How to Commission a Portrait of your Pet
How to Commission a Portrait of your Pet
To begin with:
Please take a look through the gallery and see what sort of painting you would like - you might want a portrait with just the head or a larger one showing the whole of your pet. If you want two or more animals together that can easily be done, but I need to quote separately for this so please drop me an email isabella.ward@talk21.com or give me a call 07584 993996 to discuss. I usually do animal portraits in soft pastels but I can also do them in oil paints; just contact me for a quote. My portraits are usually done on A3 paper and with head only paintings are often life size for cats and dogs though smaller of course for horses! I don’t usually paint a detailed background but if you would like your horse (or dog) standing outside your house or in a field etc, that can be done - just contact me for a price.
Photographs
Once we have discussed what you want and agreed how much it will cost, unless you are in the London area, I will probably need you to send me some clear good quality photos of your pet, either as a hard copy by post or as jpg attachments. WhatsApp is an ideal way of sending photos to me. I have written some notes on how to take the best photos for me to work from - the better the photos the better the final portrait will be! Several photos are ideal, plus any other relevant information about your pet - its temperament, habits, how it might normally like to sit or lie, and if one photo shows the colour of its fur and eyes better than the others.
Timeframe
I can usually complete a portrait within two or three weeks so please don’t be afraid of giving me a deadline – it’s what works for me! If you need a portrait done quickly, get in touch and I will see what can be done depending on other commitments. I will also send you (by email) updates on your pet’s portrait before it is completed so you can let me know that you are happy with it.
Framing
Once the portrait is finished, I can either send it to you as it is for you to frame locally, or if you would rather I can frame it for you. For pastel portraits this will involve a mount, frame and glass; for oil paintings it will be just the frame. Both sorts of frames will come with fixings on the back so that they are ready to hang. Please see the page on picture framing for examples of frames and mounts, and the pricing. I can also frame any other pictures you might have: photographs, prints and oil paintings. I use all conservation framing materials as a matter of course and where required this is done to archival standards, so please do not hesitate to ask if you have any separate framing enquiries.
Pricing
The pricing below is for a head shot portrait with a plain background. For any variations (double portrait, background or for a full portrait, please contact me to discuss your requirements)
Soft Pastels (mounted but unframed)
Approx A3 size £220
Small cat portraits £90
To begin with:
Please take a look through the gallery and see what sort of painting you would like - you might want a portrait with just the head or a larger one showing the whole of your pet. If you want two or more animals together that can easily be done, but I need to quote separately for this so please drop me an email isabella.ward@talk21.com or give me a call 07584 993996 to discuss. I usually do animal portraits in soft pastels but I can also do them in oil paints; just contact me for a quote. My portraits are usually done on A3 paper and with head only paintings are often life size for cats and dogs though smaller of course for horses! I don’t usually paint a detailed background but if you would like your horse (or dog) standing outside your house or in a field etc, that can be done - just contact me for a price.
Photographs
Once we have discussed what you want and agreed how much it will cost, unless you are in the London area, I will probably need you to send me some clear good quality photos of your pet, either as a hard copy by post or as jpg attachments. WhatsApp is an ideal way of sending photos to me. I have written some notes on how to take the best photos for me to work from - the better the photos the better the final portrait will be! Several photos are ideal, plus any other relevant information about your pet - its temperament, habits, how it might normally like to sit or lie, and if one photo shows the colour of its fur and eyes better than the others.
Timeframe
I can usually complete a portrait within two or three weeks so please don’t be afraid of giving me a deadline – it’s what works for me! If you need a portrait done quickly, get in touch and I will see what can be done depending on other commitments. I will also send you (by email) updates on your pet’s portrait before it is completed so you can let me know that you are happy with it.
Framing
Once the portrait is finished, I can either send it to you as it is for you to frame locally, or if you would rather I can frame it for you. For pastel portraits this will involve a mount, frame and glass; for oil paintings it will be just the frame. Both sorts of frames will come with fixings on the back so that they are ready to hang. Please see the page on picture framing for examples of frames and mounts, and the pricing. I can also frame any other pictures you might have: photographs, prints and oil paintings. I use all conservation framing materials as a matter of course and where required this is done to archival standards, so please do not hesitate to ask if you have any separate framing enquiries.
Pricing
The pricing below is for a head shot portrait with a plain background. For any variations (double portrait, background or for a full portrait, please contact me to discuss your requirements)
Soft Pastels (mounted but unframed)
Approx A3 size £220
Small cat portraits £90