Doing event with made-up

During many years doing caricature or silhouette cutting for event, I seldom asked to do any special costume or make-up, I am a small fly, some more as guy, as long as looks neat and tidy and clean, will be ok.

If really need special costume, usually provided by the event company and no need to do any make-up.

A friend in 2005 asked me act as Chinese treasure god character in their Chinese new year event, they provide with costume and make-up, which was my first time having make-up in my whole event life.

Ouch! If was painful when the opera master do a treasure god make-up on my face. I don’t like the time he paint the eyeliner on my eyes, it was uncomfortable. Anyway, just take it as an experience lah. Heehee!

Doing events during year end

Year end is peak period for events like dinner & dance, Xmas promotions etc.
It is a peak period of entertainer as well. Usually, the dinner and dance and family day happened at Friday night and Saturday. The event companies will hire fringe artist to entertain the guest.

During year end peak period, there’s always event companies looking for fringe art artists, jobs is waiting for us, that’s was a good thing for us.

Some people said our income must be very good, that’s not true, because after the peak period, not much job for us, it became artist looking for job to survive.

Due to more and more people joining in this line, the opportunities of getting jobs became less, it became very competitive, and this is good news for event companies, because they got more choices.

Lots artist lower their lower down their price to undercut the job, some event companies try their best to looking for the lowest rate artist as well regardless the artist’s skill level, as well, hence you can see lots ‘fake artist’ (non-skilled people) doing event.

Basically, the guest was not so concern about that due to the fringe art artist was giving free services or free gift e.g. Free caricature, free silhouette cutting (shadow cutting), free henna drawing etc, that’s why the standard of the fringe artist was not important maybe.

A Caricature Drawing

This is the boss of Virgin Airline, Mr. Richard Branson.
I like to display this drawing either when I doing event or do busking at Orchard road.

There was some comment from the public:

Without asking who this is, somebody said: “You are drawing Richard Branson!”
Somebody said: “You are drawing Chuck Norris!”

When someone asking who I drawn, I told them this drawing was Richard Branson, they could be reflected: “Doesn’t look like at all!” That’s common feedback as well.

But there’s some feedback that was hard to understand, those people was feedback to me without asking me anything and said: “Hey, your Richard Brandson (or Chuck Norris) doesn’t looks like Richard Brandson(or Chuck Norris) at all!”

Hmmm, I wonder why they could recognize that I am drawing Richard Branson yet the drawing doesn’t looks alike? Interesting! Haa haa!

One of My Good friend Rama Chandran

Rama Chandran, my ex-colleague who works in a bank together, was the person who brings me in to the entertainment line in 1990.

He was a part-time emcee at that time, his ambition was a movie director or run a movie production house or became an actor if I am not wrong.

All I remember was the scene that I watching Chandran doing comedy drama in shopping on the stage, that time Eileen Wee (now became emcee/model/writer and etc) was also acting together with him.

Rama Chandran is one of the famous people in this line during that period.
He was involve in Michael Chiang's hit comedy play, drama version of ARMY DAZE, in 1987.

Of course I involved in this drama as well --------- as an Audient !!! Haahaa!

Rama Chandran taught me lots thing, he is one of my best friend. He continuous runs his production house D’Rama Production after having his movie studies from New York, that’s about at leas more than 10 years ago.

Time fly very fast. Chandran had married and having a nice family.

Hey Chandran, tell you, I still no girl!!! (still single and became uncle liao! Hee hee)

10 years later, you will see me sitting at kopitiam having beer, when I became an ‘old uncle’.

some more event caricaturist

Up to today, year 2007, the world had been changing a lot. I found that at least 10 more new caricaturists came in this industry to share this cake, hence the cake for event caricaturists became smaller and smaller.

New batch caricaturists including:

Luo Yong from china, brought in her father Luo Rui Lin doing caricature, maybe she had been arranged her mother doing caricature for event as well by setting the lowest rate in this industry; then followed by Mr Kamal who just completed his master degree in Contemporary Art, and his wife, Roushi Ye, been ranked as ‘Singapore Florist Painting Artist’ and had been interview by TV Channel named ‘Suria’, and someone called Andy ( if I not wrong), followed by few more art students and fine art artists.

That’s good news for event companies that they having more choices, but bad news for caricaturists in this industry due to crowd with competitors.

When the government engaging more foreign talents, especially when the casino is opening, that will be more event caricaturist appeared in Singapore.

Just my personal view, haahaa!

A Rough Event Caricaturist List in Singapore from my memory

In 1992-1995 (rough memories) , artist who do caricature in event as I remembers like Eienstien, Eric Ng, Saik, then follow by Poon, and Desmond, may be Pak Ah Bee from Clark Quay as well.

Eienstien was the pioneer artist who do caricature in Singapore.
Then followed by Eric Ng, had been doing caricature for events and also doing he caricature at Orchard Point.

Eienstein was running his own company and doing TV productions now. Eric Ng, was not so active in recent years and had been emphasze in his own business..

1996 onwards, numbers of caricaturist increased, included Zaki, Yunos (both of them could be already doing caricature in earlier years), then followed by Diana and Belle Kwan.

Thought one of the full-time portrait artist, Chong Jit Leong of Portrait Workshop had been doing caricature for events as well during this period, I did not know him at that time, only heard about him, then artist doing portrait and caricature drawing at Clark Quay.

Another full-time portrait artist, Pak Ah Bee from Clark Quay as well, doing caricature drawing or portrait for events.

Followed by another full time portrait artist Reggie Wan of Portrait Studio, joined the event caricaturist industry, if not wrong, should be around 1997 or 1998.

Then another guy who very aggressive that like to promote himself, Lawrence. He had went to United State for his study since 2002 (if not wrong)

Wilson Lee, the artist I met about 1998 was doing event as well, then follow by William Lee that I met about 2002.

Up to 2003, that will be about 10 caricaturist (including me) in the event industry, maybe few more people that I does not know.

A guy draw using 2 hands?

A guy draw using two hands? Yes, here I am (in Singapore).
In this insdustry, I am the only person who drawing using two hands since 1995.
They called it "Ambidexture".

I am not the best, but I always try to deliver the best to the guests and the organiser who hired my service.