Live illustration- what is it?

A unique and personal wedding experience for your guests — and a beautiful keepsake they can take home with them. Throughout your celebration, I create hand-painted portraits of your friends and family using archival ink and watercolour. Guests can watch their portraits come to life before collecting their artwork at the end of the event.

The process

A woman with long dark hair wearing a pink, long sleeve dress, using a paintbrush at an art station in a decorated banquet hall.
A bride in a white wedding dress with lace details is smiling and looking at a woman who is holding a painting of a wedding scene. The woman with long dark hair and a patterned blazer is smiling back at the bride. They are indoors in front of a flat-screen TV, with a lamp, a door, and a painting on an easel in the background. The floor has a patterned rug, and the woman is wearing dark boots with red soles.

Inquiry

Start by getting in touch to check availability, location, and pricing for your date. To receive an exact quote please mention the number of guests and/or how many hours of illustration would work best for your celebration. Feel free to ask questions about the process and the vision.

Online consultation

Once my availability is confirmed, I will arrange an online consultation where you can chat through the vision you have for the customised illustrations and the flow of your special day.

Secure the booking & Payment

Following the consultation, a deposit secures your booking, with the remaining balance due two weeks before the wedding.

The wedding day

I will arrive at your venue shortly before the event to set up my illustration station. I’ll have everything ready, including a small sign explaining how the live illustration works, so your guests know they can stop by for a portrait.

Meet your guests

At the beginning of the event, I’ll approach some guests and invite them to have their portraits painted. Once word gets around, guests usually start coming over to my illustration station themselves! You can also let me know if there are any particular guests you would especially like me to prioritise.

The live illustrations

Guests simply pose for a quick photo, which I use as a reference while creating their portrait. Each illustration takes approximately 6-8 minutes, depending on the number of people and the details involved. Most guests choose to be illustrated as couples, but individual portraits are welcome too. I’ll work continuously throughout your booked time, creating as many portraits as possible while naturally following the flow of your celebration. Each guest illustration is painted on A5 watercolour paper using an archival ink fineliner and watercolour paint. The style is airy, colourful, and sweet, capturing the character and personality of each guest.

The Bride & Groom

Of course, the bride and groom can be illustrated too! Your portraits are created on A4 paper, giving you a larger artwork to treasure. If you would rather spend your wedding day enjoying every moment instead of sitting for a portrait, I can create your illustration after the wedding instead.

A little artwork to take home

As each portrait is finished, I display the illustrations on my table for guests to admire. At the end of the event, everyone can collect their artwork and take it home. Each painting is placed in a protective plastic sleeve so it can be taken home safely. Guests can then frame their portraits and keep them as a beautiful reminder of your wedding day.

How much does it cost?

The prices start at 120 GBP per hour - please check the detailed pricing in Packages & Prices section.

A group of six people dressed in traditional Indian attire, standing outdoors on a lawn during daytime at a wedding celebration, with a decorated wedding arch and a painting of a couple at the center.
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