It’s the time of year when we are inundated with enquiries for Christmas and it suddenly dawned on me that for people looking for an artist, it must be quite a difficult choice. Google has pages and pages of different artists all trying to promote their work and they are all completely different! You maybe thinking… what style of portrait should I have? What medium is best for my pet? What country is the artist in? How quick can they create it? etc
I wonder if choosing the right pet portrait artist is a bit like finding the perfect vet, when you know, you know. So if you are not sure where to begin, I thought I’d write a bit of a guide which might walk you through exactly what to look for and what to avoid.
As professional pet portrait artists with over 27 years experience, Nicholas and I have painted not just dogs, cats and horses, but everything from ferrets, rabbits, sheep, cows, parrots and budgies and humans – even a ship! I even drew a penguin for my postman! (He doesn’t keep a penguin in his garden, don’t worry!)
Whether you are buying a portrait for yourself or as a gift, the artist you choose will shape how that memory is captured forever. So read on the find out more about the things you might need to know before starting your search.
1. Look at the Artist’s Style – Does It Match What You Envision?
Every artist has their own style, whether it’s detailed realism, soft impressionism or bold modern colours. There is a huge array of amazing traditional artists out there who could all create you absolutely beautiful portraits. It’s just deciding which style you want to go for.
Nicholas and I specialise in realistic, traditional style portraits in both pencil and oil, always hand drawn and hand painted from scratch. As an example this is one of my ‘Pet Portrait Story’ pencil drawings of Rory. It’s only when you start to research in depth at what artists can create, that you get an idea of what is available. Not everyone might start off thinking. I want a portrait of my dog in a ‘Pet Portrait Story’ style!
2. Can They Work from Your Photos?
Most of our clients send us their favourite photos of their pets in their home or garden. We sometimes receive professional photos, but mostly they are every day candid shots from clients phones. That’s perfectly fine if the photo is clear and in focus. We can only do so much though. We are unable look at a range of photos and make up a pose. Perhaps some artists can do that, however we prefer to work with one main photo for the pose so that we can fully capture your pets character and personality.
We are always happy to advise on whether photos are suitable. In fact, we often tweak things subtly to help us – adding the edge of an ear, missing tail etc. For instance in this photo, removing the halter was essential. So things like this can be altered easily.
If you are unsure, artists are always happy to look at photos before you begin any process. I would recommend chatting to a variety of artists to get their perspective on your photos and see what they say. It might be that you spark well with one artist more than another. I have found this with some clients, we do just gel well. For instance a client has just commissioned me and we hit it off right at the start as both of our dogs are called Lily! It was meant to be!
Also we aren’t just artists.. first and foremost we are animal lovers! So my reaction to anyone asking to send photos of their pet… yes! Can’t wait to see them!
3. Do They Have Clear Pricing and Options?
A reputable artist should be transparent about prices, sizes, mediums and delivery. You shouldn’t have to hunt for this information, it should be readily available.
We keep our pricing simple and list everything clearly on our site. No hidden extras. We also offer gift vouchers and work internationally, all by post.
Sometimes clients are unable to find our price list, so often I will receive an email or message, quite simply… how much are your portraits? Our prices are pretty easy to find, but obviously sometimes clients are in a hurry and miss the links or even our whole navigation. We spend a lot of time trying to make our website user friendly, but it’s not easy to make it simple for everyone. Just another one of those behind the scenes jobs that we spend time on. You can see our prices and sizes here – Pet Portrait Prices.
4. Read Reviews or Client Feedback
Client testimonials tell you how an artist works, not just what the final result looked like, but how easy they were to communicate with, how well they packed the portrait and how they handled deadlines.
We include feedback from clients on our website and copy the emails exactly and we are pleased to say many of them are repeat clients. One client recently sent us this wonderful email…
“The portrait arrived today and my friend absolutely loved it!!! She said it was the best thing someone has ever given to her. I want to thank you so much for doing an amazing job with the picture and paying great attention to detail <3
Amina”
It’s just wonderful to receive these kinds of messages but of course its always hard to know if things you actually read on websites are true, or exactly as clients have written, as everything is digital. It would be easy to skew things or even make reviews up (as I’m sure everyone knows this happens a lot on major websites). So I think one of my jobs next year will be to scatter some of these wonderful cards and letters we have received over the years around our site.
Gone are the days of hand written letters sadly. Everything is digital, but here is a card written by one of my clients in 1998. Pretty much 26 years ago to the month. As you can read back then there were no online payments as we didn’t know what ‘online’ was! All done by old fashioned cheques!
So it would be good for prospective clients to look past the flashy lines of text and perhaps look a bit deeper on artists websites to see what they can find with regards to feedback.
5. What’s the Waiting Time?
A good artist usually has a waiting list and that’s a good sign. But they should also be upfront about how long you’ll wait and whether they can meet specific deadlines, like birthdays or Christmas. We book up early for Christmas but we’ll always try to accommodate where we can.
Currently (November 2025) we are taking bookings for around May next year. That’s not bad, other years by Christmas we have been booked for June or July time. I think 2019 was our busiest year to date in the last 26 or 27 years and we were booking so far ahead it was crazy.
But we are established, we are professional, it’s what we have been trained to do and it’s our full time job. Some artists will be working full time, others will be creating portraits part time and do other jobs like teaching art and providing art classes on the side. As well as perhaps even having side hustles like working in cafes etc. Creating pet portraits can be quite lonely, I think you have to enjoy your own company. I know a few artists who work in cafes and such just to get some socialization. Nicholas and I work together in our studio so we are company for each other….so its a good job we like each other!!
Timescales can vary depending on the artist, the medium they are creating, their price point and how popular they are. I always say ‘A portrait is not just for Christmas’! If you are looking for just ‘something’ to gift at the last minute as you have run out of gift ideas, a portrait is probably not the right choice. If you want to do it properly that is!
6. Is This a Gift? Make Sure They Offer Packaging or Vouchers
If your portrait is a surprise for someone else, make sure the artist offers thoughtful packaging or gift vouchers. We always wrap our pencil drawings and oil paintings in archival packaging, wrapped in tissue paper, placed in beautiful black presentation boxes and tied with ribbon. We also offer hand designed, professional printed personalised gift vouchers if the portrait needs to be arranged after a special date.
Take a look around artists websites to see how their portraits are packed and presented as it’s really important for portraits to be pristine and sent the best way possible.
7. Do They Ship Worldwide?
We are so excited to be able to work with clients from all around the world. Iceland and Crete are where my next drawings are heading off to. Many clients come to us from the USA, Canada, Europe and beyond. If you are sending a portrait overseas, check the artist’s experience with international shipping and customs.
We have shipped safely around the world for years. Every piece is sent tracked, with careful packaging to ensure it arrives in perfect condition. No harm in emailing artists to find out how the artwork will be sent and how much it costs. Shipping is not cheap these days, but sadly it is a necessity.
8. Composition Choices – Head & Shoulders, Full Body, or Something More?
One thing many people overlook when commissioning a portrait is how much choice they actually have over the composition. A good artist should guide you through this. Would you like a classic head and shoulders view? A full body pose that shows off those elegant long greyhound legs or cute curled feline paws? Or something more personalised, like your pet lying in their favourite spot on the sofa?
For example, we offer everything from head only pencil drawings right through to full body oil paintings in natural outdoor settings. As you have seen above, we even create montage drawings that tell the story of your pet’s life showing them across different ages or with their favourite toy. I think its always important to chat to the artists and give them your ideas as it’s much easier for us to have something to work on when looking at your photos.
A good example of this is the oil painting of Oscar and Harry. Having spoken at length to our client, we found that ideally they wanted a full body or half body of their dogs, sat together in their garden with their favourite pear trees in the background. So we set them to work taking plenty of photos of the dogs and their garden on a sunny day and we brought everything together for them, for their perfect painting and perfect view.
9. Medium Matters – Pencil vs Oil vs Everything Else
You might have seen pet portraits in pencil, pastel, watercolour, digital… the list goes on. The medium you choose will affect the final look and feel of the portrait, so it is worth understanding the differences.
We specialise in pencil and oil, we not only enjoy working in them but we also feel oils and pencil gives the best look for our pet portraits. Pencil offers a beautiful softness, perfect for detailed, black and white portraits with a traditional yet modern twist. Oil paintings give a richness and depth that is hard to beat, with colours and texture that look incredible on the wall.
10. What About Framing?
We do not offer a framing service as our amazing framers retired during Covid and we haven’t been able to find anyone at their standard to replace them. However, we are always happy to advise on framing options. All of our pencil portraits are drawn on high quality paper, and we strongly recommend using acid free mounts and materials to ensure your artwork lasts a lifetime without yellowing or deterioration. For oil paintings, something simple and elegant tends to work best. You want the frame to enhance the artwork, not overpower it.
We recommend visiting a local framer, or a trusted online framing company, who can help guide you through your options. And of course, you are welcome to send us a photo of your framed portrait once it’s up on the wall. We love seeing them in their forever homes!
11. Buyer Beware: Avoiding Art Outsourcing and Middlemen
I had to decide whether to add this section or not. I have kept quiet for a number of years about this. Over the last few years we have noticed a rise in websites offering “custom pet portraits” at low prices and while some of them may be genuine, many are not what they seem. So my advice to anyone looking to commission an artist… research them!!
Some sites are often middlemen, outsourcing work to anonymous artists (often overseas), either painting them or using digital filters or AI to mimic traditional art and offering dozens of styles churned out as quickly as possible. If that’s what you are after, something cheap and cheerful, fine. But! If you see a huge oil painting for under £150, ask yourself — how is that even possible?
Just be aware that some work digitally and it may either not be apparent or you may not fully understand how the portraits are produced. Digital portraits are not a bad thing – if it is what you want, but it is not the same as a hand painted or hand drawn artwork. Make sure you know what you are paying for.
We have been creating portraits for over 25 years. When you commission us, you speak directly to the artists just Nicholas and myself. We create every piece from scratch, we sign each artwork, we communicate with you personally and we put our hearts into every pet we paint and draw. The old adage is true, you do get what you pay for.
12. Special Requests?
We understand that every pet is unique and sometimes so is the story behind them. We have drawn pets wearing bow ties, painted horses in show tack and even recreated a multi seven dog portrait from separate decades of photos. If you have something in mind, just ask. We are always happy to discuss it. One returning client came up with something completely unusual… can you paint the ship I used to work on? So we did!
13. Final Thoughts – One Size Doesn’t Fit All, and That’s Okay
The world of pet portrait artists is wonderfully varied and that’s something to celebrate. Some clients will be drawn to detailed, traditional realism. Others may prefer bold, colourful or abstract styles. The key is to choose something you genuinely love, in a style that suits your home, your taste, and the memory you want to preserve.
A good way to find the right artist is to search with your preferred medium and style in mind. For example, “realistic dog oil portrait” or “black and white pet pencil sketch.” That will help narrow your search to artists who specialise in what you are after.
And do not worry if your pet is a more unusual breed or you do not see an exact match in someone’s gallery. Every pet is unique. What matters most is that you like the artist’s overall style and feel they can do your special friend justice.
Lastly, do not be afraid to reach out to artists. Ask questions. Start a conversation. You might find that the right artist – client relationship is just as important as the finished portrait itself. And if that artist turns out to be us, we would be honoured.
14. A Word About Lily – Our Own Muse
We know what it means to love a pet like family, because we do too. Lily is our Tibetan Terrier, and she’s very much the heart of our home and the studio supervisor. Creating portraits for others always brings Lily to mind. We know how much they mean and we treat every portrait with the same care we would give if it were Lily herself. This is Lily at the groomers, on a very festive background!
15. Our Pet Portrait Commissioning Process – Step-by-Step
Commissioning a portrait might feel like a big decision, but we try to keep it simple, clear, and collaborative from start to finish. We also offer personalised gift voucher cards if the timing doesn’t work for a full commission — ideal for birthdays and Christmas. Here’s how our process works:
- Get in Touch – Send us an email with your pet’s photos.
- Photo Review & Advice – We will confirm if the image is suitable and help guide your choice of size, medium, and layout.
- Secure Your Booking – Pay a deposit to confirm your slot on our schedule.
- Portrait in Progress – When your turn arrives, we’ll begin work on the portrait. Nicholas or I will be working on your artwork directly — just the two of us.
- Approval & Final Adjustments – Once finished, we send a photo for your approval. We can make small tweaks if needed.
- Packaging & Delivery – Your portrait is carefully wrapped in archival materials, boxed, and shipped via tracked delivery.
16. Pet Portrait FAQs – Quick Answers to Common Questions
Can I commission a portrait if my pet has passed away?
Yes, in fact, many of our portraits are created as memorials. Send us your photos and we can let you know if we are able to work from them.
Do you need a professional photo for the portrait?
Not at all. As long as the photo is clear, in focus, and shows your pet’s eyes well, we can usually work with it. We’ll let you know if we need more.
Can you include more than one pet in the same portrait?
Yes! We offer both double and multi-pet compositions in pencil and oil. They can even be drawn together from separate photos if needed.
How much does a pet portrait cost?
Full pricing is available on our website and you can see all of the prices and size we offer for both pencil drawings and oil paintings.
Do you offer gift vouchers?
Yes – we offer both printed and digital vouchers. They’re perfect for birthdays, anniversaries or Christmas when timing is tricky.
How do you package and post the artwork?
We use archival packaging and carefully wrap each portrait by hand using acid-free tissue and ribbon. Everything is sent via tracked delivery.
Do you ship internationally?
Absolutely. We regularly send portraits to the USA, Canada, Europe and beyond. We take great care with packaging so your portrait arrives safely.
Ready to Start?
You can view our full gallery and pricing pages here:
👉 Oil Pet Portraits Gallery
👉 Pencil Pet Portraits Gallery
Or if you prefer a chat first, feel free to message us directly. We’re always happy to talk about your lovely pets.
Warm wishes,
Melanie & Nicholas
www.pet-portraitartist.com
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.