Tipping A Caricature Artist - On The Street And At Weddings

I've talked to my aunt recently who told me she let herself draw by a caricature artist and she asked me if she should have tipped him. I didn't know the answer then. I've researched it and I'll answer this question and tell you more about it in this article.

Should you tip a caricature artist?

Tipping a street caricature artist is optional and not mandatory. However, if the work is extraordinarily good and the customer is very happy with it a sign of gratitude is appreciated. A caricature artist at an event is usually paid by the host who also decides whether to tip the artist or not.

If you tip a caricature artist, how much should it be and how does a caricature actually cost in different locations?

I. How Much?

Now, whether you decide to tip your caricature artist or not is completely up to you and there is definitely no right or wrong. By the way, it doesn't even matter if we're talking about a street artist or someone at a wedding, for example.

In any case, the decision is yours. If you decide to tip the caricature artist a new question arises in your head, right? This was the second question my aunt wanted me to answer when I had no idea at all. So, let's answer this question once and for all.

How much do you tip a caricature artist?

A street artist can be tipped 15% - 20% if the customer is very happy with the result and is willing to pay the tip. The host of an event like a wedding can also use that percentage range for tipping the performing caricature artist.

If you're spending your vacations in a big city (my aunt visited Prague) and you decide to let yourself be drawn by a street artist I recommend giving that 15 to 20 percent tip on the initial price. Of course, only in case you're that happy with your product that you want to tip the artist.

Always remember that the tip is completely optional in any case!

A completely different scenario now. Let's say you are the host of a big event, say you're getting married and you want to hire a caricature artist. You have to pay the caricature artist in general, so neither is a tip required in this case.

Nevertheless, if you want to tip the artist, you could also give him a 15% to 20% raise on top of the initial sale. I recommend doing this after his or her performance at the event to make sure you're satisfied with the work. If the general payment takes place after the ceremony you don't have to worry about that.

So, if you're here because you are a guest of a wedding you have an entirely different question now, don't you?

Do you tip a caricature artist at a wedding as a guest?

No, a wedding guest shouldn't tip the caricature artist. The event host usually takes care of the payment and the optional tip for performers and artists.

Personally, I wouldn't tip a caricature artist at all unless his or her work is extraordinarily well done. I treat it like standing up applauding. The artist has been paid by me for performing his or her skill and in a theatre, for example, I only stand up when I got more than a satisfying show.

Would you agree with me?

II. How Much Does A Caricature Cost?

Hiring a caricature artist for events and paying this kind of artist on the streets of a big city are two very different cases and the price varies accordingly. It depends on different aspects, especially in regards to caricature artists at events.

1. Street Artists

Street artists in big cities often are charging approximately the same amount of money since it doesn't make a lot of sense to be more expensive than the caricature artist right next to you.

They always charge from $15 to $20 for one person.

In Prague, my aunt paid 400 Czech Krona for her caricature image. This is at the point of writing (March 2020) around €15 or $17.50. Some street artists on the Charles Bridge, which is very famous for these artists will charge 350 and some will charge a little more.

Another example would be Disneyland. There, a caricature can cost you from $15 to $30 depending on what you want to have exactly. A face in black and white is $15 and the cheapest option. If you want a face, a body and that in color, you can expect $30. It is the most expensive caricature you can choose there.

That's pretty normal in any economical area. There will always be someone cheaper and someone who provides the same product or service for a little more money. There's an easy way to find out what you have to pay for an event artist. Let's take a look at that.

2. Event Artists

Event artists will always be a little more expensive overall but if you break it down to the number of people such a caricature artist will draw in an hour, it is definitely more affordable than paying a street artist to draw 100 wedding guests.

How much is a caricature artist for an event?

The cost of a caricature artist for a certain event depends on multiple things. The caricature artist can draw traditionally on paper or digitally which makes his or her work more expensive. It also depends on the number of people, how many hours the artist works and whether the drawings contain color or not.

I've found an amazing website where you can let a calculator give you a price range of what you can expect the price to be. You can get to the calculator provided by the Goofy Faces website if you click here.

The difference between traditional and digital work is that the artist working digitally will always be more expensive than the traditional one. Pretty logical actually isn't it?

Then we have the number of people the artist draws in one hour. This aspect is not an aspect affecting the price as I've already mentioned before. Also, whether the caricatures are supposed to contain color or be solely black and white doesn't affect it.

However, this may vary from one caricature artist to another. Clearly, everyone in this artistic business makes their own rules regarding the price of their work.

The most important indicator that affects the price is the amount of time measured in hours. For example, an artist that is drawing traditionally with pencils on paper is regularly charging anywhere from $125 to $175 per hour.

Whether he or she draws 10, 20 or 30 people in that hour is mostly irrelevant just as the fact whether they are drawn in black and white or using color. Check out the calculator on this website.

III. The Time Aspect

Maybe you are planning on getting your face drawn in caricature style at some point while you're on vacation. Another possibility is that you're at a wedding and you're struggling whether you should go over there or not. So the question is the following:

How long do caricatures take?

It varies depending on the individual caricature artist. A street artist usually needs time between 5 and 20 minutes. At a particular event such as a wedding, they are often a lot faster. Some can draw up to 70 people per hour.

So, if you're just making holidays, you won't have to sit an hour or even longer in front of an artist to get your caricature drawing. Per individual person, you shouldn't expect more than 30 minutes. You can definitely integrate such an event into one of your days.

If you're at a wedding, you certainly don't have to worry about the time it is gonna take for the artist to draw your face. I've once heard somebody say that he was at a wedding with a caricature artist that could draw 60 to 70 people per hour.

Clearly, this is a huge exception and normally it also takes somewhere between 5 and 20 minutes at events to get a caricature. Nevertheless, these exceptions do exist and normally don't cost more than regular ones.

Either way, if you're not sure if you can trust this guy writing on this strange blog called Mac H. - Creative (what the hell does this even mean), you can simply do one thing! It is called observation and is a crucial skill every artist needs to have.

Look at the specific caricature artist who you want to pay to draw your face as a caricature and you'll quickly get a feeling for how long it's going to take. If you don't want to waste your time with that, remember that it probably won't be more than 30 minutes.

IV. Related Questions

1. What Makes A Good Caricature?

A good caricature is a portrait drawing exaggerating the most important facial or body features that stand out and make the subject unique. A good caricaturist is able to find a balance in his work that makes it humorous but not insulting.

2. How Much Do Caricature Artists Make At Theme Parks?

A caricature artist at a theme park earns approximately $20,000 per year. Depending on the employer it can be less but also more. Many employed caricature artists offer their services for events as well to make a little bit more per year. Completely self-employed artists having their own business and own customers can earn a lot more than $20,000.