Commission Information & Prices

COMMISSION A FUN, PERSONALISED, GIFT CARICATURE ILLUSTRATION!

Let's face it...looking for a special gift for someone in your life who 'already has everything' is not easy! Most people will already just buy themselves what they really want or need and it can be difficult to find someone a really unique and surprising gift that brings a smile to their face and reflects their personality. Gift Caricatures are ideal if you're looking for a present that's memorable, makes an impact and also shows your thoughtfulness and consideration! Whether you are looking for a gift for a wedding, birthday, retirement, anniversary... or just to show somehow how much you like or love them, then I can help!

The illustrations I am offering here are studio commissions, not to be confused with the quick-draw caricatures I perform live at weddings and events. Those take me 5 minutes per person, whereas studio commissions take me hours. If you’re just after a free sketch, then please pester your boss to book me for your next company party or event!

If you're thinking about a gift caricature for someone special, you have three options...

OPTION 1:

A digital caricature drawn on the I-Pad Pro using the Procreate app.

Black and white with grey shading. Half body only.

Cost:

£50 for 1 person.

£90 for a couple. Any extra people to be included beyond the first 2 cost £30 each thereafter. Eg - The cost for a family of 4 would be: £150.

Please note - the artwork is emailed to you as a high resolution, print ready j-peg file and is sent directly to your in box for you to keep, share on social media and print at your end. If you want me to post an A3 sized (42cm x 29.7cm) glossy paper printed copy of the artwork to you as well as the digital form, the cost is £10 per print plus £10 to cover the P&P. The artwork is rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube and posted to you via Post Office Special next day delivery service.

OPTION 2:

A full colour digital caricature drawn on the I-Pad Pro using the Procreate app. Half body only. (These are ideal for social media profile pics!)

Cost:

£90 for 1 person.

£170 for a couple. Any extra people to be included beyond the first 2 cost £40 each thereafter. Eg - The cost for a family of 4 would be: £250.

Small props can also be included - eg. person holding a glass of their favourite drink / or include a pet for a little extra cost. Please discuss your requirements with me for a quote.

Please note - the artwork is emailed to you as a high resolution, print ready j-peg file and is sent directly to your in box for you to keep, share on social media and print at your end. If you want me to post an A3 sized (42cm x 29.7cm) glossy paper printed copy of the artwork to you as well as the digital form, the cost is £10 per print plus £10 to cover the P&P. The artwork is rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube and posted to you via Post Office Special next day delivery service.

OPTION 3:

A full colour digital caricature drawn on the I-Pad Pro using the Procreate app. Full bodies with props / backgrounds etc.

Cost:

£120 for 1 person.

£200 for a couple. Any extra people to be included beyond the first 2 cost £50 each thereafter. Eg - The cost for a family of 4 standing together would be: £300.

VISUAL EXTRAS:

Costs for visual 'props' and additional items to add into Option 3 caricatures start at £10 each (eg - this could be something like a vehicle or pet, golf clubs, etc...). Please note, the level of extra detail you require will affect the price, depending on what you want, but feel free to discuss this with me.

Photos of your favourite holiday resorts, buildings, land marks and things can also be used for back drops for digital caricatures, provided they are good quality and in high resolution. I am able to digitally manipulate them into the background and enhance features somewhat to create the perfect setting or theme for the caricature.

Please note - the artwork is emailed to you as a high resolution, print ready j-peg file and is sent directly to your in box for you to keep, share on social media and print at your end. If you want me to post an A3 sized (42cm x 29.7cm) glossy paper printed copy of the artwork to you as well as in digital form, the cost is £10 per print plus £10 to cover the P&P. The artwork is rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube and posted to you via Post Office Special next day delivery service.

If you are happy to go ahead with a commission, then please confirm with me via email what type of caricature you are after and when you would require the finished artwork for. Artwork must be paid for in advance please. I can send you my payment details upon request.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: What makes a suitable occasion to give someone a caricature?

A: If you are are looking for a gift that is truly unique and memorable for someone special, then look no further! Caricatures make ideal, fun gifts for ANY special occasion or event! From birthdays, weddings, presentations, graduations, retirements, job promotions, anniversaries, Bar and Bat-Mitzvahs, Valentine's day, Father's Day, Mother's day....the list goes on and on!

Q: I really like the idea of a caricature as a gift, but I'm worried about the possibility of offending the recipient! Do your gift caricatures ever offend?

A: Not at all. I try my best not to offend anybody! My aim is to compliment, but also to exaggerate the features for comic effect (whilst maintaining a recognizable likeness) and to give people a giggle and something to treasure. Remember, it's a caricature, not a photograph or portrait painting! I will always try to avoid any unnecessary 'cruel' looking exaggerations that may offend people and just have a little fun with what Mother Nature has already bestowed upon individuals! That said, you should probably think twice about giving a caricature to someone who is vain; particularly sensitive about their looks or doesn’t have a good sense of humour.

Q: How long have you been doing caricature commissions?

A: I started drawing gift caricatures from photos for people back around 1999 - about 3 years after I left college in Glasgow where I gained an HND in Illustration. I've been drawing caricatures from photos long before I became a live event caricaturist, therefore I have over 20 years of experience.

Q: Is this your 'real' job?

A: It certainly is. I'm not an art student or someone who just does this as a hobby in his spare time. As well as undertaking studio commissions, I am also a live event caricaturist and draw at events all over the country. I am a professional caricaturist and one of the most sought after artists in Scotland.

Q: We saw you drawing live caricatures of guests at an event with marker pens on paper. Can you draw a caricature from a photo for us using the same materials?

A: Sorry, no. The illustrations I am offering here are studio commissions, not to be confused with the quick-draw caricatures I perform live at weddings and events. Those take me 5 minutes per person, whereas studio commissions take me hours.

When drawing caricatures at home in my studio from photos, I prefer to work digitally on my ipad and then email (or print out) the caricature to the client. Drawing someone from photos is much more difficult to do that drawing someone sitting in front of me. With photos, I can only rely on what the client provides me with. I have to make all likeness and exaggeration choices from a few flat, two dimensional pictures....Therefore I can't interact with the person or ask them to look, smile, turn or tilt their head for me in a certain way in order for me to accurately 'read' the sizes and shapes of facial features as I do when I am drawing someone live at events.

Unlike my live work, studio caricatures from photos take a lot more time. I need to study the pics and draw several preliminary sketches before I come up with a decent likeness, which is before getting into the inking / colouring stages and adding props and visual extras. This can be very time consuming when working with pencils, paper and markers, and if I mess something up during the process, I have to start the whole thing all over again, which is very frustrating (and takes up even more time)!

However - with my ipad, I can change and tweak sketches as much as I like and if I mess something up, I can easily 'un-do' the error, without having to scrap the whole thing. It's far more quicker and simpler for me to do, therefore all studio commissions are created in digital format.

The finished artwork can be easily shared online and also printed out on to good quality paper to be framed, hung or presented to someone special.

Q: What do you need from me in terms of PHOTOGRAPHS in order to create my caricature?

A: If you do decide to go ahead with a caricature commission; I would need at least 3 or 4 good quality recent photos of the person(s) you want me to draw, but feel free to send me as many as you like!

Some nice, smiley, natural photos please preferably in relaxed, happy poses. Please ensure they are good sized, high resolution - (sharp with detail), clear close ups. I do not want any 'group' shots, 'drunk night out' pics, wacky / crazy / weird looking facial expressions, costumes, hats or sunglasses please, unless you want this in the picture. Badly lit photos of blurry, 'shadowy' faces are no use to me either, so no night shots please.

Please do not send me photos of people where a 'fun' filter has been applied to their picture which distorts the face in any way, with huge eyes, bunny ears, whiskers, that sort of thing, etc...They will all be rejected. It sounds obvious to have to state this, I know, but you'd be amazed at the amount of truly terrible photos people send me!

Before you send any photos to me, please ask yourself if the photos you have selected are a good 'representation' of the person you want me to draw. I know it sounds ridiculous, but a persons' look can change dramatically from photo to photo, and as I don't know the individual(s) personally, I can only work from what you provide me with! For example - don't send me lots of old photos of the same person with many different hairstyles - photos must be fairly recent and clear.

It would also help if the photos of the subject were taken from a couple of different angles - i.e. not just facing to the 'front' (like a passport photo). Try to also include one or two taken from a 'three quarters' off to the side angle...this really helps me to read the face accurately and determine shapes of noses / chins / foreheads, etc! The better the selection of photos I have to work from, the better your caricature will turn out! Please bear all of this in mind when selecting photographs for me to work from. Please take the time to select me some good ones...don't just settle for the first 3 or 4 you find on your phone!

For caricatures of couples - remember - you don't have to be 'together' in every photo that you send to me. Individual pics of you both are fine as I can draw you both 'together' on paper anyway!

If you are ordering a 'full body' caricature for someone, I'll need to see a photo of the person standing to observe their physical build and shape. Similarly, if I have to draw a couple / family or group of people, please include photos which accurately show the height differences between the individuals.

Please email the photos to me - do not send original prints. Thanks!

Q: What do you need from me in terms of DETAILS about the subject(s) in order to create my caricature?

A: The first thing I will ask you is "WHEN do you require the finished artwork for?" As a freelancer, I'm always busy with many different commissions on the drawing board at once sometimes, therefore I need to work to deadlines in order to get them completed in time for you. It's vital that you let me know when you need the finished product for from the start of the project.

Beyond that; other details I require are all the initial 'obvious' things such as what the caricature is intended for: birthday gift, wedding, retirement, etc. If you have some fun thoughts on how you'd like me to depict someone in the picture, then please give me some information about your ideas - or a short 'brief' if you like.

Have a think about the caricature and tell me how you'd like it to look. I can depict people in any kind of situation or scenario. Do you have any particular ideas for it in mind? If not - no problem! You can leave it all up to me if you like, but here are some things to consider advising me on:

How many people will be in the caricature?

What they should be 'wearing' in the caricature?

Do you require any specific body poses?

What is the person's eye colour?

Does the person have any hobbies or interests?

Any visual 'props' to be included in the caricature?

Any pets / vehicles / buildings / other things to be included in the caricature?

Do you want a specific background setting or scene in the caricature (Eg - outdoors / indoors / landmarks, etc) ?

Do you want any signs, text or speech bubbles in the caricature?

Please be quite specific when it comes to things like eye colour, clothing and hairstyles etc... as with photographs, sometimes the camera can lie. I may require specific photos of relevant things to use as drawing references (eg, style of Bride's wedding dress or Groom's outfit etc...) Remember, if it's something specific and you don't show me what it looks like, then I can't include it in the caricature!

Please remember additional charges will apply depending on the level of detail required of extra things to include in the caricature. Once you give me an idea of what you're looking for, I can give you a more accurate quote and we can take things from there.

Q: How long does it take to create a gift caricature?

A: This varies from job to job, depending on what style of caricature you are after and the amount of details to be included in the project. I generally ask for a couple of weeks to get the job done, depending on your required deadline. In very busy or peak times there may be a 'waiting list' for projects which are not needed for an immediate deadline, however I will advise and discuss this with clients in advance.

Q: I've noticed that some artists trace the faces from photos when working digitally...do you do this?

A: Absolutely not! Don't be fooled - these people are not 'artists' or professional caricaturists! These people are just lazy illustrators who haven't bothered to put the years of time and effort into learning the art of caricature. A proper caricature is when features are exaggerated for comic effect whilst a recognisable likeness is maintained. It takes years of practice, observation and study to learn how to 'see' what features to exaggerate in an individuals face and how to execute and render them as a caricature successfully. Digitally tracing faces from photos and sticking them on a small body is ridiculously cheap and incredibly easy for anyone to do....and it's everything I stand against as a professional caricaturist. Rest assured, anyone who orders a commission from me, gets a proper caricature - not a traced face!

Q: We are getting married and we'd like a caricature of the two of us to use on our wedding invitations / table plans. Is that something you can do for us?

A: Absolutely yes, that's no problem. Please note - I would supply the artwork only. I don't actually print up cards for clients, you would need to source a local printer in your area (or online) to do that side of things for you. I can recommend a fantastic print company based in my home town of Kirkintilloch near Glasgow if you need help with that. I also offer wedding guest signing boards. This is a fun alternative to the traditional (old and boring!) wedding guestbook. I create a caricature of the happy couple in advance of the wedding, to be put on display at the wedding reception, where a large surrounding mount is affixed to the artwork for guests to write on and sign and leave well wishes. The artwork can then be framed after the big day and hung in the newlyweds home as a fantastic memento from their big day! Get in touch with me to find out more.

Q: How much notice do you need in order to create a gift caricature for me? I've just discovered your website and I REALLY want a caricature done VERY quickly for a special occasion!

A: The earlier the notice, the better really. If I'm given plenty of time and warning about when you need your caricature for, then this really helps me to organise my time and workload effectively. If you are thinking about getting someone a caricature from me for a specific date in the future, then feel free to approach me about it 2 or 3 months in advance if you like. It pays to be organised, folks!
Regarding short notice jobs, I'm a busy guy, but I will also accommodate tight deadlines if I can, so please don't be afraid to ask!...I've even been known to draw and dispatch them the same day that they were first ordered! If your deadline is impossible for me to make, I can always recommend other artists who may be able to help you as I am connected to some of the very best in the country.

Q: Can you post finished artwork to me when the job is done or do I have to collect it from you?

A: Yes. And yes! Please note - all digital artwork is emailed to you as a high resolution, print ready j-peg file and is sent directly to your in box for you to keep, share on social media and print at your end. If you want me to post an A3 sized (42cm x 29.7cm) glossy paper printed copy of the artwork to you as well as the digital form, the cost is £10 per print plus £10 to cover the P&P. The artwork is rolled in a sturdy cardboard tube and posted to you via Post Office Special next day delivery service.

Alternatively, if you live in or around the Glasgow area, you'd be welcome to come to my address at an agreed time / date planned in advance to personally collect the artwork for me when the job is done. Many of my clients have done this in order to save money on P&P fees, so don't be afraid to ask. I live in Kirkintilloch, near Glasgow.

Q: Do you offer a service to frame the artwork once it's finished?

A: No I'm afraid not. I'm kept busy with commission and live event work all year round and so to be honest, I just don't have the time. Also - given the fact that there is a vast array of different styles of picture frames available to buy from stores and online, I leave that up to the customer to choose and buy their own.

Q: When do you require payment for commissions?

A: All artwork must be paid for in advance please, (including postage and packaging fees if applicable) before projects are undertaken. I accept direct bank transfers (BACS). Or cash if your in my neighbourhood!

Q: May I display your caricature of me as the profile pic on my facebook / twitter / instagram / other social media accounts?

A: Yes of course! My digital Option 2 caricatures are ideal for that and VERY popular! As long as the use of artwork is strictly not for profit, then feel free to use as you like.

Q: May we display the caricature you have created for us on a website?

A: No I am afraid not. These 'gift caricature commissions' are intended for private and personal use only and not for profit. As I am the artist who has created the artwork, this means I retain full copyright of all images. People are not allowed to post artwork I have created on any websites without my written expressed permission - and should people want to do this, then it is expected that I am paid an agreed additional fee for use and display of any such image(s) in accordance with UK copyright law.

Q: I'd like you to do a caricature of me / my team (or a celebrity) for my business to advertise our services and use on our website, promotional material, brochure, apps and social media. Is that something you can help me with?

A: Yes, absolutely. Please understand though that there are different costs involved for these type of corporate / commercial commissions as opposed to the private commission price list displayed here. Get in touch with me to discuss your ideas further.

Q: I've decided I really want a caricature from you. So what do I do now to get things going?

A: Get in touch with me via the contact page on this site or email me at: eddsheadsart@gmail.com and we will take things from there.
Please let me know what type of caricature you are after and when you need the artwork for when you get in touch. It helps to give me as much information as you can but I'll be happy to reply to any other questions you may have. Thanks for the interest in my work!

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL:

"Hi Edd

Just want to say a big thank you for the gift caricatures. They are superb and exceeded all my expectations! I really appreciate all your hard work, time and effort on these. The pics have gone down great with the recipients - everyone loved them!

The whole process of arranging the caricatures with you was absolutely effortless, everything was made so easy and the attention to detail is faultless. Once again a huge thanks from me and my fiancé, Claire, for creating the perfect gifts for our big day, this Saturday, for both us and our groomsmen.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you to anybody who ever mentions they're looking at caricatures or anybody who is looking for something a bit different to give as a present of some kind - I know my cousin has already been in touch!I

Thanks SO MUCH again Edd!!" - Chris Sedgley - May 2015.

If you have any other questions, please email me at: eddsheadsart@gmail.com or call me on 0776 145 3457 between business hours - 9 till 5pm, Monday to Friday.

ALL IMAGES ON THIS SITE ARE COPYRIGHT BY © EDD TRAVERS, UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, IMAGES CANNOT BE DUPLICATED, PRINTED, DISPLAYED OR USED IN ANY FASHION WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE ARTIST.

Commission Information & Prices

COMMISSION A FUN,﻿ PERSONALISED, GIFT CARICATURE ILLUSTRATION! ﻿

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COMMISSION A FUN, PERSONALISED, GIFT CARICATURE ILLUSTRATION!