Immortalize your faithful friend and give them the recognition they deserve.

Custom Pet Portraits

Whether you’re looking for a unique gift from the heart, or would like a treasured keepsake of your special companion, past or present, then look no further. Bespoke pet portraits are wonderful keepsakes and make heartfelt gifts that will be treasured forever.

I create bespoke fine art portraits of humans and animals using a variety of materials. Artistic mediums include oil paint, soft pastels, colored pencils, and digital drawing techniques. All artwork is created with care and finished on the finest quality archival papers / canvas.

Pet portraits are created from your favorite photos of your beloved pet, and many long hours are spent ensuring that your portrait captures a physical likeness and unique personality. Please refer to my photo guide for photography tips.

Commissioning a Portrait

My commission book is currently open and I’m accepting orders for 2024

I’ve made commissioning a portrait as simple and straightforward as possible. Everything will be set out in writing and I will keep you updated every step of the way. Check out the steps below to see how it works.

 

If you reached this page, you are probably already familiar with my work, and have seen plenty of examples of my portraits. If you haven’t, please visit the gallery, or check out social media for daily updates of not only finished portraits, but works in progress too. You can find my Facebook here or Instagram here.

Mediums and Pricing

Deposit: A non-refundable 25% deposit is required prior to commencing work.

Additional Pets: Please see the price list for additional pet prices. If a price is not listed it is because the size of the artwork is not big enough to allow multiple pets. For more than three (3) pets in one artwork please contact me for a quote.

Full-Body Portraits: Prices listed for colored pencil, oil paint, and soft pastels are for bust and half-body artworks. For a full body portrait, an additional fee of 30% is required.

Shipping: Shipping is not included in the price list. A breakdown of all costs will be included in the invoice. You may ship to a PO Box, however be aware that the artwork is shipped flat and therefore may not fit in your PO Box.

Payment Methods: I use Waze to send invoices, which allows you to pay online with your choice of credit card, debit card, or eCheck/bank transfer. I do not accept paper checks or cash at this time.

Print Discounts: After you book your drawing and send me your reference photos, I may ask if you would accept myself (the artist) selling prints of your drawing. If you accept, you will receive a 10% discount on the price of the drawing (reflected in the final invoice). Your decision will not affect the final outcome of the artwork. All artwork receives the upmost care and attention. Not all commissions receive this request. Please do not factor it into your budget.

Digitally Drawn Portraits

Example of a digital portrait of a horse, 2020

All of my digital drawings are hand created, stroke by stroke using Apple’s stylus pencil and iPad Pro. No automatic software or filters are used to create my drawings. My techniques are similar to my traditional pastel pencil drawing and oil paintings. I have personally made brushes that replicate the look and feel of traditional mediums.

Digital drawings are a great option for those looking for a more budget-friendly option while still maintaining the high quality work that you can expect from my traditional portraits.

All digital drawing prices reflect a 300dpi (high resolution) file that will be emailed to you upon completion.

If you would like a professional grade print of the portrait with a certificate of authenticity, you may purchase prints directly from me during the ordering process. I ensure that my prints are archival grade and are as true to color as possible.

Portrait

One Pet — $245

Two Pets — $375

Three Pets — $495

Full Body

One Pet — $375

Two Pets — $575

Three Pets — $745

Colored Pencil Portraits

Example of a colored pencil portrait of a dog, 2021

Colored pencil drawings are a great way to the capture intricate details and soft texture of your pet. The colored pencils have a soft texture that grips to the tooth of the paper and allows a bit of the white to show through. This brightens up the drawing and gives it an “airy” or “luminescent” feel.

All colored pencil commissions are created on pastelmat board or illustration board and are sealed with a UV archival fixative that will prevent most yellowing and fading.

Single Pet Portrait

8x12 in (20x30 cm) — $350

11x14 in (28x35 cm) — $450

12x16 in (30x35 cm) — $500

16x20 in (40x50 cm) — $650

Oil Painting Portraits

Example of an oil painting portrait of a man and horse, 2022

The practice of painting with oils dates back to as early as the 7th century and was renowned throughout the renaissance for its smooth blending and glow. Most of the wet mediums, like tempera, acrylics, watercolor, or gouache, dry by evaporation. Oil is different and unique. The oil paint dries by oxidation, which happens once oil meets oxygen and causes a chemical reaction. This slowly changes the oil from liquid to gel and later hardens completely. Compared to other media, this is a much slower drying process, which allows artists to spend more time perfecting their paintings.

All oil paintings are painted on a linen canvas that is stretched over a wooden frame. Wood panels can also be painted on request. These do not require framing to be hung, though some do frame their canvases for a more modern look. The standard completion time for an oil painting is 5-12 weeks due to the unique drying process of each layer.

Single Pet Portrait

8x12 in (20x30 cm) — $395

11x14 in (28x35 cm) — $495

12x16 in (30x35 cm) — $575

16x20 in (40x50 cm) — $725

20x24 in (51x61 cm) — $875

Below is a helpful guide for how the final size will appear when hung above an average 70 inch couch.

 Pet Photo Guide

Take your time in choosing the perfect photo for your pet portrait. I can not emphasize enough the importance of sourcing high quality photos in order to get the most out of your portrait. In essence, the higher quality reference photo you provide, the better your portrait will be in terms of detail and clarity.

Take your time in choosing the purrrfect photo for your pet portrait. I can not emphasis enough the importance of sourcing high quality photos in order to get the most out of your portrait. In essence, the higher quality reference photo you provide, the better your portrait will be in terms of detail and clarity.

To summise, the best photos will be:

  • Sharp

  • Focused

  • high resolution

  • have soft lighting

They will display details such as coat direction, catchlight in the eyes, nose texture and accurate coat colour. These essential details are often lost with lower resolution images.

  1. QUALITY

Digital DSLR cameras take the best photos, but if you don’t have access to one, many modern phone cameras are capable of taking high quality photos now a’days.

Whatever device you use, ensure the camera resolution is set to High and the lens is clean and unscratched, this is especially important when using mobile devices.

  1. LIGHTING

Natural light is always best so either go outside (overcast days are better than sunny days, which can cast hash shadows) or stand next to a bright window or open door. Position yourself with the light source (sunshine or bright window) behind you and have your pet facing towards the light, this allows you to catch wonderful light reflections in their eyes.

  1. AVOID FLASH

Using a flash can create bright flares and red-eye effects in the animal’s eyes as well as harsh shadows. It can also make white or black fogs coats appear dull and lifeless.

  1. SUBJECT

Consider whether you wish to include a collar in your portrait or opt for a natural effect without one.

  1. TREATS

Eyes are the window to the soul so do whatever you can to get your pet to look at you. Treats, funny noises…etc.

  1. ANGLE

The best portraits tend to view the animal at eye level, therefore get down to your pets eye level by crouching down so that you are holding the camera level with the animals eyes. Alternatively, try raising your pet up onto a table or sofa to achieve the same result. Aim to have your pet looking towards you, rather than up at you, or enlist a friend to hold treats up behind the animal to hold their focus just over your shoulder as you take the photograph.

  1. POSITION

Get close to your pet and fill the view finder with the head and chest of your pet without using the zoom function if possible. Long distance shots generally don’t make great portraits, as they lose detail when magnified. Do avoid getting in TOO close though otherwise your lens may distort the image and the resulting photo may not have a natural perspective, unless you are after a quirky novelty effect, which can be really fun.

  1. CHARACTER

It helps to consider what sort of portrait you want on your wall. Eyes to camera shots and side angle poses work well, as do quirky unusual poses that reflect your pets character. Ultimately you want to choose a pose that best represents their personality and unique character.

  1. SELECTION

Take plenty of pics and choose the best, sending over a selection in the highest resolution so I can get an idea of their character and colouring. I’m always happy to advise and make suggestions on the available options based on your images.

…the best tip of all is patience and perseverance!!

If you have any questions or would like help selecting a photo, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’d be happy to help!