drawings in B/W, but are not dusty and are permanent when applied (no smearing occurs and no fixative spray is required). This medium lends itself to live caricature since large detailed drawings can be produced quickly (4 minutes per person in B/W). I use broad strokes to define the shapes and individual marks for details.
At events I require 3 chairs, access to electricity (for my lights), and enough space for me, persons sitting for me, and a small crowd to group around. I bring all my own equipment: easel, lights, materials.
| May 16, 2026 • 6:30pm - 9:30pm | Wedding Reception |
| September 14, 2024 • 6:30pm - 9:30pm | Birthday Party |
| March 02, 2024 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| November 03, 2023 • 2:00pm - 6:00pm | Product Promotion |
| September 02, 2023 • 7:30pm - 10:30pm | Wedding Reception |
| August 25, 2023 • 12:30pm - 2:30pm | Corporate Event |
| August 18, 2023 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Retirement Party |
| April 29, 2023 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| February 11, 2023 • 10:00am - 1:00pm | Fundraiser |
| November 26, 2022 • 4:00pm - 7:00pm | House Party |
| October 22, 2022 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| October 16, 2022 • 2:30pm - 6:30pm | Wedding Reception |
| September 25, 2022 • 6:30pm - 8:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| August 28, 2022 • 12:30pm - 3:30pm | Sporting Event |
| July 16, 2022 • 11:00am - 3:00pm | Fundraiser |
| June 25, 2022 • 8:00pm - 10:30pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| June 06, 2022 • 5:30pm - 7:00pm | Holiday Party |
| April 23, 2022 • 11:00am - 2:30pm | Bridal Shower |
| February 12, 2022 • 10:00am - 1:00pm | Fundraiser |
| December 31, 2021–January 01, 2022 • 8:00pm - 12:00am | Wedding Reception |
| August 21, 2021 • 7:30pm - 11:30pm | Reunion |
| July 03, 2021 • 5:00pm - 8:00pm | Personal Occasion |
| June 26, 2021 • 3:00pm - 6:00pm | Holiday Party |
| September 28, 2019 • 7:00pm - 10:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| September 23, 2019 • 4:00pm - 7:00pm | Corporate Event |
| June 22, 2019 • 2:00pm - 5:00pm | Grand Opening |
| November 15, 2018 • 5:30pm - 8:30pm | Corporate Event |
| August 18, 2018 • 3:30pm - 5:30pm | Wedding Cocktail Hour |
| April 14, 2018 • 12:00am - 2:00am | Prom/After Prom Party |
| May 05, 2017 • 8:30pm - 11:00pm | Nonprofit Event |
| April 08, 2017 • 6:30pm - 9:30pm | Corporate Event |
| April 08, 2017 • 3:30pm - 5:30pm | Birthday (Child) |
| July 16, 2016 • 3:00pm - 9:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| January 30, 2016 • 7:30pm - 10:30pm | Corporate Event |
| February 15, 2015 • 3:00pm - 6:30pm | Birthday Party |
| February 06, 2015 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Birthday Party |
| November 29, 2014–November 30, 2014 • 5:30pm - 12:30am | Wedding Reception |
| July 04, 2014 • 12:30pm - 5:00pm | Private Party |
| May 24, 2014 • 8:00pm - 11:00pm | Wedding Cocktail Hour |
| April 27, 2014 • 12:00am - 4:00am | Prom |
caricatures, caricatures, caricatures!
I have been influenced by the work of many past and present artists: Renaissance painter Caravaggio. Portrait artist John Singer Sargent. Caricature artists Philip Burke, Sebastian Kruger, Al Hirschfeld, David Levine, Gerry Gersten, Gerald Scarfe, Ralph Steadman, and Gordon Olsen.
3 chairs
access to electricity
Chicago, IL 
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