Family caricature at a wedding: A True story that almost wasn’t

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Click to hear me read this true story out loud

You would never know that the little girl on the right was literally in tears the entire time I was drawing this picture until the very end.

I was drawing caricatures at a wedding at the Cedar Post Barn in Amite Louisiana - a lovely rustic wedding venue right on a lake.

It was my favorite kind of wedding - where the folks are FUN and everyone is partying and having a great time.

But it was a little loud and overstimulating for a little girl who was only 5 years old, and she already was up past her bedtime. I’m a wedding caricature artist, but I’m also a mom. I could see this was just too much for her.

Normally I draw the youngest first so that they don’t have to wait around. It’s easier on everyone that way.

But in this case mama was holding her baby and comforting her, and I could see that my usual approach wouldn’t work here. So I broke with my own tradition and drew the oldest first.

I always introduce myself with a fist bump for kids and the oldest girl, in the middle, gave me the little trailing fingers the way kids like to do. So I did it back.

I do this because it builds rapport with the kids and they can see that I’m not a threat - I highly recommend you do this when you meet kids especially if you’re an entertainer or you work with children. It helps immediately. True story.

There little girl who is crying sees me do this. She sees me smiling at her sister and making funny faces.

But she is still crying and not paying me any mind. Then I’m done her sister.

The crying girl still isn’t ready.

So I draw her brother. Again the fist bump and the trailing fingers. This must be a fun family. Little “tells” like this give things away about people all the time and as a live artist my job is to see it and capture it.

Zip zap, The boy is done. And now it’s little’s turn. Mom has been whispering to her and she’s still not ready to be introduced to me. So again I break tradition and avoid the introduction entirely.

I know I just said you should introduce yourself. But the one exception is for crying children. Which doesn’t happen often but when it does I’ve found that the best way to handle it is to be as nonthreatening as possible. And that means no introduction. No eye contact, no talking to the child until they’re ready.

Mama sat there whispering to her daughter and I don’t know what she said to her but as I was watching the girl, I caught just the faintest glimmer of a smile.

It was out of the order of how I usually draw features,  but I knew I had to seize that moment and draw the smile quickly before it was gone.

Usually I draw the bridge of the nose on the face first  to help me find the placement of the other features. Then the nose. Then the mouth. That way they help make the person look the correct AGE - something you’d never think of if you weren’t an artist, but it’s super important. You can’t have a 5 year old looking like an adult - or vice versa.

So I did her smile first, despite the concern - and I’m glad I did because it was gone as fast as it came. Mama kept on cuddling baby girl and she was starting to come around.

I drew her nose, eyes and brows and I made sure to place them so that she’d look like a sweet little girl and not a grown woman.

She was talking to her mom now and laughing a little and I could see she was finally feeling better.

I drew her hair really quickly and “You’re done!” I said. “Good job!”  She smiled at me and I smiled back.

On to mom and dad, each one in about 1-2 minutes. I need to finish this drawing up.

I call the siblings back who have wandered off. Big sis is nowhere to be found, but the show must go on - I have a line - and I reveal the caricature - and oh!

Baby gives me a bright beautiful smile! The tears are gone.

You’d never know they’d been there.

This is why I do what I do. It’s all in the little moments that, if you blinked, you would miss.

I’m grateful I get to make people smile with my artwork.

And in my own way, I’m making the world a better place. One funny skwct

My name is kathy buskett and I’ve been drawing people live at weddings and other events for 26 years.

I especially love weddings and I excel at working with people of all kinds. I just love being a part of the best day of people’s lives. What a blessing & a privilege!

If you’d like me to come put smiles on all your guests faces (literally!) contact me at (251) 215-5563 or email me at kathybuskett@gmail.com

Please follow me on Facebook so you can find me again @caricaturesbykathy.com

You can also check out my website to learn more about me and my live art work at www.caricaturesbykathy.com

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