John Steven Gurney

I draw high quality caricatures that actually resemble the people who are posing (what a concept!). I can draw up to 12 people per hour if I am working in black and white, 6-8 per hour in color. I can print a logo or slogan on the paper in advance to tie in with a specific event. I generally work on 11" x 14" paper, and I provide plastic sleeves for the finished caricatures. I arrive20 minutes early for set up.

I have worked as a caricaturist for 30 years throughout New York City and New England. I have been hired to draw at events in New Orleans and Las Vegas. My primary occupation is an illustrator. I have illustrated over 140 books for children, including the A to Z Mysteries and The Bailey School Kids series. I am the author and illustrator of the picture book Dinosaur Train.

When I am drawing caricatures on paper at an event all I need is 2 chairs and a space around 5' x 5' within 20 feet of an electrical outlet for my lights (if needed). If I am working digitally I can work on my tablet connected to my laptop, which is connect to my mid sized monitor. Or I can work on my ipad. Or, I can work on your device. I can connect to your printer or your large monitor. I recommend digital caricatures for special events, such as sales promotions or trade shows. There is a certain "Wow!" factor, because people are awed by seeing the pictures come to life on a screen. But digital caricatures are slower. In most cases I think paper is the way to go for parties, weddings, Bar Mitzvah's and other events.

If you are interested in a gift caricature for framing I generally work in pencil and watercolor. I approach it was if I am creating a piece of art. The fee varies depending on the complexity of the scene, but its generally around $150 for one person, each additional person is $35. If you want the gift caricature for posting on a website, or printing on a card or tee shirt the fee can very from $50 to $200, depending on complexity, black and white or full color, usage. Just describe to me what you need and I'll give you a quote.

If I'm working on paper, all I need are two chairs. I bring my easel. If its dark, I need an outlet to plug my lights into. If I am working digitally I can work on my wacom tablet connected to my laptop, which is connect to my mid sized monitor. Or I can work on my ipad. Or, I can work on your device. I can connect to your printer or your large monitor. I can work in Photoshop, or Sketchbook Pro, or any Microsoft drawing program. I think its best if the final product is saved as a pdf and e-mailed to the person posing, but I have worked at events were they provide them on flash drives, or printed them out and gave them on paper.