Welcome to my latest blog post – 10 Practical Reasons to Commission a Pet Portrait. To be fair, pet portraits aren’t new. It feels like we have been pet portrait artists a long time but people have been having portraits of their pets painted for centuries. Whether it was Queen Victoria’s dogs in oils or pencil sketches tucked into lockets or Queen Elizabeth being portrayed with her Corgis. There is a reason they have never gone out of style. People will always love their pets, and always want a portrait of them. They will always be utterly grateful if they are given one as a gift.
A well crafted pet portrait isn’t just a pretty picture. It’s something more personal. Something lasting. And while we might be slightly biased, after 25+ years of drawing and painting other people’s pets, we have learned exactly why people commission them and why they usually end up saying, “I should have done this sooner.”
Nicholas and I started our pet portraits business in 1996. There seemed to be only a handful of us back then, and I understand there were probably lots of people doing them for friends and family, but I mean for a proper business. When we started we only know a few still going from back in the day. However now, there are literally thousands of artists, coming right out from school wanting to do this as a career. So this shows how times have changed and pet portraiture has only got stronger as the years have gone by.
So if you haven’t ever commissioned a pet portrait and you are wondering why someone would. Here are ten practical, honest reasons to commission a portrait of your pet. No fluff. No nonsense. Just why it’s worth doing.
1. A Permanent Way to Remember a Pet
Most of our commissions are from people whose pets have sadly passed away. A phone full of photos can’t quite match the feeling of having a carefully drawn or painted portrait. Something solid, real and designed to last. It becomes part of the furniture in the best possible way.
Whether it’s hung in the hallway or tucked away in a peaceful area of your home, it quietly becomes a part of your home. A small nod to a big part of your life. Take for instance the oil pet portrait of Duffy below. Nicholas painted him beautifully. This is what our client Beth said. It says it all doesn’t it!
We love our picture of Duffy… It looks so much like him, I cried when I put it up. Duffy is now right back in the middle of our house, so you can see him every time we pass through to our family room, master bedroom, kitchen, and dining room. It is the perfect place as this is where Duffy always stayed when taking down time… Allowing him to keep an eye on all of us as we went on our way.
Thank you!!! Beth
2. It Makes a Brilliant Gift
Let’s face it, giving presents is hard these days. Most people already have too much stuff and half the time you rack your brain to think what would that special person like, only to find they have something like it already. But a portrait? That’s personal. You can’t pick it up in the local shop and you can’t replicate it.
Both Nicholas and myself have helped people surprise their other halves, their parents, their best friends with portraits. We have had many people cry (in a good way) when they have unwrapped both the drawings and the oil paintings. It’s thoughtful, it lasts forever and it shows effort – even though we’ll do most of the heavy work for you!!
The photo of Caroline and her mum really shows this well. A gift from daughter to mother of her mums dog Hollie who had passed away. This photo is a moment in time captured forever. An absolutely delighted smile from one very happy mum who will now be able to look at Hollie’s portrait every day. Oh and kudos to Caroline for thinking of it!
3. Better Than a Phone Photo
We all have hundreds of photos of our pets, sometimes dark, slightly out of focus, not quite showing them at their best. But a good portrait allows you to see your pet exactly how you see them in your mind. Not just what they look like, but who they really are. The portrait of Elmo below was painted from a quick photo taken at a show, with lorries, people, hustle and bustle along with a non familiar background, not personal to Elmo. We had been given this photo and a range of photos taken of him with his head over the stable door which weren’t really suitable for a portrait. So to show Elmo at his best adding a studio background, bought the focus onto Elmo, still remembering the day however this is all about him.
4. It’s Not Just for Pets Who’ve Passed
There’s a common idea that you only get a portrait done after your pet has died. And while those are often the most emotional pieces we do, they’re not the only ones. Lots of clients want a portrait of their pet while they’re still very much alive and well. It’s a way to celebrate them now, not just remember them later. Here is a painting of Shadow and Moose and their owner celebrating how amazing their dog companions are.
5. A Real Talking Point at Home
We have had clients tell us their portrait gets compliments, not just when they take them to the framers which is always amazing to hear, but from other visitors to their home. There’s something about a well done pet portrait that catches the eye. It stands out from the mass produced prints and every day art you can buy from chains stores.
Whether you hang it pride of place or tuck it in a quiet corner, it always ends up being a conversation starter. We find this especially when the portraits and paintings we paint are completely unique. This portrait below was commissioned not only for Stella the very much loved and missed Doberman, but also to celebrate their holiday home that the family cherish and remember fondly visiting over the years. Its not just about pets, its about places too and the connection between the two.
6. You’ll Never Regret It
This one’s simple: people never regret commissioning a portrait. But they do regret waiting too long, especially if their pet suddenly passes or their health takes a turn.
We have had people contact us years after first enquiring, kicking themselves for not taking photos of their pet or getting around to commissioning a pet portrait sooner. If it’s something you have thought about more than once, that’s probably your sign to get in touch. I have spoken to many clients over the years who not only wished they had commissioned us sooner, but also took photos of their pets more often during their lifetime.
Pets, just like children grow up fast and even I regret not taking more photos of Lily when she was a puppy. They change a lot over the years and one special idea is to have a portrait of your pet in stages, from puppy to adulthood. The Pencil Montage of Holden shows him as a puppy, to teenager on the steps of their home, to fully grown and at shows. So do take plenty of photos of your dog during various activities and stages of their lives as you may regret it later down the line.
7. Completely Personal
The next section of our 10 Practical Reasons to Commission a Pet Portrait so about the uniqueness of having a portrait created. A good pet portrait isn’t just about technical skill, it’s about understanding what the client wants. Its also about understanding the animal they love and how best to portray them in a drawing or painting. We can include the tiniest of details, for instance their names on their tags, reduce the grey around their muzzle, include special markings or their favourite toy, even place them in a different scene etc. These things matter. They make it yours.
The portrait of Gabby for instance show her with her favourite lamb chop toy, her name on her tag and keeping in her ‘Cherry Eye’ which is part of her. As you can see the original photo just showed her in a car without a toy. Adding these personal details into the paintings and drawings truly make it personal and unique to our clients.
8. Not as Complicated as You Think
There are some portraits that are simple head studies that are pretty simple. Clients come to us with their favourite photo and want it drawn or painted just as it is. However some clients come to us with ideas for a portrait but they aren’t sure if their ideas are even possible. Just let us know your ideas and send us plenty of photos and we will try to work out what we can do for you. We’ll help you choose the best reference and guide you through the whole process. Contact us at at time.
The portrait below was pretty complicated, but mainly as it was hard for Sara to get plenty of photos of each dog for me to create the design. So really the most complicated part about this was for Sara taking the photos. Luckily her dogs were very well behaved and she took plenty for me to be able to make the design and work from them.
It is lovely. I can’t wait to get it framed and hung in my lounge. The individual portraits are particularly stunning and yes I think you captured them all perfectly. I will be showing if off at dog club after Christmas. Thank you Sara
9. Built to Last
Continuing with our list of 10 Practical Reasons to Commission a Pet Portrait is that we don’t cut corners. The materials we use from hand made Italian Watercolour paper, professionally stretched linen canvas, quality pencils, brushes and professional oil paints are chosen because they will still look good decades from now. These aren’t the sort of portraits that fade in the sun or disintegrate over time. If properly looked after, framed and displayed in your home they will last a lifetime and more. The oil paintings below in Harlan Crows collection painted by Nicholas.
10. A Way to Say “Thank You”
Pets give us a lot. Loyalty. Company. Silliness. Comfort. Lily is by my feet while I’m typing this. I love her dearly, more than she probably knows. A portrait is a way to acknowledge that. A way to say thank you for everything they have done. Every time they have been there for us. Unconditionally. The photo below shows this beautifully. A family who loved their cat Meg, who all miss her immensely. Who all treasure her portrait. It’s a simple act that says, “You mattered.”
Final Thoughts
We know that commissioning a portrait can feel like a big decision. But it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. It starts with a conversation and ends with something you’ll treasure for the rest of your life.
We are always happy to help guide you through the process, even if you’re not quite sure what you want yet. Whether it’s your first commission or your fifth, we will make it straightforward, personal and worth the wait.
So if your pet has been part of your family for years or just made themselves at home recently, now is as good a time as any!
And of course I cant go without adding a photo of our Lily. This is a snap in time, not suitable for a portrait in any way, but one of my personal favourite photos which shows her, “I don’t want to have my photo taken”, “I am looking at you totally aloof because I am a Tibetan Terrier” and “I am completely above this!”
I hope you have enjoyed our 10 Practical Reasons to Commission a Pet Portrait (And Why It’s Not Too Late) blog post. Please feel free to post pr comment below. Also get in touch if you would like a pet portrait of your pet!
Contact Us!
If you have a question or you would like to commission a portrait, contact us at any time. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel too.
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