How live event illustration brings big opportunities for artists

Ever since Creative Boom began, illustrators have told us they love getting back to the basics—drawing and painting hands-on with traditional media. Now, with the demand for live event illustrators increasing, artists have the opportunity to increase their earnings if they have the skills to capture people, products, and ideas quickly in a unique style.

Most live event illustrators work in fashion and beauty. From haute couture to leisure wear, big brands want to make their launch events and retail activations memorable and emphasise the artistry and individuality of their products. They also want to give their guests something tangible and meaningful, strengthening their connection with their most valued customers.

At fashion events around the world, luxury brands like Ralph Lauren, Bvlgari and Hermès are booking fashion illustrators who will paint invitees in quick 10-minute sessions, rendering a likeness of the guest – perhaps wearing the new garments, jewellery or accessories – in styles reminiscent of classic gestural fashion illustrators such as René Gruau or Alfredo Bouret.

But fashion isn't the only market for live event illustrators. Corporations, charities, public bodies, even tech disruptors—any organisation holding a conference or seminar may well wish to make the event more interesting and memorable by having an artist capture the ideas and the people expressing them. From murals to infographics to caricatures, if you can create on the fly, there could be work in it for you.

Let's meet four of the world's best live event illustrators.

Jacqueline Bissett

A live event illustrator for nearly 20 years, Jacqueline Bissett is a pioneer who has opened the field for others to follow in her footsteps. Already an accomplished fashion illustrator whose work appears in leading style mags, she has diversified using her wonderful painting skills. In just a few strokes, she can capture the lines of a new dress, adding the finer details of the model's face to complete the image.

"I mostly use watercolour inks as it's the fastest medium. Moving the brush around with a wash of paint is just the quickest way of getting a figure drawing or head-and-shoulders portrait down on paper. I love using dagger and sword brushes to add more variety in line work and to add life and movement to the image," says Jacqueline.

Based in the UK, Jacqueline has travelled with major brands to the most elegant locations—St Moritz, Florence, Melrose, Bordeaux, all over the Middle East—to impress their clientele. But her one word of warning is that some venues insist on no watercolours. They're worried about staining their ancient marble floors. Though not ideal, watercolour inks or paint-and-print on an iPad are workarounds.

Esther Sketches

Meet Esther Springett, one of the UK's leading live event illustrators. She creatively captures keynote talks, panels, and workshops in real-time at academic, corporate, and cultural events, making complex information accessible and more engaging.

All kinds of processes and concepts come to life in Esther's wall-wide murals or on her iPad, from which her Procreate screen is projected so that the image takes shape as speakers present their ideas. Alternatively, she will save the artwork and unveil it during breaks or use it for an end-of-day summary. People love seeing timelapse videos of her work taking shape.

"It's not just about drawing in a representational sense but actively listening, spotting patterns, capturing emotional sentiments and using visual metaphors to convey often complex ideas," says Esther. "The challenge is keeping up with the pace while creating clear and resonant visuals that capture the heart of the conversation."

Esther honed her abilities at home as she grew up. Her sister has learning difficulties, and Esther communicates with her through art. Later, she ran workshops for people with complex needs and learning difficulties, supporting those who don't use spoken language by using symbols and visual cues to communicate and connect.

According to Esther, there are opportunities for artists like herself to share their work and demonstrate their unique qualities. "As AI continues to rise and automation takes over more tasks, I believe people will be hungry for the personal, human touch, leading to a greater appreciation for this kind of work," she says.

Elise Lee

Based in California, Elise Lee is currently one of the world's most successful live event illustrators, helping brands like Dior, Bvlgari and Cartier make a special connection with their clientele. Guests walk away with a one-of-a-kind memento that becomes a talking point, on display in their homes, and shared on social media. It's all about the experience.

"Often, it's incredibly rewarding," says Elise. "People appreciate the personal touch and the uniqueness of the illustrations. Many guests share how special it feels to have something created just for them, and clients value how the artwork adds a memorable and interactive element to their event. It's always fulfilling to see the joy and excitement that live illustration brings."

While editorial and advertising work involve deeper, more creative exploration, live events offer immediacy and spontaneity. The secret to Elise's success is balancing creativity with flexibility and she will adapt her style to the client's visual language and the atmosphere of the event itself. To prepare, she makes sure she understands these things beforehand so that she meets expectations on all fronts.

"This allows me to create an experience for the clients that leaves a lasting impression," says Elise.

Jo Bird

As we write this article, Jo Bird is having afternoon tea at the Sanderson Hotel in London, prepping for an upcoming live illustration gig. In April, the venue will host an Alice in Wonderland afternoon tea, and Jo will draw the guests amongst the candyfloss, blueberry mousse caterpillars and tiny 'drink me' bottles from the story.

"This is literally a dream job. I like drawing, and I like afternoon tea. Delicious!" says Jo.

Before becoming a live event illustrator, Jo cofounded the illustration agency Jelly and was one of its illustrators. Around six years ago, she spotted the opportunity in live events and has worked for clients as varied as H&M, Molton Brown and Chanel. She uses watercolours and inks – quick-drying media are always preferable – but when not working, she has a new iPad to practice on and is aiming to take oil painting classes to broaden her creativity.

Like other live event illustrators, Jo is sometimes commissioned to customise her client's products for attendees. "I was asked to paint pet portraits onto Marc Jacobs handbags," explains Jo. "Well, we had a wonderful influencer called The Dog Vine who painted her beautiful dog, Picolinna, onto a tote, and it went bananas. I know the British love their pets, but seeing this level of love for dogs was very heartwarming. Marc Jacobs keeps running the event because the public keeps requesting it, and who am I to say no?"

For projects like this, she uses Angelus and SneakersER paints, which are designed for painting onto trainers and are, therefore, fairly hard-wearing.