original photo
and finished
pet portrait

Once you have decided whether you would like a drawing or painting of your pet, it is often worth taking a few new photos if you can, with the portrait in mind. The clearer and closer the photo that you can give me to work from, the more detail I'll be able to see in their fur (or feathers!) and colouring, and the better the portrait will be.

Remember to remove their collar, bridle  or saddle if you'd rather it didn't appear in the final picture as this will help me. If you want a full-length portrait, try not to cut off your pet's feet!

'Willow' (pencil on paper). I think that profile or 3/4 views are especially good for dogs.

Of course for a memorial portrait of your pet this won't be possible, so I will do my best to work from the photos that you have. I understand that you may have a limited number and they may not all be ideal. If you are not sure which photos would be best for me to work from, get in touch and I'll tell you what I think, or try my FAQ section for advice.

Even more than with portraits of people, it is useful to see more than one photo of your pet if you are commissioning a painting. For a pet portrait painting, in order to get a really accurate idea of the shade of their fur I prefer to see several images which is particularly critical to obtaining a good likeness. You may be surprised how different fur colour can appear in different photos depending on the lighting conditions in which the photo was taken!

As well as the sizes available for portraits of people (see prices page), mini box canvasses, shown below, are available for pets, suitable for its head and shoulders. The dimensions of these canvasses are 15 x 15 cm square (6" x 6") and 38mm thick. These are a good choice for a more economical present, especially for a child.

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