Live drawing at events is a real rush, it’s normally a party at the location you’re at so you prepare for a nice evening of sketching people, having quick conversations and maybe even sipping on a couple cocktails… These events tend to have free drinks and free booze, especially in the UK, means one thing… some people get absolutely off their face and inhibitions go out the window.
After each event I’m normally posting up a classy picture of my set up and a couple illustrations on my Instagram Stories whilst texting the group chat ‘YOU NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TONIGHT’ at the same time… so here’s a little insight into the craziness that can happen at events.
Manchester 2013
This was my first ever event which I wrote about here, I mentioned in that post that the Ted Baker HQ Staff took a liking to me and made sure my G&T never ran dry the entire night… me being a 20 year old student obviously isn’t going to turn down free booze. I lost count of how many drinks I had that night, I also get a rosy glow if I even catch a whiff of alcohol so all photos from that event I’m a tomato with bleach blonde hair. That event was so packed and I was so new to event illustrating I kept looking at the size of the queue, seeing it not going down and I’d rest my head on the desk in disbelief… not the most professional move!
London 2019
You can honestly be like a therapist at these events, one girl came up to me at the end of the event looking sorry for herself and asked if she could get one done, even though the event was finished I thought sure! Then her mum and sister joined and she spent the entire time recounting her night of being accused of things and having to go to the back of the queue and even being bullied at the party. I ran out of water at that point in the night so I just used her tears to wet my brush luckily… she seemed happy with the result!
The rosey glow in all it’s glory… getting paid to drink and draw, heaven.
Manchester 2018
A group of ladies slightly tipsy at an event came over to be illustrated, I drew one of them, she was wearing a baggy white shirt and if any of you know my style it’s pretty minimal and allows for a lot of empty space so you can imagine a white shirt is basically just a single line on a page. I showed the final piece to her and her face dropped ‘I LOOK HUGE!’ she said, shocked me was just like ‘oh no you don’t!’ she continued ‘I’ve just lost a lot of weight and you’ve drawn me as how I was before!’ ‘it’s abstract and negative space! You don’t look huge it’s just the shirt is implied’ I felt so awkward. I filled in the other side of the shirt for her and even knocked off a couple lbs as good will…
London 2019
I was illustrating at a VIP event with 2 other illustrators, the room was pretty packed and we had an endless queue of people, all chatting and waiting. We were working on A5 paper with a logo at the top so space was limited, I thought I’d do a ¾ pose for this lady so I could fit more detail in… so it was cropped at her knees. I finish up this ladies illustration, turn it round and she screams ‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY LEGS?!’ I was so mortified. 20 people were queuing behind her waiting to get their drawing done so to hear someone scream unhappily about there’s isn’t exactly a confidence booster.
Glasgow 2019
As I said earlier, free booze at evening events means anything can happen… I was illustrating at a store in Glasgow and this guy kept coming over to see if I had space for him to be drawn, I said give me 5 minutes and you’ll be next. Whilst I was illustrating another person he kept floating around my workspace and once someone from the store assured him he’ll be next he went off on a complete rant about ‘you guys just want to profit from all of this, you don’t really care about any of these people! Feed them, entertain them all just to get their money!’ I just kept my head down drawing and luckily the lady I was drawing didn’t speak a word of English so security escorted him out and I had one less person to draw… win win.
London 2019
I promised too many people portraits again, luckily I took their photos so it was me and the event organizer sitting in the store at 10:30pm whilst the store cleaner was tidying up around us whilst I frantically tried to finish off these portraits.
Manchester 2018
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I’ve messed up a couple times in the past where I’ve over promised how many people I can illustrate. But at this event it was so bad I had 10 people hovering round me as the store staff were kicking everyone out, I was churning out a portrait every 2 minutes whilst my friend who was waiting for me to go for drinks entertained the people waiting… safe to say not my best work but I’ve never felt so in demand… celeb life what.
London 2020
This was the most recent event I did, pre pandemic… I went through an entire 4 hour event without illustrating a single person. The brand I was working with made the criteria of receiving an illustration far too specific (only if you bought a particular shoe) I was illustrating on tote bags, I thought I’d at least draw some examples so people know what to expect and I look busy, they told me to stop using tote bags if they weren’t for the customers… I spent 4 hours doodling in my sketchbook and having to turn down paying customers because the brand wouldn’t budge on the criteria. You best believe my post on instagram read ‘amazing time illustrating live at X’
Daytime Events
Every single daytime event in a shop you can guarantee you will get kids coming up to your table and their mum expectantly looking at you as if ‘can they draw here whilst I go shopping’ so within 2 minutes you go from credible established artist to creative baby sitter. Now if only next time I can teach the kids to draw in my style and I can go off for a nap…
These aren’t all the stories I have but I think that’s enough for one post. I want to clarify, I absolutely love doing events and it’s so thrilling to see people enthralled by you drawing them live and 99% of people absolutely love the result and are amazed, but you’ll always get that 1% that have something to say or don’t like it. As everyone says art is subjective, so you won’t always please everyone and never take it personally!
Guaranteed things that will be said to you whilst illustrating at an event, I’ve lost count the amount of times they’ve been said to me… should make it a drinking game.
‘Oh are you a student?’ ‘…nope this is my job’
‘My niece loves drawing… she’s 5’
‘So what’s your job?’ ‘…this is my job’
‘Make me pretty!’ ‘Draw me thinner!’ ‘Imagine I’ve got some make up on’
‘This is amazing, I can’t even draw a stickman!’
‘You should post your work online!’
‘how much is it?’
‘aww these are pretty’ ‘do you want me to draw you?’ ‘oh never!’
Keep reading:
Illustrating Live at Events - A Fashion Illustrators Tips For Live Drawing
How I Got An Agent As A Fashion Illustrator Plus Tips On Getting An Illustration Agent