CARICATURE ARTISTS GROUP

What CARICATURE ARTISTS GROUP does

Caricature Artists Group is a family-owned live entertainment services business founded in 1994 by Marie Cheek and headquartered in Annandale, Virginia. The company provides professional artists for events across the Washington, DC metropolitan area, offering caricatures, silhouettes, face painting, balloon art, airbrush tattoos, henna tattoos, watercolor fashion portraits, quick portraits, and digital art commissions. Its customers include event organizers, party planners, corporate clients, high school parent organizations, and individual gift buyers seeking live entertainment and personalized keepsakes.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer hourly service model with rates ranging from $125 to $250 per hour, requiring a two-hour minimum booking for most services. Bookings are made exclusively through the company's own website (bigheadlittlebody.com), email, and phone — no third-party platforms or resellers are used. The core 'technology' is human hand-drawn artistry delivered live at events; artists produce between 6 and 25 deliverables per hour depending on service type (12 black-and-white caricatures, 25 airbrush tattoos, 15 silhouettes per hour). The Digital Art product line extends reach by enabling remote commissions delivered via email worldwide.

Caricature Artists Group is entirely family-controlled under second-generation ownership by Alex Cheek, with sister Audrey Cheek serving as Multi Media Artist and Office Administrator. The company operates with a core team of six supplemented by a roster of contracted artists, runs without external investment, and has built regional brand recognition through Washington Post coverage, Fox 5 DC appearances, and a recurring Capitol River Front Friday Night Concert Series partnership over a 30-year operating history.

Name

CARICATURE ARTISTS GROUP

Legal name

Caricature Artists Group

Website

https://caricatureartistsgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Caricature Artists Group is a family-owned live event entertainment company in the DC Metro area, providing caricature artists, face painters, balloon artists, and related performers for parties, corporate events, and schools on a direct-booked hourly basis since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Event Entertainment

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAAAF

Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Concerts & Music Festivals

SECONDARYHSALAHAF

SFX/Prosthetic Makeup

Home & Personal Services/Personal Care & Beauty Services/Makeup Services

SECONDARYHSALAMAL

Mobile Cosmetic Tattooing & Permanent Makeup

Home & Personal Services/Personal Care & Beauty Services/Mobile & At-Home Beauty Services

Keywords

• Live caricature entertainment
• Event art services
• Face painting entertainment
• Party caricature artists
• Custom portrait commissions

Headquarters

HQ city

Annandale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Live Event Entertainment Services: Hourly-rate services for events including caricature artists, face painters, balloon artists, airbrush artists, silhouette artists, henna tattoo artists, and quick portrait artists. Services are booked per event with hourly rates ranging from $125-$250/hour depending on service type, with minimum hour requirements varying by service.
2. Custom Art Commissions: Custom caricature portraits for gifts (retirements, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries) priced per person. Pet caricatures and gift caricatures are available as take-home products. Watercolor fashion portraits for upscale events and digital art commissions for publications and promotional materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Caricature Artists Group provides live art entertainment services at events in the Washington, DC metro area. Their offerings include live caricature drawing (black and white or full color), hand-cut silhouettes, face painting, balloon twisting, airbrush temporary tattoos, henna tattoos, watercolor fashion portraits, and quick portrait sketches, plus custom digital art commissions delivered via email. Services are priced hourly ($150–$250/hour with most requiring a 2-hour minimum) and booked directly through their website, email, or phone.

Product overview

Caricature Artists Group is an entertainment company providing live art services for events in the Washington, DC metro area. The core offering is Caricatures (party, gift, and pet caricatures), supplemented by related artistic services including Silhouettes, Watercolor Fashion Portraits, Face Painting, Henna Tattoos, Balloon Art, Airbrush Art, Quick Portraits, and Digital Art. The company was founded in 1994 and operates as a service-based business where professional artists perform at events. All services are offered à la carte, with most priced on an hourly basis ranging from $150-$250 per hour depending on service type.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caricatures

Quantifiable outcome

• Artists can produce 6-12 caricature drawings per hour depending on style complexity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Washington PostminorOthers · 13 August 2019Washington Post featured Marie Cheek (founder) in an article about her silhouette art practice, highlighting her as a practitioner of the largely lost art of silhouette cutting. Article by Brendan Coffey with photos by Timothy Devine. This earned media coverage provides publicity for the business.
• Fox 5 DC (WTTG)minorOthers · 1 May 2015Caricature Artists Group was invited multiple times to Fox 5 DC's 'Good Day At 10 A' Morning Show to draw news anchors and staff members. Featured on air for National Cartoonist Day. Provides entertainment content and brand visibility on local television.
• Capitol River FrontminorOthersProvides either a face painter or balloon artist every Friday night for the Capitol River Front concert series, which is 100% free to attendees. Regular recurring engagement providing consistent visibility for the company.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Thumbtack: Local services marketplace that includes event entertainment categories such as face painting, caricature artists, and balloon decorators. Comparable as the dominant channel for SMB event-service discovery.
• GigSalad: Online marketplace where event organizers book live entertainers including caricature artists, face painters, and balloon artists. Directly comparable as a channel and aggregator for the exact services Caricature Artists Group provides.
• The Bash (formerly Gigmasters): Event entertainment marketplace connecting bookers with caricature artists, face painters, and other live entertainment talent. Comparable as a competitive marketplace that customers may use instead of booking direct.
• Fun Services Inc. Event entertainment company offering face painting, balloon art, caricature artists, and other attractions for festivals, corporate events, and parties. Comparable as a multi-service live event entertainment provider.

Direct peers

• Caricature Concepts: Direct competitor providing live caricature entertainment for corporate events, parties, weddings, and trade shows. Closely comparable service offering, delivery model, and target customer base to Caricature Artists Group.
• The Cartoon Pic: Live event caricature entertainment company offering party and gift caricatures at corporate and private events. Directly comparable live-event caricature service to Caricature Artists Group.
• Caricatures by Clay: Professional live caricaturist serving events nationwide with digital and traditional caricature options. Comparable in service mix (live + digital caricatures for events and gifts).

Regional players

• PaintPals: Face painting and balloon twisting entertainment service operating in select U.S. markets. Comparable in face painting and balloon art service offerings and event-based delivery model.

Others

• Fiverr Caricature Artists: Online freelance marketplace with thousands of caricature artists offering custom digital and traditional caricatures for events, gifts, and social media. Comparable as a substitute channel for digital caricature commissions.

Emerging players

• Face Paint Factory: Face painting and temporary body art entertainment service for parties and events. Comparable in face painting and henna-style temporary tattoo service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CheekiestLadies
• Instagraminstagram.com/draw_a_crowd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caricature-artists-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CARICATURE ARTISTS GROUP