Animated hand drawn pet portrait of border terrier

Commissioned Portraits

THE PORTRAIT

All artworks are created by hand using a digital pen and tablet. This digital format allows for greater versatility and creativity, enabling easy adjustments in size and adaptation across various mediums. I offer two distinctive styles of pet portraits – Signature and Outline.

Signature Style (Classic Lifelike Portrait): My signature style is a Fine Art portrait crafted with thousands of tiny strokes over the span of 20 hours. Each stroke is carefully drawn with precision and care, resulting in a lifelike reflection of your beloved pet. This timeless style aims to capture your pet true character, celebrating their true beauty and personality in fine detail.

Outline Style (Contemporary Line Drawing): In contrast, my Outline style offers a more contemporary approach in the form of an elegant line drawing. It's a minimalist yet impactful representation that brings out the charm and character of your furry friend in a modern and stylish manner.

Person holding framed hand drawn portrait artwork of their cavachon pet dog.

THE PRINT

There are a wide variety of prints and print companies available on the market and they vary greatly in quality - the ink, paper, and printing process all affect the final result. That’s why I personally sampled dozens of suppliers to find the perfect partner who meets my high standards. Our Giclée prints are crafted using the finest archival inks and papers, ensuring exceptional detail and vibrant colours. This meticulous process captures every stroke of art, showcasing your pet’s portrait in its truest form and ensuring it remains a stunning keepsake for years to come.

Furthermore, my love for animals is closely followed by my passion for protecting the natural world around us. I’ve endeavoured to source sustainable processes, materials, and solutions, ensuring quality in the final products while minimising impact on the environment.

Graphic artwork print of pet dog portrait hanging in hallway

THE PROCESS

1. Fill Out the Enquiry Form

Start your journey by filling out my enquiry form to tell me a bit about your furry friend and what you’re looking for.

2. Secure Your Spot

A £75 deposit is required to commence the process. This secures your spot in the queue and gets the ball rolling.

3. Share Photos

Send me a collection of photos of your pet so I can capture their unique personality. (Check out my photo guidelines below for tips!)

4. Artwork Creation

Bespoke portraits usually take about 4-6 weeks to complete, depending on my current schedule. If you need it sooner for a special occasion, just let me know—I’m happy to accommodate tight deadlines whenever possible.

5. Review and Final Payment

A watermarked final image will be provided for your review. Once you’re happy with it, the final payment is required, and your beautiful Giclee portrait will be printed and on its way to you. You will also receive the digital file and a captivating animation of the artwork’s creation.

THE PRICE

Outline Portrait: £60 + postage

Includes the digital file and an A4 Giclée print.

Graphic artwork print of framed French bulldog pet portrait

Signature Portrait: £375

Includes the digital file and an A3 Giclée print. Optional upgrades include:

• Detailed Background: enhance your portrait with a more detailed background that adds context & character for an additional £75.

• Additional Pets: include a second pet in the same portrait for £150 or order a separate portrait for an additional pet for £250.

• Add an Outline Portrait: when purchased together, I offer my bespoke Outline Portraits for £45, inc. postage.

• Framing: various options are available, with pricing varying based on size and frame type.

Graphic artwork print of framed Maine Coon cat portrait

Selecting your photographs.

Viewpoint.

Capturing your pets from above or at their eye level can create an attractive perspective. Try to ensure they’re looking at you (or the treat behind the camera) when you take the photograph, for a greater sense of connection.
Clarity.

Ensuring the photograph is taken with good light levels and that their face in particular is well focused. If the depth of field on the less renders a little bit of their body in a soft focus this can be mimicked in the drawing with softer pencil work.
Profile.

Photographs can also look well if the pet is not looking at the camera but show an attractive profile and the image and composition are of otherwise good quality.
Character.

Let your pets nature and character shine through, so the image reflects their true personality. It may just make an interesting composition or a change of texture.

What to avoid.

Dark images.

Photographs where there is a strong light source from behind or to the side can cast heavy shadows and reduce the quality of detail required to work from.
Cropping.

Using photographs where their key facial features or lower bodies are cropped from view can be worked with, but are less ideal as the composition is less attractive.
Accessories.

Accessories will appear as per the photograph, unless agreed otherwise where items can be readily edited from the image. However, please note that most accessories impact the way the coat or folds of skin fall and can look more awkward edited out.
Distance images.

If the pet is too far away in the photograph, or the image is of too low a quality with blurring or pixelation, then there won’t enough information in the image to extract realistic details.