Live painting is one of those magical elements that can take any event to the next level.
Whether it’s a wedding, a corporate event, or even a festival, having an artist create something beautiful in real-time adds a whole new dimension of energy and creativity.
But here’s the thing—live painting isn’t one-size-fits-all.
There are so many different styles and types of live painters, each bringing their own unique vibe to an event.
Today I’m going to explore the different types of live painters out there—from the ones who capture emotional moments on canvas and the entertainer painters, to interactive artists who let guests get in on the action. And I’m going to look at the pros and cons of each style. So, if you’re thinking of adding a creative twist to your event but aren’t sure what kind of live painter is the best fit, keep reading!
Fashion Focused
Let’s start with one of the more popular options, the fashion focused live painters. In this style, the artist will turn up on the day with some ideas in their head, but mainly with a keen eye for detail. They will be watching you and your guests throughout the day, capturing scenes and painting them for you. Their main focus will be on capturing what the guests are wearing – textures, colours, fabrics. They may even offer guest fashion portraits that they can take away as favours.
This style really highlights the outfits the people are wearing, but sometimes doesn’t take a huge amount of notice of the faces, ages or body shapes of the people they’re painting. This can be a good or a bad thing depending on the nature of your guests! It’s a great way to keep your guests entertained throughout the day and evening, and give them something truly memorable to take away with them.
However, often not everyone can be painted, and the happy couple don’t have anything to take away themselves. If they do, then the lack of faces could make it difficult to identify people years down the line.
Scene Focused
Want to capture a specific scene from your wedding and remember it forever? Then this style might be for you. Scene focused painters are looking to capture specific scenes or moments from the day in a painting. Typically, the couple will work with the painter to decide on a moment or moments from the day that will most feel like them. Some of the more popular scenes include:
The recessional – walking back down the aisle as a newly married couple.
The classic couple’s portrait
The first dance
The first kiss
The cake cutting
There are so many sweet moments during your day to choose from, and this type of painting can make an absolutely beautiful souvenir for your day. But it’s something that’s very specific to the couple, which means it doesn’t really fall into the ‘entertainment’ category for guests. They might like to look at the painter working, but odds are the painter has been painting for a long time at that point, getting the background details in place so that they can focus on the couple at the big moment.
Portrait or Fine Art Style
Traditional portraits, artfully done. These painters are usually hired to create a stunning portrait of the couple, which they will split between sketching and painting at the venue and then finishing in their owns studio. This also means there’s less pressure to fully finish the portrait on the day as well. It’s a lovely activity to have at your wedding, but it just like with scene focused painting, it isn’t really there for the guests. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – after all the day is for the couple – but live painting is always best when enjoyed by everyone!
Fun Art
I mean, I think all art is fun, but in this case so does everyone else! One of my favourite examples of this is Rubbish Portraits (don’t worry, this is their business name, I’m not being mean!). They offer a unique photobooth where the guest or participant sits for 3 minutes in one half of the booth, while the painter sits on the other side sketching out a quick and whimsical portrait. You can’t see the artist, which makes it all the more fun for the guest, and they get a souvenir to take away unlike anything they’ve seen before.
Falling into the same category are caricaturists. Quick-fire artists who can draw overblown, comical pictures of the couple and the guests in a signature style. These are a great ice breaker and form of entertainer, and a reminder not to take the event too seriously! I’m not a massive fan of this style of art, but I see the fun in it.
Interactive
Interactive art includes things like fingerprint trees, where all of your wedding guests contribute something small to a bigger picture. They will usually all contribute the same type of thing (fingerprint, signature, name etc) It’s usually something small that guests can spend a few minutes on and then move on, and creates a more personal item for the couple to enjoy over the years to come. However it's usually unmanned so the end result can be very hit and miss!
Interactive, Curated Fine Art
In other words, me! YOUR GUEST CANVAS.
This style of painting is all about creating a piece of fine art that has been made by all of your guests, and the couple, together.
My canvases are discussed ahead of time and the design approved before the event to provide the ideal interactive personal activity for the day. The sketch is tailored to each client’s tastes, and we can even decide on colour pallets beforehand, so the couple know that the result, whatever it is, will be in keeping with their style. Then I let the guests have a go at it, plus its put together in a way that is TRULY ACCESSIBLE TO ANY PERCEIVED CREATIVITY!
I’m there to guide and help if they want me to, or they can just grab a brush and add their own flourish to the canvas. The beauty of this is that it gives the guests a sense of ownership over the art, and it’s a true expression of their creativity and love for the couple. Guests are drawn together, engaged and entertained in a project they can all get involved in.
At the end of the day, the type of live painter you choose for your event really depends on the vibe you’re after. Whether you want a traditional artist capturing the big moments, a modern illustrator adding a creative twist, or an interactive painter getting your guests involved, there’s a perfect fit for every occasion. Live painting isn’t just entertainment—it’s a way to create lasting memories, bring people together, and add a truly unique touch to your day.
If you’re leaning more towards the interactive, curated, fine art style of live painting, then I would love to speak with you. Just get in touch here to chat about your ideal live painting experience.
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