John Steven Gurney Caricaturist from Brattleboro, VT

"I never knew caricatures were actually supposed to look like the person!" That's the most common response John hears when he's drawing caricatures at an event. John strives to create a flattering likeness, rather than a freakish exaggeration. Typically John draws on paper at an event, but he can also draw digitally on a computer, or at home in his studio from photographs. In three hours, on paper, John can draw 18 caricatures in color, 36 in black and white. The speed of each caricature depends on the the complexity of each drawing, which is dictated by the specific needs of the host. John can create pre-printed backgrounds design to commemorate your event. When John is working digitally the process is slower, (each color caricature takes around 15 minutes), but there is a certain "wow" factor as people watch the caricature come to life on the monitor (people can get their caricatures e-mailed to them later, unless host has a printer). Digital caricatures are best at an event where having something visual to get people's attention is more of a priority than the number produced. John's primary occupation is being a professional illustrator. He has illustrated many popular chapter book series, including The A to Z Mysteries and The Bailey School Kids. John is also the author/illustrator of the picture book Dinosaur Train.