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Caricatures for Parties

First things first

In color I draw 8 to 10 people an hour; in black/white, about 15. The drawing is 81⁄2 x 11, a standard frame size. I present it in a white 9x12 envelope. Rate: $130.hr, with a two hour minimum. I round off the cost for extended events like conventions or trade shows. For schools and benefits the rate is also reduced.

What’s involved?

I send you the Agreement (an informally worded contract) and you commit to the date with $100 confirmation deposit. There’s nothing else for you to do. I’ll be there to set up at least a half hour before the booked starting time. I’ll bring my own lighting, extension cord, and possibly a side table. I’ve been working as a full time professional caricaturist for nineteen years. So, if you have any special instructions or any concerns, I’ll be able to accommodate them.

What events are more fun with Caricatures by Hilden?

What events are more fun with Caricatures by Hilden? Just about any family or corporate function.

What’s it like at the party?

People stand around me to watch as I draw. I love this. It helps me decide how far to take the humor. At the beginning of a party people tend to be tentative and reserved, but by 10 o’clock the ties are loose, the shoes are off, the jokes are flying, and all that wildness is reflected in my work. Is this an ice-breaker? Omygod, you bet! It’s really very interactive. The people standing around me tell me how to draw the “victim.” That’s what makes it so much fun. It’s a hilarious atmosphere. And then, to top it off, you get to take the drawing home. I love this part, too: You frame my drawing. Ta-tah! At this point, you may want to click PRAISE to see what people think.

Where are the celebrities on this website?

Where are the celebrities on this website? Drawing celebrities is easy. You sit at your drawing table and work for hours and days until it comes together. Instead, what I’m showing here is the actual work--when it’s done on the spot and fast. That’s what counts. Besides, when you get a Hilden Caricature you automatically become a celebrity. Applause for you! If you go to Petterino’s Restaurant (Randolph & Dearborn, next to the Goodman Theater) you’ll see some of my celebrity-celebrity work on the walls.

One more thing

It’s about the word caricature itself. It’s a terrible word. People stumble over it all the time. You say it. It sounds like a sneeze.

The word comes from the Italian, caricato, meaning to charge or to load. The art of caricature has a long history. A famous early practitioner was Leonardo da Vinci (around 1500). In the 18th century Hogarth satirized social affectations in England. In the 19th century Daumier ripped into politicians, lawyers, and the remnants of the French aristocracy (and got imprisoned for it). Picasso’s sketchbooks are full of caricatures. By the 20th century, to get a caricature in Vanity Fair meant you were famous and powerful. We’re so used to the art of caricature now that we simply expect to see caricatures of movie stars and heads of state. So, when you get a caricature of yourself you have joined the ranks of the glamorous and the movers and shakers.Well, sort of.

Speaking of celebrity, The Chicago Tribune Magazine has run a full page article about me and I was featured on a Wild Chicago program in October 1993.

Despite the aura of celebrity, it’s still a goofy word. Let’s replace it. Let’s say, it’s all about Making Faces.