Live Guest Illustration

Portrait illustrations of three people displayed on a black stand next to a white lamp, with a blurred woman in the background.

What is this?

Live guest illustrations are hand-painted portraits created on-site during your event. After I take a quick photo of your guests, I ink and paint their portraits in watercolor for them to pick up and take home as a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

  • After reading through my site, please click on the ‘Prices & Booking’ button just underneath this text. From there:

    1. Fill out the attached inquiry form.

    2. I will respond back to you with a price quote and confirmation of date availability for your event.

    3. We’ll walk through the process of creating a customized contract for the both of us to sign.

    4. I’ll request a nonrefundable retainer fee of 50% the total invoice in order to secure the booking. ONLY with a signed contract & fulfilled retainer will the date be secured for you.

    5. From there, the date is all yours! Final payment will be due one week before event date.

    1. I will arrive at your venue prior to guest arrival for station setup.

    2. Photos will then be taken of guests as they approach my station to pose.

    3. They enjoy the event and party along as I paint their beautiful selves. During this time, guests are free to watch the drawing/painting process and check if their painting is displayed and ready to take home.

    4. Any remaining portraits not completed at the event will be completed at the studio and mailed to the event hosts for distribution.

Prices & Booking
Paint palettes with mixed colors and brushes on a black table
  • Hand-painted portrait of a smiling man with short dark hair and beard wearing a light-colored jacket, and a woman with long black hair wearing a green dress, against a white background. The artist's signature 'Felley' is at the bottom right corner.
  • A colorful illustration of a man and woman smiling and making peace signs, dressed in formal attire.
  • Watercolor portrait of two smiling men with beards, one with dark hair and the other with slightly lighter hair, both wearing striped shirts. The artist's signature is in the lower right corner.
  • Hand-drawn illustration of a man and woman standing together, both making the shaka sign, with the man wearing sunglasses, a patterned shirt, and a Hawaiian cap, and the woman wearing a yellow top and floral skirt.
  • A watercolor illustration of a man and woman standing together, the man wearing a blue suit and glasses, and the woman in a green dress holding a fluffy dog, with the text 'The Craig's' and 'November 8th, 2025' below.
See More Samples

FAQs

  • I offer 3 options at the time of booking:

    1. Vintage Fashion (new!)

    2. Bust-Up Portraits

    3. Full Body Portraits

    All of the options adhere to the same pricing. Vintage is about 10-12 guests an hour, while Bust and Full-Body take about the same amount of time (8-10 guests/hr)

    I put incredible value towards likeness in my paintings, and hopefully my style resonates with you. Examples can be seen under the ‘portfolio’ tab.

  • If a venue is within 50 miles of zip code 92868—travel is included with my rate!

    Mileage after those first 50 miles will be $.73/mile.

    Any venue locations that require airline travel will be priced depending on airline rate. I often only charge whatever the plane ticket will cost + overnight accommodation (if needed).

  • Depending on the style chosen, I use a mix of watercolor, ink and watercolor pencil on watercolor paper. With Vintage, I utilize alcohol marker.

    Once finished, I place the painting inside a clear plastic sleeve to keep safe until it’s taken home.

  • About 8-12 individual people within an hour (or about 4-6 couples).

    If the booking time is less than necessary to complete all the guests, any remaining will be completed at my studio and delivered to the event hosts for distribution post-event.

  • A maximum of 2 people can only be included in a painting. Babies, kiddos and pets are my exception to this rule.

    Guests can only be painted ONCE, just to ensure I can paint as many people as possible at the event.

  • You sure can!

    I will give you the option between toned tan or white 5×7 watercolor paper, either one is included with my rate.

    Additionally, you can also add a customized stamp to each painting as a $50 add-on.

    I will give you some design ideas on the stamp, but I will be more than happy to help create the right one for your event.

  • Required

    • Arrival at least an hour - hour and a half before start time for set-up.

    • 6×6’ space near an outlet.

    • Space as far away from DJs or loud speakers as possible.

    Optional but greatly recommended

    • 4-6 foot table with cloth in order to best suit your event colors/theme.

      • If this cannot be provided, a 4 foot table with choice of black, beige, or sage green tablecloth will be brought.

    • Chair

      • A black metal folding chair will be brought if this is not able to be provided.

    If you or the venue prefer to provide anything specific, I will confirm before the event date.