Pet Portrait Artist Commission Information

Pet Portraits Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time commissioning a pet portrait in pencil or oil from Nicholas or myself, we hope these frequently asked questions help. We have gathered the most common questions we are asked about our pet portrait service, and if you would like to get in touch and ask your own questions, please do! We would love to chat to you.

How much do your pet portraits cost?

Scroll up to view our prices and sizes. We offer larger sizes and bespoke sizes too. Please email us for details.

How long to the portraits take?

Both Nicholas and myself have an ongoing commission list, year round for our portraits. If you are looking to commission a pet portrait for a specific date, please let us know when enquiring.

Do you send your portraits worldwide?

Yes! Our pet portraits are in clients homes all over the world. Here in the UK to France, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Canada, America and Hawaii to name a few. We love chatting to clients and hearing about where they live. When you get in touch - let us know where you are from!

Do you send your oil portraits rolled?

Rolling a painting may cause damage to the surface of the painting. When it's then stretched onto stretcher bars, this can warp or damage the painting further. So we would never roll an oil painting. Our oil paintings are painted on ready stretched canvas, on hardwood stretchers ready for framing.

Do you work from photos?

We can't express enough how important photos are. We work from one main photo for the pose, however can use others for detail, colouring etc. We are unable to repose your pet. It isn't possible to look at a range of photos and then draw or paint your pet in a different pose, for our precise detailed work and realistic style. By basing the artwork on one photo we can be sure to capture your pets personality and character. It is definitely helpful to have lots of photos of your pet, and we can use others for detail and colouring. The photo you choose needs to depict your pet well - a photo where you would naturally say - "Ahh that’s really good of them". Remember - you know everything about your pet - however can only go by the photos you send.

Are you able to take photos of my horses?

We are sometimes able to visit clients to take photos of their horses, depending on where they reside. If you are looking at having an oil painting and are struggling to take photos, please contact us and we can discuss your options.

Can I see a design of how the portrait will look before starting work?

We always create mock-ups or designs of how the painting will look before putting pencil to paper or brush to canvas. We use Photoshop to create a design and composition so that we know what the portrait will look like. It is of course only a guide as we are limited using the computer to design the portrait, however it allows us and our clients to know exactly what the design of the portrait will be before starting. When Nicholas puts brush to canvas, or I put pencil to paper, it all comes together very naturally.

Do you ship artwork overseas?

We work with clients all over the world and our artwork is displayed far and wide in our clients homes - USA, Canada, Australia, France, Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong to name a few.

How do I place a deposit to secure a space?

Once we have viewed your photos and designed the portrait so that you know exactly what it will look like, a deposit is required to save your space in our commissions list. Clients based in the UK pay via bank transfer. Overseas clients can pay via debit, credit card or Amex. We email a secure invoice.

When do I pay the final amount?

Final payment is invoiced one week prior to starting. Please read our T&C's prior to ordering.

Do you offer installment options?

Yes. We can take a set payment each month until the portraits been paid in full. On the final payment, we can then start the artwork.

How many photos should I send?

As many as you have! The more the merrier! Nicholas and myself never tire of looking at your pets photos. They bring us joy and make us smile... and sometimes cry when we know they have passed. Our job is often like a roller coaster! We know how much they mean to you.

Can you combine single photos to create a group portrait?

We can create paintings or drawings of as many pets as you would like in the same piece of artwork. It's mostly best to provide separate photos of each pet, however seeing pets together does help. We can put them together in the drawing or painting for you. Have a read of our pet portraits photography tips page which should give you an idea of the kind of photos we work from and how to take them!

Can you take photos of my dog?

If you are in the UK and would like to visit our studio, you are more than welcome. We have a very safe and secure garden for your dogs to roam around in and if you have any questions about visiting just drop us a line. We can do a photo shoot with them outside and you can come into our studio for a cuppa. We can take then a look at the photos on the computer and choose which you feel would work best for your dog portrait and chat about its design. We do have chickens in our garden, so if you feel your dog would not get on with them, let us know and we will put them away safely.

What size photos do you need?

It is important to try to send us the largest sized photos you have. If you have WhatsApp you can send us photos direct from your photos app, or alternatively email them to us. Definitely try to avoid sending screenshots. If you need help just drop us a line!

Can you paint multiple dogs?

Yes, however the size of the paper or canvas governs how many pets you can have in one portrait. The more pets you would like in a portrait of together, the larger your portrait will need to be. So for instance a 12 x 10 pencil or oil painting can only accommodate one head and shoulders portrait, possibly a full body in pencil. If you have any questions about size please drop us a line.

How long does a pencil or oil painting take?

It can depend on the complexity of each portrait, whether the pet is long or short haired and the size of the portrait. There are many variables! We always try to give three weeks for an oil painting and two weeks for a pencil drawing.

Can I have a background in my portrait?

Yes! Oil paintings are the ultimate medium for pets in a scenic background, however pencil drawings are just as great. Send us your photos and let us know your ideas for a portrait and we can discuss your options.

What's difference between Oil and Pencil?

We create portraits in oils and pencil. Oil paintings are in full colour, painted by hand using fine brushes on Italian Linen canvas. Oil paintings don't need to be framed under glass. Pencil drawings are black and white (greyscale) and they are hand drawn using a range of pencils on Italian Fabriano paper. Drawing must be framed under glass with a mount / matt. The mediums cannot be mixed together in the same portrait.

Can I have a bespoke size?

All of our portraits are unique to each client and so you can have any size of portrait on paper or canvas. Email us with your ideas and we can chat about your requirements and send you a quote. Apart from your budget, you might like to think where you would like to display the painting or drawing. What size space do you have available - not forgetting to add extra on for framing. I often get my clients to cut out pieces of paper to various shapes and sizes and hold them up to the wall where they think they would like the painting or drawing to be. This helps clients to visualize what it would be like. If you need any help and guidance, do drop us a line.

Can amendments be made to the finished portrait?

A final photo of the painting or drawing is emailed to the client direct for them to check to see if they would like any tweaks made.

How much is shipping and how are portraits sent?

We have many years of experience in packing and sending pet portraits all over the world. We send our portraits on the best tracked services so that we know they are safe and secure when in transit. UK shipping is £35 and Overseas shipping starts at £100. Scroll up to see our beautiful packaging and how they all looked when shipped. Perfect to give as gifts. We always source eco friendly packaging, and we hope that our clients will reuse or recycle the packaging when it arrives.

Can I have a print of my portrait?

There are many printing companies online where you can order paper or canvas prints. If you would like this option, we can provide you with an edited, high resolution photo of your portrait for you to order as many prints as you would like for friends and family. Please let us know upon ordering so we can arrange this for you.

Do your frame your portraits?

Sadly our framers retired during Covid and we have not been able to find an equal replacement. Our craftsmen framers, created unique one of a kind, handmade frames and there are not that many companies that provide this service anymore. Because of this we decided not to replace them, so we are not currently offering framing. We can help you though, if you need any advice with framing, we have lots of experience and can always answer questions for you. if you find your own framers and they need to get in touch and ask us questions, they are more than welcome.

Can I buy a gift voucher?

Yes! Scroll up to read about our gift voucher cards and how the process works.

Can I use my painting or drawing commercially?

Please let us know when you enquire about a portrait if you are looking at using the portrait for packaging or logo design etc. We have worked with many companies over the years, our artwork is featured on many products. We do hold the copyright on our paintings and drawings so they must never be used without our permission. None of our commissioned work on our website can be used commercially as the copyright of the photos that we paint or draw from, belong to ourselves and our clients.

Do you display the portrait on your website?

We love adding our portraits on our website and writing stories about them on our blog. Our cleints also enjoy seeing their pets being honoured on our site too. If you would specifically prefer your name or your portrait not to appear, please do let us know when ordering. We are always very discreet. We have worked with a number of famous clients and their names are never promoted (unless allowed) We are a very private family, we only allow certain areas of our life to be shown online, so we understand the need for privacy!

Who are you?

If you have just arrived on our website and want to find out about us, Lily our Tibetan Terrier and our chickens, you can use the navigation at the top of our website in the 'about us' section. You can also read about our lifestyle, living in rural Wales in an old welsh cottage, how we have renovated it and the garden over the last 17 years along with our purpose built art studio in our woodland garden.