Barrie James Art
Wedding Caricatures
About Barrie James Newcastle Caricaturist & Live Event Entertainer
North East's leading caricaturist for weddings and events
Barrie James is a Newcastle-based caricature artist and live event entertainer, specialising in fast, mix-and-mingle caricature entertainment for weddings, corporate events, and parties.
He focuses on the entertainment value he brings to an event, creating quickfire caricatures while moving around the room, getting guests laughing, interacting, and properly involved in the moment
A Bit About Me
I’ve lived in Newcastle for over 15 years now, originally from Cumbria, right on the Scottish border.
I moved here to work in arts and education, starting out with the Arts Development team in Newcastle, delivering creative projects and community work across the city, often in some of the more challenging areas of the city. Somewhere along the way, the Geordies completely won me over, and I never left.
Alongside that, I worked as a freelance illustrator, creating artwork for companies like Dungeons & Dragons, Disney, and the BBC, mostly drawing cartoons and illustrations for games and online content.
How I Ended Up Being A Caricature Artist
Like most people in creative jobs, I had a few interesting detours along the way.
I come from a very musical family. Pretty much everyone plays an instrument or sings, and sings well. My dad’s a professional singer, my sister is too, and growing up there was always music around.
Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit any of that.
I can’t sing, I can’t play an instrument, but I did still have the urge to entertain. The only difference was, the only tool I had was a pencil.
I’ve worked as a farmer, milking cows, looking after chickens, and even working with ostriches at one point. I also trained as an art teacher and worked in Southampton for a couple of years, long enough to realise that teaching is really hard, and involves far more rules than I was comfortable with.
I quickly realised I preferred working with people in a more relaxed, real-world setting, which led me back into community arts and eventually into live event entertainment.
When I stumbled into caricature over a decade ago, it just clicked.
I spent my first year drawing on the streets of Newcastle, Whitley Bay, and at local festivals. But after my first wedding, I knew that was where I wanted to focus my time and build my career.
In the end, it turned out to be a much better fit than nudging animations slightly to the left all day, which I briefly did as part of my animation work.
These days, I mostly spend my time drawing silly portraits that make me laugh… and sometimes even other people.
Life Outside of Events
Outside of events, I love to travel. I’ve been to over 50 countries and spent a couple of years living in Spain. I speak just about enough Spanish to buy a round of drinks, “dos cervezas, por favor,” which is realistically all you need.
When I was younger, I did a lot of backpacking through places like the Middle East and China, and more recently South America, including Peru. The same curiosity that drives that is probably what I enjoy most about weddings too, meeting new people, hearing their stories, and getting a sense of who they are.
I’ve got two brilliant daughters, and when I’m not at events, I’m usually doing something fun with them. That might be something creative, playing a lot of Minecraft, walking the dog Dinki, or heading outdoors for wild swimming, kayaking, or building dens in the woods.
We tend to keep busy.
Why I Do this
What I enjoy most about this job is the people.
Every event is different, every group has its own energy, and every drawing starts a conversation. I get to meet people from all walks of life, hear their stories, and be part of moments that actually matter to them.
I also get to work at some of the most beautiful venues across Newcastle and the North East, which isn’t a bad bonus.
Sometimes people even feed me, which is always appreciated, so bear that in mind if you want a happy caricaturist at your wedding.
At the end of the day, I just like drawing silly pictures that make people laugh, and if it makes me laugh too, even better.
Drawn for Entertainment
My philosophy is simple, I try to put as much entertainment value into my work as possible.
Over the years, I’ve focused on creating the most engaging couple of hours I can at an event, using quickfire caricatures to keep the energy up and the room moving.
Sometimes that means spending a few minutes on a drawing packed with little details that get a big reaction from a group. Other times, it’s a 30-second sketch of something completely daft that gets a whole table laughing.
The aim is always the same, keep things fun, keep things moving, and make the most of the time you have me there.
I tend to move around constantly rather than staying in one place, chatting to guests, pulling the odd leg and cracking a few jokes, some better than others, and trying to make the whole experience as memorable as possible, whether that’s through the drawings, the conversations, or just the general atmosphere I bring with me.
People see what’s happening, join in, start talking to each other, and before long it creates a bit of a buzz.
That way, it’s not just about the people being drawn, it pulls others into the moment as well, rather than leaving anyone on the outside.
I don’t do many private commissions these days. The live work is what I enjoy most, it’s where the energy is, and where I feel most at home.
That said, I’ve been working as a professional artist for over 20 years, so while I don’t take myself too seriously, there’s a lot of experience behind what I do. The drawings are quick, but they always stand up on their own.
At the end of the day, it’s about keeping the energy up, the conversation flowing, and making sure everyone feels part of it.
Newcastle Caricaturist Who Knows the City!
I’ve lived in Newcastle upon Tyne for over 15 years, and it’s a city I know inside out.
Originally from Cumbria, I’ve properly fallen in love with the North East. I’ve lived in Heaton, Jesmond, the West End and even Wallsend, and over the years I’ve worked at venues all across Newcastle and the surrounding areas. Currently I live in Rowlands Gill smack dab inbetween Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumbria and County Durham.
Newcastle is a brilliant place for events, busy, full of character, and packed with great venues, but what really makes it is the people. Geordies, and the wider North East crowd, are easily some of the friendliest and funniest people you’ll meet, which is exactly why caricature entertainment works so well here.
Before becoming a full-time caricaturist, I worked in youth work and arts development across Newcastle, supporting community groups and creative projects, particularly in the West End. So I’ve always been around people, events, and creative spaces.
These days, I’m regularly booked as a Newcastle wedding entertainer and corporate caricaturist, working across venues throughout the city and the wider North East. I also continue to work with local schools and charities, which keeps me connected to the community that made me feel at home here in the first place.
Why Caricature Works So Well in Newcastle and the North East
When I first moved here, the Geordies completely won me over.
You couldn’t meet a friendlier group of people, and they’ve got a brilliant sense of humour. The further south I go, the more seriously people tend to take themselves, but up here everyone’s up for a laugh.
Whether it’s the friendly rivalry between Geordies and Mackems, the Smoggies and the Quakers, or the Sanddancers somewhere in the middle, there’s always a bit of banter going on, and that’s exactly what caricature entertainment thrives on.
That slightly cheeky, quickfire style works perfectly here. People get it, they lean into it, and it gets the whole room laughing.
That’s why I love entertaining in Newcastle and across the North East.
