Pet Portraits Studio and Materials – Behind the Scenes
Welcome to our pet portraits studio, where we create all of our bespoke pet portraits! As you may already be aware, my name is Melanie, and I draw all of the pencil portraits. My husband, Nicholas, is the oil painter, creating traditional hand-painted dog and animal portraits.
We hope you enjoy reading about where we live and our garden art studio, along with viewing all the photos too.
Our garden — the studio is nestled among the trees
Our Garden Studio
We have been in business since 1996, and for years we worked from whatever room we could — a spare bedroom, a corner of the house, anywhere with space. In March 2014, we finally converted our 20 x 14 foot workshop into a full-time studio. It’s tucked away in a peaceful wooded part of our garden, away from the cottage and lane — a perfect, quiet spot for work.
We had builders insulate it top to bottom, install floorboards, tongue and groove walls, double glazing, and a triple-layer felt roof. With a heating system too, it's warm and cozy year-round — pure bliss. Scroll down to see photos of the renovation and inside the studio.
My tilted drawing desk and studio setup
Melanie's Work Area for Pencil Portraits
We have created a lovely work environment that suits us both. Its taken me a while to get my area just how I wanted it. I envisaged being surrounded by lots of plants and greenery with shelving where I had access to keep my art materials and packing which I am managing to achieve as you can see.
I use a tilted drawing desk. The plan chest holds all of my paper and I have a little unit behind my chair with all of my pencils in. Under the worktop there is more storage.
Having a setup that works well not only to look aesthetically pleasing but to also work well for daily use is really important.
Nicholas's easel and painting setup
Nicholas’s Painting Station for Oil Portraits
Nicholas prefers to stand at his easel and I snapped this photo while he was just looking at Lily, it was a complete fluke that I caught the moment between them just right. His oak kitchen trolley holds all of his oil paints, brushes, and mixing tools. It’s the perfect height for keeping everything he needs there while painting. It even has a kitchen roll holder, perfect for cleanup!
You can also see all of his lighting around him along with being right next to the window so its a lovely light space and environment for him to work. It’s a simple but efficient layout that he loves.
Mounted iPad for viewing reference photos
Working from Reference Photos
Nicholas uses a few different ways to view reference images while he paints. Idepends on the subject and how complicated the commission is. Sometimes he prints photos and sometimes he uses his iPad. The ipad is fairly old now as it goes onto a special ipad mount which you cant seem to buy anymore. So lets hope our ipads last another few years yet! Its mounted to a beam so keeps everything at eye level.
Every part of the studio is designed to make the creative process as smooth as possible.
Client area and our vintage plan chest
Welcoming Visitors to Our Studio
Our clients are always welcome to visit our studio. When customers collect their paintings or drawings we usually have a cuppa in our cosy cottage and then head down to the studio for the big reveal. Clients love to see what we are working on and how everything is set up.
If clients ever would like to visit, please let us know and we can arrange a time. We always love meeting our clients!
Working on a cat portrait at my drawing desk
Studio Office Area
This is our office area where Nicholas and I sit together to do daily tasks like mock-ups for clients, social media and the website design. We collaborate to give the customer and our readers the best service! We have worked together like this for 28 years. A lot of people have said that they couldn't work as close with their other halves. Nicholas and I are always surprised at this as we work so well together. We are a true team. I wouldn't want it any other way.
As you can see the view through our back windows stretches across down into a grassy meadow. It’s perfect for birdwatching too.
Nicholas signing one of his paintings
Signing Off with Care
This photo shows Nicholas signing one of his portraits. Every painting and drawing we create is completed entirely by us, right here in our little studio. It’s a hands-on, personal process from start to finish, which is why we often have fairly long waiting lists.
Each piece is crafted with care and attention, and we would’t have it any other way.
Our Photogrpahy Light set up
Behind the Scenes of Artwork Photography
This is where we take photos of the artwork. We have photography lights above the plan chest and we use a mini easel to place the artwork on for photographing. We use the ring light and the tripod that you can see is stored on the wall when we need to photograph the artwork. its handy to keep them on the wall out of the way, especially tripod legs of the ring light, its easy to trip over!
Taking photos and video of the artwork is really important for us and the area needs to be kept clean and tidy all the time, especially when taking photos of oil paintings and pencil drawings as everything needs to be pristine for the drawings!.
If it's on the floor, it's a bed. That's the rule.
Studio Comforts for Lily
Lily has plenty of beds in the studio, although she does love this rug. She not only has lots of beds in the studio she has a bed in every room of the cottage pretty much! She is very well looked after and quite content as you can see. She will happily sleep on just about anything. When we open packaging from art materials she is the first to sleep on the cardboard. Leave a jumper on the floor and within minutes, she’s claimed it. With a Tibetan Terrier, nothing is truly yours. If it’s soft and unattended, it’s hers!
She keeps us company wherever we are and always finds the coziest spot in the room, we love her to bits.
Breakfast under the trees outside the studio
Studio Life in Spring and Summer
When the spring and summer weather arrives, we make the most of it by having breakfast and lunch out in the garden, just outside the studio. It’s a peaceful spot, shaded by trees that provide beautiful dappled light. The birds and wildlife love it just as much as we do. Not to mention the chickens in the garden who often come and see us for leftovers if we let them out of their pen.
It’s the perfect setting for a quiet break and a reminder of how lucky we are to work where we do.
Renovating Our Art Studio
In 2014, we took the leap and transformed our old 20 x 14 foot garden workshop into a fully functioning art studio. Until then, we’d always worked from a spare room, but with our business growing, we knew it was time for a dedicated space built just for our needs. Nestled in a peaceful corner of our garden, the studio is now the heart of everything we do.
Scroll down to see the full renovation journey, from the bare bones of the old shed to the warm, light-filled creative space we work in today.
Stripping back the old workshop — floor first!
The Renovation Begins
Here are a few photos from the renovation process, which took about nine weeks from start to finish. This first shot shows the bare-bones structure of our old workshop shed. The first job was to lift the floor and insulate it, ready to turn this space into a proper, year-round studio.
We had builders to renovate for us who employed electricians, plumbers, and a specialist carpenter who did all our interior cladding beautifully.
Wall insulation going in before panelling
Walls, Insulation, and Panelling
In this photo, you can see the insulation going up on the walls. Once that was all in place, we fitted tongue and groove paneling over the top to give it a warm, traditional feel — it made such a difference to the look and feel of the space.
Everything was designed to keep us warm, dry, and comfortable all year round.
Lily giving her approval mid-renovation
Progress and Paws-on Supervision
This photo shows the new double-glazed windows replacing the single glazed, along with the new double-glazed door too. At this point, the cladding was going on the walls, and it was looking amazing; we couldn't wait for it to be complete!
Lily approved, and so did we — it was all starting to take shape by this stage.
New triple-layer roof, door and windows installed
Doors, Windows, and Roofing
At this point in the renovation, we had the new triple-layer felt roof installed. The new double-glazed windows still had their white wrappers on; we chose dark grey windows for a classic look.
The studio was becoming warm, bright, and weatherproof — exactly what we’d hoped for.
Floor varnished and kitchen area going in
Almost There…
Here you can see the undercoat on the studio walls and the kitchen area starting to take shape, complete with a sink and worktops. We varnished the floor about four times — it turned out so good it almost felt wrong to walk on it!
The finishing touches were coming together, and it finally started to feel like a true working studio.
Our Art Materials
We believe that creating timeless artwork starts with using the very best materials available. Every pencil, brush, canvas, and sheet of paper we use has been carefully selected to ensure the highest quality, longevity, and finish. Whether it's Nicholas painting in oils or myself drawing in pencil, we use professional, archival-grade materials sourced from trusted suppliers here in the UK. This means that every portrait we create isn’t just a likeness; it’s a lasting keepsake made to stand the test of time.
Below you’ll find a behind-the-scenes look at the tools and materials we rely on every day in our studio.
Winsor and Newton linen canvas for oil paintings
Only the Best Materials
Most of the materials we purchase are from Jackson’s Art Supplies, a great UK-based art materials supplier with plenty of choice. They are very reliable and have a fast delivery service. I'm certain that most artists reading this will have heard of Jacksons; we do use others now and again, like Rosemarie's Brushes, who make the most amazing brushes! Highly recommended.
It’s important to us that every portrait stands the test of time.
Fabriano paper — my favourite for pencil drawings
Finding the Right Paper
In 1993, I visited Florence, Italy, and brought back a selection of fine art papers to experiment with. Of all the types I tried, the Italian Fabriano range stood out. My favorite is a heavy-weight, hot-pressed version in a soft off-white tone, complete with a beautiful deckled edge — as you can see in the photo.
It has the perfect surface for classic pencil work: smooth, strong, and timeless.
My go-to pencils — Derwent, Faber Castell and Mars Lumograph
The Tools I Trust for Pencil Work
For my pencil work, I use a variety of trusted brands including Derwent, Faber-Castell, and Mars Lumograph. Each has its strengths, and I choose depending on the detail I’m working on. In the photo, you can see some of my pencils laid out, along with one of my completed portraits in the background.
Good tools make all the difference when you are working at this level of precision.
Nicholas’s brushes and palette – tuned to his style
Tools of the Trade for Oil Painting
Nicholas’s brushes and palette are key to his painting process. Every tool is fine-tuned to how he works, even down to his personal palette of colors, which is as individual as any artist's signature. The way he mixes and applies paint is a reflection of years of practice and precision.
His setup may look simple, but it’s deeply intentional and carefully curated.
One of Nicholas’s brush pots — ready for the next portrait
Brushes for Every Detail
All of Nicholas’s portraits are painted using traditional oil paints. He uses a wide range of brush sizes and brands, depending on the subject and size of the piece. This photo shows one of his brush pots, part of his newest set, which we keep fully stocked. You might spot some very large brushes, which he uses for soft, sweeping backgrounds on larger paintings.
Each brush has its place and purpose; it’s all part of the craft.
A fresh batch of canvases ready for commissions
The Rhythm of the Studio
There’s always something happening in our studio! We order canvases for every commission, tailored to each client’s request. I took this quick photo just after a delivery arrived, the next batch of portraits waiting to begin. It's a constant cycle of sketching, painting, packing, and posting.
It’s never a dull day, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
