Welcome to my latest blog post about everything you need to know about pet portraits. If you are thinking about commissioning a portrait of your furry friend, you might have some questions about the process, the options, and the results. As a professional pet portrait artist, both Nicholas and myself have created hundreds of portraits for happy clients all over the world in our 20 or so years of being professional pet portrait artists. In this blog post, I will answer some of the most common questions we get asked and share some tips on how to get the best possible pet portrait.
How much does a pet portrait cost?
The cost of a pet portrait depends on several factors, such as the size, the number of pets, and whether you would like pencil drawing or an oil painting. You can find our current price list on our website which gives plenty of commission information too – Pet Portraits Prices. We offer a range of sizes to suit different budgets and preferences.
How long does a pet portrait take?
The time it takes to complete a pet portrait varies depending on our workload and the complexity of the portrait. Generally, we are booked up 2 months in advance for the pencil drawings and 4 to 6 months for the oil paintings. depending on the time of year. As you can imagine, clients are booking more towards the end of the year for Christmas presents. id say we are usually booked for Christmas portraits in October every year. If you need your portrait by a specific date, please let me know in advance and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Everything You Need to Know About Pet Portraits – Do you post outside of the UK?
Yes, we do! Most of our portraits actually do head over to the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore and several European countries. We send our Overseas portraits via DHL. It’s not a cheap service, but it is very reliable and the portraits are tracked all the way. Clients are notified at each stage of its progress.
How do I choose the right size?
The size of your portrait depends on your personal preference, the space you have available, and the number of pets you want to include. Larger sizes allow for more detail and impact, while smaller sizes are more affordable and easier to fit in any room. If you are unsure about what size to choose, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to advise you.
Everything You Need to Know About Pet Portraits – Can you draw or paint more than one pet in a portrait?
Yes! We can draw or paint as many pets are you would like. As long as they fit well together and have similar lighting and colours. If you want to include more than one pet in your portrait, please make sure you send me clear and high quality photos of each pet. We can create you a mockup so you can see what the design will be like prior to starting any work.
Everything You Need to Know About Pet Portraits – How do I send you photos?
Photos are very important for creating a realistic and accurate portrait of your pet. The better the photos, the better the portrait. You can send me your photos by email or WhatsApp. Please make sure you follow these guidelines when choosing or taking photos:
- Use natural light (avoid flash or artificial light)
- Take photos at eye level with your pet (avoid angles or distortions)
- Capture your pet’s personality and expression (avoid sleeping or blurry photos)
- Send several photos so we can see different aspects of your pet
- Send large or original sized photos so we can zoom in and see details
If you need more help with taking or selecting photos, head on over to our Photography Tips page. Clients are always welcome to contact us for guidance too.
What materials do you use?
We create our portraits using graphite pencil (black and white) and oil paints (colour). Graphite pencils are a wonderful medium for drawing animals, they allow for plenty of fine detail and they create a classic and timeless portrait. The oil paintings truly are superb and far superior to most other mediums. An oil painting on canvas is the ultimate!
Can I see an idea of what the portrait will look like?
This is probably the most important stage in the pet portraits process. I will create a mock-up based on the photos you have provided using Photoshop. We can then go back and forth with the client to make sure we have everything perfect before putting brush to canvas or pencil to paper. This is really important especially if you have two or more pets you would like within the scene. Also if you would like your pet transported to a different background etc
Can you guarantee it will look like my pet?
We pride ourselves on this. Nicholas and I have been professional pet portrait artists for over 20 years. Every single portrait that leaves our studio, we know that our clients are always 100% happy with the outcome. We offer any tweaks and changed if needed, but on the whole this rarely is required. You only need to look at our happy cellists with their pets to see this. One of my recent drawings can be seen here with the recipient – Spaniel Pet Portraits.
Can I choose the photo or background for my portrait?
We absolutely need your input. Nicholas and myself can advise which photos you send might be best for a portrait. We can create you a mockup with some background ideas, or colours. We never put brush to canvas or pencil to paper until we are all happy with the design.
If you have any further questions you might like added here about ‘Everything You Need to Know About Pet Portraits’, drop me a line and I will add it!
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