Field Notes: Drawing Live Guest Portraits at a Birthday Celebration in Gardens by the Bay
One of my favourite things about being a live event illustrator is that no two celebrations ever feel the same.
Recently, I had the opportunity to draw live guest portraits at a baby’s birthday celebration held at Gardens by the Bay. The venue was filled with lush greenery, warm conversations, and families enjoying a slow afternoon together. It felt relaxed, intimate, and full of little moments worth remembering.
As I was setting up my table, a few guests wandered over to see what I was drawing. It’s a question I hear at almost every event:
“What exactly are live guest portraits?”
What are live guest portraits?
Live guest portraits are hand-drawn illustrations created on-site during an event.
Guests visit my table individually, as couples, or with their families, and I illustrate them in my signature portrait style while they continue enjoying the celebration. Each portrait takes just a few minutes to complete, and guests receive the finished artwork before they leave.
People often ask if it’s the same as a caricature. While both are created live, they’re quite different in style. Caricatures are designed to exaggerate facial features for humour, whereas my portraits focus on capturing each person’s likeness in a clean, refined, and timeless way.
I love seeing guests look at their finished portrait and smile because they recognise themselves. Many even tell me they’ll be framing it at home, which is one of the nicest compliments I can receive as an artist.
Every celebration has its own personality 🌸
One thing I always enjoy is creating a custom portrait template for each event.
For this birthday celebration, we designed an illustration that complemented both the party theme and the Gardens by the Bay surroundings. It’s a small detail, but I love how it makes every portrait feel like it belongs to that specific celebration rather than just being a standalone drawing.
Seeing the finished portraits lined up together always becomes one of my favourite moments of the day.
Things I noticed throughout the afternoon 🌸
One of the best parts of live guest portraits isn’t just the drawing, t’s watching how people interact with the experience.
Some guests stood nearby to watch the portraits come to life, while others returned with family members after collecting theirs. Children were excited to spot themselves in the illustrations, grandparents proudly held onto their portraits, and friends compared their drawings with one another.
There were plenty of conversations, laughter, and photos taken with the finished artwork.
As an artist, these are the moments I quietly notice while drawing. They’re often just as memorable as the portraits themselves.
More than just entertainment
When people think about birthday entertainment in Singapore, they often picture balloon sculpting, magic shows, face painting, photobooths, or caricature artists. Those are all wonderful ways to entertain guests, but live guest portraits create a slightly different experience.
Instead of simply participating in an activity, guests leave with something that was created especially for them. It becomes both entertainment during the celebration and a keepsake they’ll continue to enjoy long afterwards. That’s something I really appreciate about this form of live art.
A keepsake that lasts beyond the celebration
Birthday decorations eventually come down, flowers fade, and party favours are often forgotten.
A hand-drawn portrait feels different. It’s something guests can frame on a shelf, display on a desk, or keep inside a memory box alongside photographs from the day. Every time they see it, they’re reminded not only of the celebration but also of the people they shared it with.
Months after an event, I still receive messages from clients telling me their portraits are displayed at home. Knowing that the artwork continues to bring joy long after the party has ended is incredibly rewarding.
A reminder that birthdays can feel a little different
Live guest portraits are often associated with weddings or corporate events, but this celebration reminded me how naturally they fit into birthdays too.
They invite guests to slow down for a few minutes, watch something being created just for them, and leave with a keepsake that couldn’t have been bought from a shop.
Every event teaches me something new, and this one reminded me that sometimes the most memorable part of a celebration isn’t the biggest attraction. It’s simply giving people a personal moment they’ll remember long after the party ends.
I’m looking forward to many more afternoons like this, sketchbook in hand, meeting new faces one portrait at a time.
