Jessica Wallace of Girl Who Drew You impressed us from day one when we met her at the launch party of Wish Upon a Wedding. Her talent is like no other! We each received an amazing sketch from Jessica on our first birthday and we are so thankful that she made us look more attractive than we think we really are. Her personality is contagious and she is a great person to have at your next event. Read below to get the scoop on a great vendor we have here in Las Vegas, with all the gambling and the fun games from megareel.
“I have been doing caricatures professionally since 1989, both independently and for other companies. This past June, I finally ventured out on my own. After 21 years, it was time to work for myself. But it all began at Faneuil Hall, in Boston, with a wonderful company called FUN Enterprises, Inc. They were kind enough to take me in and put me on the road to being the artist and business woman I am today.
After college, I came to Las Vegas, where I drew at the Excalibur Casino and the MGM Grand Resort. Being in Las Vegas the gambling atmosphere wore off on me, I started to play real money mobile slots at Easy Mobile Casino. The habit slowly went away when I moved to Southern California, where I drew at Six Flags, Magic Mountain. Eventually, I was asked to draw at Universal Studios, Hollywood, where I worked for nearly a decade. After that, I returned to Las Vegas to draw at the Top Of The World, at the Stratosphere Hotel. And lastly, in the Miracle Mile shops at the Planet Hollywood Resort. I have drawn many interesting people, most notably—Steven Tyler of the band Aerosmith; Akihito, the Emperor of Japan; and Kat Von D of the television show L.A. Ink.
My personal inspirations have been Al Hirschfeld, Charles Addams, Doug Sneyd and Glen Barr. They are collectively some of the most talented caricature artists who draw the most beautiful women, while maintaining a top notch sense of humor.”
What advantages do you have when working with a coordinator?
I enjoy working with a coordinator because they are totally organized. Not only do they know what the bride and groom are looking for, they know the theme, the colors, the type of people they are, what level of formality the event will be, all the while staying cool, calm and collected.
Having a coordinator gives the bride a chance to breathe; to enjoy the time leading up to her wedding, to give her a helping hand WITHOUT the drama of having to rely on family or friends entirely. If you have a coordinator, all your vendors will be reliable, your wedding will begin on time and you will look absolutely beautiful—because they will have taken all the stress out of your important day.
What are the benefits a bride will experience when using your services?
In addition to having over two decades experience working at events, they will be hiring someone who loves people, who is undoubtedly reliable, professional and hard working.
One of the major differences between me and other caricature artists is that I love going to weddings. I love dressing up to match your theme, meeting your guests and drawing to dance music. Most people who do this for a living do it, because they love to draw but they need a job to make money. They are very talented, but don’t necessarily want to interact with the public. For me, it is the exact opposite. The more fun the event is, the more people I get to draw, the more the bride and groom are enjoying themselves, the better my work is. I am there to create an atmosphere of happiness and laughter. And to send your guests home with a personalized favor of the most memorable event that they have ever attended.
What do you want a bride to know about your business?
When you hire me, I will arrive on site at your event 30-45 minutes ahead of time. I set up my area (usually a 6-8’ table & 3 chairs). I provide personalized 8 ½ x 11” cardstock with your names, the date of your event and any special theme you might like featured in the corner. I draw, continuously for the duration of your event. And I make sure that each guest I encounter is entertained and satisfied with the finished product.
Many brides are concerned that even at 3-5 minutes a person, not all of their guests will be drawn. On the average, the weddings I am hired for have about 150-250 guests. It’s important that they know—not everyone will want to be drawn. For some people, it is about the experience. I sit with my back to the crowd, so while I’m drawing them, they can participate in a humorous banter with the people being drawn. There are people who want to watch all night, as well as those who check back in many times. No matter how many people are there, I don’t usually send people away. There are always 2 or 3 people in line when I’m done. And I make sure that I draw them before I leave. I’m always the last one to leave at an event. The staff is rolling tables out around me, and I’m still drawing.
I also offer lots of different options if you choose not to have a live artist at your wedding. One new thing that’s become very popular, is an attendant drawing. I do a drawing of all the bridesmaids with the bride, or all the groomsmen with the groom (possibly depicting the bachelorette/bachelor party), at their favorite venue, in sports shirts, or party outfits. And we make prints of it. That way, the bride and groom can mat them and use them as gifts for the wedding party. I also offer signing boards of the wedding couple in their wedding outfits, that all the guests can sign during the reception. If you already have a book to sign, the drawing of the couple can be used as a welcome piece for when their guests enter the reception. One of my favorite things to do is JUST MARRIED signs. You name it, I’ll do it—tell me any hobby or like and I will turn it into your JUST MARRIED sign. The crazier, the better! So far, I’ve made them out of vintage bottle caps, comic books, flowers, and army men.
What are some misconceptions about your service/product that you’d like to address?
I convince a lot of people to sit for me. I’ve already drawn over 80,000 of you. And each time I show someone their drawing, they are always surprised at how lovely they look. I think it’s important that brides who are considering hiring me as their caricature artist, know that I realize that this is your wedding. These are not goofy, buck tooth, double chin, unflattering, theme park caricatures. These are drawings that will capture the beauty and happiness of your special day. And a memorable, personalized wedding favor that your guests will treasure forever.
Let’s Play Loaded questions with Jessica!
What are some of your hobbies outside the wedding industry?
I love photography. I have many collections. They include a vintage Polaroid camera collection, a bat collection, a vintage lingerie collection, and a mermaid collection. I love going to the movies, at the actual movie theater or drive in. Nothing can compare. I also love making costumes and doing special FX make up. I was married on October 31, so it’s quite a production at our place leading up to Halloween. And I would live in the water if I could, because I LOVE swimming!
What is something you wish you could do every day?
Riding the Tilt-a-Whirl, swimming, jet skiing, and (most days) visiting family. My entire family is 3,000 miles away. Maybe that’s why I enjoy other peoples’ weddings so much. And travel. Without a doubt. It is my dream to be able to travel the country with my husband, documenting my experience through caricature and photography six months at a time. Now all I need is a coordinator to plan it all out for me!
What is the best thing you’ve spent money on recently?
Through the generosity of family and friends this past Christmas, I was able to buy an HTC Evo smart phone. It is amazing. I wanted it at first, to be able to draw from. I do lots of (e)mail order work from home. So when someone emails me photos, I am able to open them on a sizeable screen & enlarge them. Just being able to do that saves me time, and is a step in being green—less printing out reference photos to draw from. So less paper wasted. It also has an 8mp camera that takes decent photos. So I am no longer saddled with carrying two electronic devices with me.
What I didn’t expect was the smooth and quick ability to easily check and return client emails. That has proved invaluable while traveling or not having access to a home computer. I also connect with my clients on Facebook. And I am able to post photos of my most recent work with the touch of a button (or a touch screen)!
Above photo courtesy of Cardin Creative Photography.
For more information and to read testimonials from Jessica’s clients, please check out her website: GirlWhoDrewYou.com
And to see her most current work, check out her Facebook fan page: Facebook.com/GirlWhoDrewYouTOO
Contact Jessica at (626) 676-2180 or [email protected]