Since I was a teenager, so without giving away my age around 30 years. In fact, I have travelled around the World drawing caricatures to pay my way!

I was born with a pencil in my hand! Attended Auckland University of Technology - Diploma in Graphic Art (equivalent to Art Degree). Employed by Hanna Barbera drawing backgrounds for the Smurf series and others.
Employed by major Advertising Agencies in both New Zealand and UK.
Cartoonist/Caricaturist - Creative Director Graphic Design - Illustrator - Tutor
Learn to draw and Art for Therapy for special needs.

EXPERIENCE and examples of PREVIOUS WORK. With every enquiry we receive, our example booklet is sent to clientele so that the different styles, techniques can be clearly seen. as well as the “likeness” to the person being drawn.
PERSONALITY - no point in having a Caricaturist that has no “life” in him! Energy, enthusiasm, a people person who knows how to get things moving - in other words, not just a Caricaturist, but also an ENTERTAINER - and that’s Graeme! RELIABILITY is important as well - too often we have clients coming to us hoping that we can squeeze them in because a Caricaturist has cancelled on them. That’s something you never have to worry about with us.

Not much! We have had clients in the past ask for a Caricaturist to attend an event being held ON THAT DAY! If Graeme is available, he’s yours...if not, we will endeavour to pass you onto a Caricaturist who is.

We have professionals that we can work with who have been in the industry for many years and take pride in the quality of their work. From 1 to 10 Caricaturiststs - no problem!

As a good Caricaturist friend of ours says: “Pay peanuts - get monkeys”.
The fees can vary from $180 per hour to $250, sometimes $300 per hour, this is dependent upon the quality, detail required and number of hours a Caricaturist is booked for. Beware of anyone who offers very “cheap” rates, check their previous LIVE event caricatures first and be sure that you are not receiving pencil sketchings which look nothing like the subject.

For quality and likeness of the subject approx.10-12 caricatures per hour.
Now this does include some transition time between guests...i.e., the time it takes for one to leave and the other to be ready to be drawn. Be cautious with those that offer much more than this - it could mean thin, quick pencil sketches.
Remember that drawing caricatures is a form of ARTWORK.

The standard is A4 size black and white, however we offer spot colour and A3 size, if required. Spot colour and a larger sizes do take a tad longer to do.

Our minimum booking is two (2) hours and yes, we are happy to do overtime with no extra fees involved other than the origiinal cost per hour. If there is long travel involved, example two hour travel, then our minimum booking could be three hours (a small travel fee could be included).

Graeme arrives 15-20 minutes before event start time to introduce himself and set up.
If you require Graeme to arrive one hour earlier to event start for a “brief” we do require the extra per hour fee.

We supply all materials - paper, plastic sleeves to place the caricatures in - pastels (if spot colour is required) - art board - drawing implements and in the case of Festivals or events whereby a “tent” is required, we can also provide the necessary equipment. We ask you to supply a small table and two chairs and to let us know if the event is being held within a “dim” area, this is important for us to know as some Hotels and Function areas can be dimly lit and it’s hard for the Caricaturist to see - we supply a spot light in these cases and only need a power point.

It depends upon the type of function, e.g., if it’s a cocktail party - perhaps roaming would be best, that way the guests can continue to stand around and talk whilst the Caricaturist moves from one to the next. The most popular is for the Caricaturist to be seated giving the guests the option to approach him to not only have their caricature drawn but also to watch how he draws other people. It’s a great talking point usually ending up with lots of laughter!

Yes, each individual drawn is asked what they would like to be seen doing in the caricature - be it a superhero, swimming, celebrating, surfing, dancing - we even draw animal bodies on them if required.

Yes, we can draw two to page on A4 or more people on A3 size paper, but please let us know if you require more than 2 people on a caricature so that we may provide the necessary paper. If you are wanting a large caricature group please give us a call to discuss.

Yes, you can, for example - at a Wedding you may require the Bridal Party to bedrawn first before moving onto the guests.

Black shirt/pants for weddings and Corporate functions.
For private parties it’s more relaxed but still black pants/black or grey shirt. Graeme can dress up to a certain degree to fit in with the party atmosphere.

Yes - for a six hour event we reduce the per hour fee (package deal). Give us a call or fill out our contact form to enquire, be sure you state the location and how many hours are required. This is particularly helpful at Trade Shows/Exhibitions where the Caricaturist may be hired for a two or three day event at a Stand.
We always try and fit in with your budget, so don’t hesitate to speak with us.

We contact clients between 3-5 days before an event to confirm all details and ensure there are no changes. If you wish to change any of the details, we can usually accommodate this, for example - start time.

Yes. we travel Internationally as well as Interstate - accommodation and air fares plus airport transfer fees on top of the per hour hire fee is required.

A template is a “walking/hanging” advertisement to all who see it as it clearly displays your company’s logo/branding and any wordage that you choose to include, e.g., “thanks for celebrating our new office launch” or “Xmas 2015”. It serves as a souvenir of the event and promotes the company.

Step 1: Contact us via phone or via the contact form on the website giving us as many details as you can about the event.
Step 2: We respond with a general indication of pricing and availability.
Step 3: You confirm that you wish to proceed with a booking and we send you an official quote stating the deposit required to lock it in.
Step 4: Process the deposit required - the date and time is locked in.
Step 5: We attend the event.
Step 6: You pay the balance of the invoice (we do prefer payment up front, however we understand company policies and therefore allow up to seven businesss days to finalise the account).
CANCELLATION POLICY: If you cancel the event after processing the deposit; you will lose 50% of deposit. If you change the date of event, no charge is applicable provided Graeme is available on that date.

We retain copyright (Graeme Biddle of Artrain Express). You have the right to display and use the caricature for promotional purposes whether business or personal. In a nutshell, the caricature should not be altered or printed for the purpose of financial gain. We also express the right to use your caricature for reference and promotional purposes only unless specifically requested not to do so.

We can to a certain degree; we need to survive as well. We offer a reduced rate to not-for-profit and charitable organisations if attending an event and we also include FREE of charge a full colour A3 size caricature as a “raffle” or “auction” prize. If we offer a “hand”, please don’t take an “arm”.

We have $20 M public liability insurance.