An Interesting Birthday Private Party

I felt great that I had provide my caricature service for a client yesterday under event company's arrangement, glad to met nice guests in this birthday party. Some of my work as below:

While the time I am done, the birthday girl gave everyone a gift to take home and I also got one!

The theme of the party id Addams Family, the client was very creative to put the gift in this glove that represent one of the character in Addams family which the name is "The Thing", that was so cool as well!

Look! These are the gift I got for the day! ;p

Some of my works recently

 

My Recent Caricature Works

Finally the event entertainment industry had been reactive again! It had lead me to my "usual routine" as well: a caricaturist in parties and events! Heehee!

Just some recent works for your view ;p

Some caricature drawings recently

Roving Caricature in Block Party

Did roving caricature drawing in a block party last week.
To do caricature in a roving style, need some different technique, basically you need to know how to handle the crowd and also depend what kind of crowd in the event.

Donna Daniel and her dancers was performing on the stage. Donna was very famous in the event industry and had been many years in the industry as well.

One of my drawing ;p

Dinner and Dance Pre-Event Activities Items

In Singapore, most of the dinner and dance which handle by event management companies, mostly having pre-events or fringe art activities before the arrived guests go in to the ballroom.


Entertainers
For dinner and dance pre-events or fringe art activities, common items presently including:
Airbrush temporary tattoo, Balloonist(while the event known having many children), Body Art (Glitter Tattoo, Henna painting, Face Painting), Caricature drawing, Caricature on Key Chain Shrink Art, Fortune Telling (Tarot Card, Poker Card Fortune Telling, Palm Reading, Numerology, Face Reading, Indian Parrot Fortune Telling, Hand Writing Character Analysis), Fun Button Making (which either draw something or write the guests' name and make it on the round badges as souvenir), Hand Phone Glitters, Instant printing of Glamour Shot, Roving Close-up magician, Silhouette Cutting, Sue's Wax Hand Making, Wire Crafts to make the guests' names, Writing the guests names on the stone (Pebble Art), Mini T-Shirt Name writing using airbrush

Based on the theme, what I came across including:
- Chinese Theme/Shanghai Theme: Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Paper Cutting (mostly during Chinese New Year period), Rainbow Calligraphy, Chinese Calligraphy on Chinese Fans, Chinese Knotting Demo, Fortune Telling (Mostly palm reading or Face Reading), Chinese Dough Figurine Making Demo.

- Cultural Theme: Malay Ketupak making Demo, Malay Kite Making Demo, Indian's florist ring making for welcoming guests, Chinese cultural stuffs as per mentioned, Indian's Unique Fortune telling which the Fortune Card picking by Perot.

Quick Hairdo and Makeover could be one of the item especially in Retro Theme Dinner and Dance. It could be dancers or models roving around just to create some fun (all depend on client's budget allocation)

- For Casino Theme / Secret Agent Theme, there will be some game setting, either in-charge by the event staffs or by the costumed Models.

Some items rarely seen in pre-events or fringe art activities items that I ever came across including:
Stilt Walker, Fire Eater, Juggler, Snake Charmer, Roving Models or Costumed Models to serve drinks for the guests, "Rice Art" (which write the guests' name on the rise and then frame in a small container then bind to the key chain), Bean Art (using bean stick on about A5 size card or board to combine as a painting, and write some artistic words).


Musician
Sometimes we can see roving Guitarists playing music and songs, or stationary type of 3-4 Jazz Band around within the standard 1 hour dinner and dance pre-events or fringe art activities.


Varnishing Food
Pop Corn making on the spot booth is one of the items during dinner and dance pre-events or fringe art activities especially in "Movie Night" or Hollywood Night related Themes.

"Ting Ting" candy, Malt candy, Chinese Dragon Beard candy could be seen in the event as well. (Can be seen during Chinese New Year Event /Shanghai Theme/ Cultural Theme)

"Teh Tarik" and "Kacang Putih" which represent Indian culture or engaged under Movie Themes.

10th December, Friday, 6.30pm-7.30pm

10 December, Friday, 6.30pm-7.30pm is one of the super hot date and timing on the demand of live caricature drawing artists, seems whole Singapore Island was asking caricaturists in this date at timing.

As I mentioned, no matter how famous how high or how low rated you are, or how strong / how best / how top level you are, unfortunately you can do 1 show only at 1 place at 6.30pm-7.30pm (or 6.15pm-7.15pm / 7pm-8pm) for 1 event company only.

Even if the whole Singapore’s event companies request your service for the mentioned hot date and timing, you still only can go 1 place to do 1 show.

I already mentioned this in my posting in 2007. This is is what we need to compromising.

This is because live caricature drawing is a unique skill and people like it because it is an art, need a skillful professional to handle, not like other items eg.pop corn, as long you have the machine, you just send someone there and do it, no need and special skill to handle, hence the event manager categories a caricaturist as "Talent".

You might realized, you already booked for this date and timing, no matter how many event companies calling you, it doesn't mean you are damp good business or damp popular, is because there are so many last minuted client asking the event company provide this item, and you are only can do one show during 10 dec Friday 6.30pm - 7.30pm.

Clone as many of yourself so can do many jobs in different places at the same time?
Unless after that you can "join back" became 100% of you just like one of the "X-Men" Movie, otherwise, let say you cloned 5 of you, means you need buy 5 pack of paper, 5 time of transport fees and related expenses, it doesn't make sense right?

Lets Increase our Live Caricaturist Booking Rate for Event?

According the economy news, Singapore's economy was doing very well, that was really good news! Hopefully we getting more jobs coming in.

As an event entertainer, a caricaturist, I only know November and December is our peak booking period. After the peak period of November and December, maybe January, Caricature booking will be slowing down any will be slowly going back to the quiet period till the next school holiday period.

Thought many caricaturist was having many inquiries from many event companies and direct calling be various firms, in my personal view, and based past year's experience from 1990 till now, my conclusion as below:

Many companies was celebrating their dinner and dance during year-end, which are November and December, of course one of the pre-event (or Fringe art activity) which is Caricature service was became highly demand, it did not represent the market really have such huge demand during the future following months.

I don't have any obligation your guys can try to increase your caricature charging rate during this period. But do not forget there are more and more new caricaturists and new immigrant try their lower rate to share this cake as well.

Increase your services rate higher? It only suitable to peak period only, or unless you do it only for hobby, hence only high rate you then accept the job, or you might be someone famous and great reputation in the market, you only serve high-end clientele, meanwhile you can't take any lower rate job, it only spoiling your artistic reputation.

I believe there everyday in a year sure have celebrations and events in this First World Singapore, maybe it could be more and more?

The I don't think life drawing of caricature service only depend on certain period and also based on certain theme only.

During peak period, big volume of jobs were looking for artists to do, but during low booking seasons, that will be artist looking for job.

Try to train many caricaturists to feed the November and December (or January)'s need? Then all of us will be facing problem later. I had mentioned this in my previous posting before.

Increase caricature charging rate? I will do it during certain special day's only: XMas Eve, New Year's Eve, certain day of Chinese New Year, and some special and additional request for some special event.

Are There Such A big Volume of Event Jobs?

Although Singapore became a First World country, although there were 2 big IR and casinos opened,technically there are more events happening in our country, do you think there are really huge volume of job and demands for event artists and entertainers?
It really depends.
If you are full time or part-time commercial dances, due to the highly occupied of the pubs/bars, you might be highly demand by the related firm. If you are an Mcee, and if you had been in the event industry for certain years, due to the job volumes increased and your income definitely increased as well.

Talking about fringe art event artists like henna artist, caricaturists, airbrush tattoo artist and etc, it depends on the relevant periods. As per my experiences since 1990 till now i which work as caricaturist, silhouette cutting and fortune telling, I am very sure that our job can't earned many million dollars per annual.

I believe whoever extreme progressive and enthusiastic new comers will realized this as well, it might help on a little bit of publicity your works, but it can't made you became a famous person or celebrities.

Due to globalization and the current amounts or new immigrants talents being here, it became much more competitive thus the pieces of cake you are getting was became smaller and smaller.

Another question: Are you being booked everyday for event jobs? Are you sure Singapore sure having events everyday that really need entertainers or event artists?

Event Artists need to Provide Quality and Resonable Quantites Works

Singapore had been growing real fast within this few years, and Singapore became a worldwide well known country since it had run the first F1 night race, building up the great entertainment area like Marina Bay Sand and Resort World Sentosa and held the first Youth Olympic Games in the world.

As professional event artists or entertainers, we should always enhance, improve and maintain our skill to the much more than the above average level.

Doing events like caricature, balloon twisting, face painting and etc, although we work independently, doesn't mean we can do our work anyhow, there are always people watching your quality or/and quantities of your works.

Singapore is not a big country, hence, if any event artists make serious mistake, all of us will know it through event organizers or event clients.

Local Skillful and Talented Event Artists that I Came Across (I)

Talking about local talented event artists, there are many peoples.
Due to the globalization, it increased the competitive levels in various industries.
The main industry which I working in ---- the event & entertainment industry, had been having some changes as well.
Due to having many new immigrants in Singapore, you can see many new talents and new entertaining items appear in various events within about recent of 4-5 years.

Some new or old items that became popular gradually that I had come across recent years, mainly belonging tradition China items that including: Chinese Dough Figurine (面人), Chinese Paper Cutting (剪纸), Rainbow Calligraphy (彩虹书法/ 龙凤书法/ 七彩书法), Chinese Art & Crafts (Chinese Knotting 中国结, Chinese Ang Bao Lantern Making 红包灯笼), and recently so many people was looking for Chinese Malt Candy (造型麦芽糖) which made in various design especially emphasize in the Chinese Zodiac design (as I know, we can’t find any local artist able to provide this item yet so far).I did came across some local talents can do some of the mentioned above items in a very high standard (much better than some of the present new immigrant in the event industry, especially some of those local artists, means Singaporean senior artists whose aged above 50s and in the industries for at least 20 years).

The Art of Crowd Control During Events

Whether you are in charge caricature drawing, airbrush tattoo or doing any complementary items in the events, I am very sure you always face the big crowd or people queuing for their free stuffs.

After many years’ experience doing event, I found that crowd control for complimentary stuffs is one of the very important thing we need to do.

To me, crowd control is an art. You can’t expect there is always having event officers or crew to help in the crowd control, hence you need to control by yourself and I found that is the best way to make the show running smoothly.

For example, during my caricature drawing session (stationary type, not roving type), I will estimate how many people I can draw within the last 30minutes, and then I will quickly go to the queue and past my colorized papers to the limited peoples in the queue, I told the queue I can only draw these amount of peoples within the last 30minutes’ working hour, hence basically avoided any disappointment and frustrations.

Some artists was passing own made queue number to the queue in 30 minutes in advance as well, it work as well.

Event Artist’s Job Volume

According the latest news, the world’s economy starting recovered from the previous’ economy crisis, thus in our events and entertainment industry was picking up as well.

Due to the economy’s crisis plus the H1N1 incidents, the market really quiet, many entertainers do not have much event booking, this is not a surprise due to our past experience of the SARS incident between the months of November 2002 and July 2003; in such circumstances, event entertainer’s booking definitely not much.

Usually due to such circumstances, you can see some new comers was anxiously asking around why they can’t get more job, I would say this is because they do not see what happen to the big environment, they did not understand the peak and down period of the event industry in Singapore as well, of course this is because due to they are too new and inexperienced.

The new entertainers starting suspect their competitors had been undercut them and they were trying hard to find out what was happening on their competitors.

In my experience, once the market down, all the entertainers will facing the same poor booking problem altogether, nothing about who is under cutting who (unless those really do so).

Technically, it was much tougher to gain more jobs in this industry whether you are part timer or full timer due to same type of entertainers was growing and had been crowded in the current market.

For example, in 1993, caricaturist who’s in the market including Einstein (the pioneer caricaturist in Singapore) from Norway, Eric Ng, Desmond Ng Cheng Eng, Saik, Chong Jit Leong and few more people.

In 2009 today, they are more than 28 caricaturist in the market including Kamal Dollah and his wife Roushi Ye (also known as Singapore Florism Artist),
Reggie Wan, William Lee,
Zaki and his brother Yunos,

Mat Tokang, Belle Kwan, Diana Lim,Mulan Tay,

new China immigrant Luo Yong, Luo Yong’s Father Luo Rui Lin,
mother Niu Quan Lian and Luo Yong's Husband Mr Liu who is a researcher in NUS,

Guinness’ World record of fastest caricaturist Peter Zhou (known professionally as Peter Draw), Wilson Lee, Shawn,
Oh Thiam Huat and his brother, Pak Ah Bee,

Joyce, Daniel Lim, Rizal Wahab, Arthority,
Hafiz Abdullah, Mohamed Izwandy,
CyBeriNa, Rohani, Noor Rahman Saini, dancerene and etc.