Meet The Pros – Interview with Caricatures by Dennis Porter

Looking for a fun activity for your wedding reception (or other event)? Dennis Porter is a Cincinnati – Dayton, Ohio caricature artist who provides fun entertainment and drawings for your guests.

1. Why did you start your business?
I love to draw, always have. In a way I have been a pro since about age eight, when I started doing some interior signage for a restaurant in our area, and putting on (very) amateur stage shows for neighborhood kids. The caricatures started in my twenties, first in political cartoons then later in live quick sketching which was WAY more fun. It also paid much better than the other avenues I had tried. And I am still at it, as you can see…

2. How long have you been in business? Where are you located?
Roughly forty years in the caricature thing. We are in Kettering, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio.

3. What is your background?
Never held a job as an artist. Except in my own business, that is, and it’s been wonderful. Was part time for first twenty years or so. I did lots of other jobs such as newspaper reporter, columnist, editor, and techie jobs in printing such as film stripper. Also sold cars for a year, which was fun. And wrote five books and a play along the way. I have done the party drawing full time for about the last twenty years or so.

4. How did you get into drawing caricatures?
My former wife Janie worked in a rather seedy little bar in Piqua, Ohio and management there decided to have sketches of their customers and post them on the walls; she introduced me and I did that on Wednesday nights for a year. The local paper did a feature on me, which led to my first live drawing party for a class reunion in Piqua.

5. Describe your service/product you provide and how are you different from the rest?
My wife Diane runs the business end while I do creative; we are a team and it works well. We both try to look and act like professional people and that has carried the ball for us for a long time now. EVERYbody loves Diane!

6. Describe your style/approach.
Three chairs, room lighting, away from loudspeakers if possible — and off we go! I draw as FAST as possible while chatting with the subject, hopefully entertaining them a bit during their two minutes or so in the chair. Work in a personal item if I can (hat with sports logo, button on shirt, holding football, maybe…). Then hand over the sketch and a clear acetate sleeve for it, say thank you and look for the next person. I can draw groups, couples, children, babies, dogs, cars, tractors — anything G Rated will be fine.

7. When did you first realize you wanted to work with weddings?
I have drawn at wedding receptions from the beginning and they are wonderful fun. Everyone is there to show support and love and respect and help two people they care about to launch their lives together. And the guests get a VERY personal gift they can keep forever that will be framed and will remind them of the wedding endlessly. It’s a fabulous time for everybody…

8. What is your favorite part of a wedding?
It’s all good, baby! Endless fun, really…

9. What other types of events do you do?
Any kind of party or gathering — company picnics, trade shows, conventions, holiday parties, birthday parties, street fairs, you name it…

10. What’s your favorite part of your job?
Finding a way to THRILL the subject, like placing a slogan on their shirt in the drawing that speaks to their world, making the sketch more personal and meaningful to them. I love my job and it’s terrific when I can really make the image work for that person.

11. What’s the most unusual request you’ve had?
Along the way I have been asked to draw some naughty images… No, thanks.

12. What words best describe you?
Creative, fun, well-intentioned, happy and busy. Decent husband, dad, artist, writer. If I deserve those terms I have done okay.

13. What words best describe your company?
Professional, responsible and fun. That describes Diane, too.

14. How do you feel your respective craft enhances a wedding?
I try to act in a fun, upbeat and responsible manner. Your guests are there to have fun and I want them to LOVE their drawings and to look back on the reception as a fabulous time…

15. When you are not working on a wedding, what do you like to do for fun?
Even though she is in a wheelchair full time (MS), Diane loves to travel. So we waste a lot of money on flights and hotels and driving our ramp van around. I am a car nut too, so any kind of cruise in or car museum will pull me in for a while. We also like movies, plays, books, and good restaurants.

16. If you could draw caricatures for any celebrity wedding (past, present or future), who would be the lucky couple?
Each of the Beatles, plus a few interesting politicians… Plural I know, okay: Paul and Linda McCartney.

17. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned, and would pass along to others?
Make yourself stay HAPPY, keep very, very busy and that Law of Attraction thing will work for you, gang.

18. How should couples interested in a caricature artist for their weddings get in touch with you?
Via our site www.drawme.com, or email [email protected], or telephone 937-296-9757.

19. Do you have any final advice for brides and grooms?
I wish them both to be at least as happy as we have been, since it’s almost thirty years now and the Honeymoon is still on, baby.

20. Anything else you want to share with us?
I was late in life discovering something rather obvious — that we can DECIDE to be Happy, regardless of outside circumstance. And when we do, life arranges itself to take care of us. So Get Happy and stay busy and rock on there, kids. Life is good!

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Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean

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Looking for unique ideas for your wedding? Weddings From The Heart can help. Contact me today at [email protected] or by phone or text at 937-581-3647!