Elena Illustrated

09/22/2026

I was so excited to be back with Stanford Shopping Center for this year’s beauty brunch! I loved sketching everyone in their outfits to give each guest a personalized fashion focused keepsake to take home 👗 thank you Stanford Shopping Center for having me back! 🩷

Delarosa
Anton
Siya Studio | Experiential Concepts
Flower Truck
Elena | SF Bay Area Live Painter & Live Guest Portrait Artist

09/14/2026

I can’t believe I used to draw like this 🥹

I barely drew for at least 15 years before I decided to start doing live guest illustration.

Looking back at my work from late 2024 to now, I can finally see the changes I didn’t notice while I was in the middle of them. I’ve always gone in completely freehand straight in with ink, but over time, I’ve become more confident in each mark, faster in my decisions, and more intentional with my style.

A lot of this change came just from drawing at events with different people, outfits, lighting, poses, timelines, and all the unexpected variables that come with events and live illustration.

My style continues to evolve with every event! 🤍

Which stage is your favorite and where do you think my style will go next? 👀

Cover photo by California Wedding Photographer



I hadn’t drawn for YEARS before I saw the idea of live guest sketches, but I immediately wanted to give it a try! It was super exciting for me, especially during a time where I was feeling burnt out from my corporate job.

I got some bookings for later in 2025, but I turned down May inquiries to give myself time to enjoy my own wedding and honeymoon! I didn’t spend much time practicing in between these couple events in early 2025, so I was still going a few months at a time without picking up a pen.

My 2025 bookings came up starting later that summer, which of course meant I spent much more time drawing! Looking back at all of these different past live guest illustrations, I remember being particularly proud of some of them at the time, and it’s interesting now to see how much my style has changed since then

By the last quarter of 2025, I started to notice my live guest illustration style was slowly changing

By the beginning of this year, I’ve also noticed myself become more confident with every small decision in each drawing, which allows me to work quicker

These are a couple more live guest sketches from events just this month!

I currently don’t have anything to compare my live art style to since I still haven’t really done any art that isn’t live at events or commissioned portraits, but I

09/03/2026

Wedding guests sometimes ask this question before finished portraits are on display. Once they see the completed sketches, they love to come back again and again to name each one!

08/31/2026

After sketching thousands of wedding guests, I’ve learned there are a few things I hear at almost every event 🤣

From “you’re doing this by hand?!” to “can you draw my dog/cat/inanimate object?” I never really know what someone is going to say when they come by my table.

These little reactions are one of my favorite parts of live illustration. The finished portrait is just one part of it. The experience of watching yourself become art is what makes it so special! 🤍

Which one would you say first? 👀

Cover photo California Wedding Photographer

08/21/2026

5 things I don’t do as a live wedding guest illustrator 🙅🏻‍♀️

Being a live artist isn’t just about creating pretty portraits or how fast you draw. It’s about creating an experience that feels effortless, special, and right for your event.

I work closely with my clients to understand their vision, their guests, their timeline, and the overall flow of the celebration, then tailor my approach accordingly.

That might mean deciding between seated portraits and reference photos, adjusting how I interact with guests, finding the best placement for my setup, or simply figuring out how to make the experience fit naturally into the celebration.

The best live entertainment should feel like it was designed for your event. ✨

Which of these surprised you most?

Cover photo CA Wedding Photographer | Photo + Video

08/04/2026

A few live guest portraits from Kenny and Michelle’s wedding in June! Swipe to see the guest illustrations and their reference photos 💍

Venue Palm Event Center In the Vineyard

08/03/2026