Today we’d like to introduce you to Duncan Campbell.
Duncan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I learned to draw caricatures for a church event in 2014 and it took me a solid year to really get it down. Then I did it at that event, and looking back I wasn’t very good, but everyone loved it. That led to me drawing at the farmer’s market in New Braunfels. And one day I drew someone there, and they asked me if I ever drew at weddings.
And I was like, “YES. Yes, I do.” Then it kind of blew up from there. I started offering packages and getting all kinds of bookings, not just weddings. People started referring me. It was just my part-time hobby but I was turning business away because I just didn’t have the time to accommodate all the requests.
Then my full-time job let me go right before Covid hit, I started drawing full-time. It was tough because the wedding industry was demolished, but the San Antonio Riverwalk only slowed down a little. I was fortunate enough to be hired by Blas Caricatures and draw for him down there and at Market Square. Blas does a fantastic job with all the caricature artists on the Riverwalk and I’m blessed to be able to draw for him. If you’re down there and you want a drawing, he’s the guy who makes it all happen. So I was still able to draw there, and that’s when I started drawing 35-50 per day.
My record in one day is 67 caricatures. My arm got sore!!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After I was let go, I had to work other jobs to pay the bills too. Caricatures are in the entertainment business, which means nights and weekends. That can be tough on a family.
I’ve missed more of my kids’ little league games than I care to admit, and I haven’t gone on nearly as many dates with my wife as I should.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in live-drawn caricatures at weddings, parties, and other events, and I also draw on the San Antonio Riverwalk. I can draw caricature commissions from photos too.
I also do graphic design for all kinds of projects from logos to t-shirts to branding to signage, in both the corporate and non-profit spheres.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Be a lifelong learner. I’ve learned there are thousands of artists out there far more skilled than I am, but in the digital age, I have a million resources to get better. I constantly look at others’ work to see how they draw dogs, ankles, braided hair, cowboy hats, etc. And I practice.
My goal is to be ready for when a client requests that I make them a mermaid eating ice cream (happened) or human faces on frog bodies (happened). The flip side is having realistic expectations. Drawing something amazing in 5 hours is one thing. Drawing something amazing in 5 minutes is something else. But like anything else, there are skills to cultivate and tricks to learn.
And if I get a few minutes into a drawing and I feel like I’ve missed capturing the likeness or the lines are weird, I’ve learned to be perfectly ok with ripping off the page, tossing it, and starting over. It doesn’t happen often but it does happen, and when it does, I simply tell the clients that I wasn’t happy with where the drawing was going and that if I’m going to put my name on it, I have to love it.
They always appreciate that. Then I nail it on the second time around. But the thing I love most, the BEST part, is making people crack up and have a great time; I want the experience to be more than just the sketch. My goal is for people to get a great drawing but also make a fantastic memory they’ll laugh about forever.
Pricing:
- Black & White face and shoulders – $15/face
- Color face and shoulders – $20/face
- Black & White fully body scene – $30/person
- Color full body scene – $40/person
- Event pricing is $150/hour; four hours for $550
Contact Info:
- Website: duncancampbellcreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duncan_campbell_creative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DuncanCampbellCreative
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwDAkKDl0C0musegtSW2-Qw
