The Commission Process
BOOKING
Firstly, it is essential to book a time slot with me to ensure your portrait will be ready for when you need it. This is most important if you are gifting a portrait for a particular date such as a birthday, anniversary or christmas present. A portrait can take me between 1 - 4 weeks to complete depending on the size and medium used. Please factor this into your time frame when booking a portrait with me.
DEPOSIT
I require a 50% non-refundable deposit to confirm your booking and secure your place on my waiting list. The remaining balance is paid prior to delivery and only when you are 100% satisfied with your portrait. I will contact you to let you know when I am about to begin your portrait and during the process I will be in touch with progress updates of your artwork so you can see how it's all going and enjoy watching the drawing take shape.
REFERENCE PHOTO
The most important part of the process is choosing a suitable photograph. Having a detailed, high resolution photo to draw from makes such a difference to the outcome. I draw what I see and if your pet's features are not clearly shown in the photograph then I cannot capture the essence of your pet's personality. If however you think you may already have the perfect image of your pet for me to use but you're unsure what 'perfect' means, please scroll down to 'the perfect shot' info below for tips on how to achieve this.
DUPLICATE PRINT
If you are commissioning a portrait of a much loved family pet and would like other family members to have an exact replica of the portrait, your original artwork can be made into a beautiful giclee print. The scanning and printing process takes about a week to complete so please include this in to your gifting time frame. Please contact me for a quote.
Firstly, it is essential to book a time slot with me to ensure your portrait will be ready for when you need it. This is most important if you are gifting a portrait for a particular date such as a birthday, anniversary or christmas present. A portrait can take me between 1 - 4 weeks to complete depending on the size and medium used. Please factor this into your time frame when booking a portrait with me.
DEPOSIT
I require a 50% non-refundable deposit to confirm your booking and secure your place on my waiting list. The remaining balance is paid prior to delivery and only when you are 100% satisfied with your portrait. I will contact you to let you know when I am about to begin your portrait and during the process I will be in touch with progress updates of your artwork so you can see how it's all going and enjoy watching the drawing take shape.
REFERENCE PHOTO
The most important part of the process is choosing a suitable photograph. Having a detailed, high resolution photo to draw from makes such a difference to the outcome. I draw what I see and if your pet's features are not clearly shown in the photograph then I cannot capture the essence of your pet's personality. If however you think you may already have the perfect image of your pet for me to use but you're unsure what 'perfect' means, please scroll down to 'the perfect shot' info below for tips on how to achieve this.
DUPLICATE PRINT
If you are commissioning a portrait of a much loved family pet and would like other family members to have an exact replica of the portrait, your original artwork can be made into a beautiful giclee print. The scanning and printing process takes about a week to complete so please include this in to your gifting time frame. Please contact me for a quote.
SOCIAL MEDIA
I share all my artwork progress on my social media pages as I draw them, unless I am requested not to. If your commission is a secret gift or a memorial piece of a beloved family pet please let me know as understandably you may not want it to be shared until it is gifted.
I share all my artwork progress on my social media pages as I draw them, unless I am requested not to. If your commission is a secret gift or a memorial piece of a beloved family pet please let me know as understandably you may not want it to be shared until it is gifted.
MATERIALS
I use only the highest quality, archival materials to ensure your artwork retains its original rich appearance for years to come. I work with a large variety of premium professional coloured pencil brands such as Faber-Castell, Caran D'ache and Derwent coloured pencils. The pencils are renowned for superior quality; intense, vibrant pigments and maximum light fastness. I draw on Clairefontaine Pastelmat, Derwent Lightfast and Fabriano Artistico paper, all premium surfaces and 100% acid free.
I use only the highest quality, archival materials to ensure your artwork retains its original rich appearance for years to come. I work with a large variety of premium professional coloured pencil brands such as Faber-Castell, Caran D'ache and Derwent coloured pencils. The pencils are renowned for superior quality; intense, vibrant pigments and maximum light fastness. I draw on Clairefontaine Pastelmat, Derwent Lightfast and Fabriano Artistico paper, all premium surfaces and 100% acid free.
THE PERFECT SHOT
Getting the perfect photo for a portrait is very important. The better the image, the better the portrait will be. To ensure the best result I require a clear, highly detailed digital photo of the pet/s head and shoulders. If you are unsure, a good way to check if your existing digital photo is suitable, zoom in and if the detail remains you’ve probably got a winner!
Achieving this can of course be a bit tricky so here are a few tips to help.
* Ideally take a photo outside on an overcast day.
* Get down at your pet's eye level.
* Use food treats held close to the camera to make them look towards the lens.
* Ensure you can see your pet's eyes clearly as this is the most important aspect of the portrait (long haired dogs may need a groom).
Getting the perfect photo for a portrait is very important. The better the image, the better the portrait will be. To ensure the best result I require a clear, highly detailed digital photo of the pet/s head and shoulders. If you are unsure, a good way to check if your existing digital photo is suitable, zoom in and if the detail remains you’ve probably got a winner!
Achieving this can of course be a bit tricky so here are a few tips to help.
* Ideally take a photo outside on an overcast day.
* Get down at your pet's eye level.
* Use food treats held close to the camera to make them look towards the lens.
* Ensure you can see your pet's eyes clearly as this is the most important aspect of the portrait (long haired dogs may need a groom).
Here a few examples of what to avoid:
(1) The light is poor with too much shadow and half of the cat's face is in the dark. The eyes cannot be seen clearly.
(2) The colours and features can be seen but the fur colours are muted and the cat's positioning is poor.
(3) The dog is too far away from the camera and very little detail can be seen.
(1) The light is poor with too much shadow and half of the cat's face is in the dark. The eyes cannot be seen clearly.
(2) The colours and features can be seen but the fur colours are muted and the cat's positioning is poor.
(3) The dog is too far away from the camera and very little detail can be seen.
All of the images here have lovely detail.
(1) Taken on a sunny day but there are
lovely fur highlights and clear details
apart from the eyes.
(2) A clear, detailed photo looking
straight at the camera.
(3) Personality shining through, some shadow but still clearly detailed and bright enough.
(4) Wonderful light with clear eye and fur detail.
If you are still unsure if your photo/s are appropriate, I'm more than happy to help you choose, please just get in touch.
(1) Taken on a sunny day but there are
lovely fur highlights and clear details
apart from the eyes.
(2) A clear, detailed photo looking
straight at the camera.
(3) Personality shining through, some shadow but still clearly detailed and bright enough.
(4) Wonderful light with clear eye and fur detail.
If you are still unsure if your photo/s are appropriate, I'm more than happy to help you choose, please just get in touch.