placing an order

Ordering a portrait is pretty simple and I endeavour to make the process as straightforward as possible! Broadly speaking, this is the process we'll go through together during the creation of your bespoke pet portrait:

• First things first: get in touch!
  Either drop me an e-mail, or give me a call for a chat about your requirements.
• Send me your photos!
  All of my portraits are drawn from photographs. If you've got several that you think would make a good portrait, send them all and I'll help you to narrow it down. I can also combine photos (within reason - I can't totally repose an animal for example), so if the top of your pet's head is missing in an otherwise perfect photo, I can work around that. Photographs can be traditional/printed (these will be returned to you) or digital (these are best sent to me via e-mail; please send the highest resolution available - do not resize images before sending). Some advice about taking good source photographs can be found here.
• Draft and quote
  I'll prepare a quote and create a draft of the portrait on my computer in Photoshop, incorporating your suggestions to produce an image for you to approve. As I strive for a very high level of realism in my portraits, the draft will be extremely close to the final artwork. This way, you know exactly what you're getting even before I've put pencil to paper. If you're torn between two or more different sizes or compositions, I'll send you a draft (and a quote) for each for you to choose from.
• Deposit
  Once you're happy with the draft, I just require a 25% deposit (payable via cheque or bank transfer) to secure the commission.
• Final artwork
  Now the exciting bit! I now create your portrait based on the draft and using your photos for additional reference if necessary. If you like, I can keep you informed of the progress with regular e-mail updates with work-in-progress scans.
• Delivery
  Once the portrait is complete, I'll e-mail you a final scan of the artwork. If any minor, last-minute alterations are needed, these are completed and then a final invoice for the remainder of the balance will be sent to you and the portrait is despatched by Royal Mail Special Delivery. I'll also e-mail you the tracking code for the package so you can track its progress.
• Delighted with your portrait? Why not consider writing a testimonial?
  I'm always extremely gratified to hear from my clients - if you'd like to write a testimonial describing your experience of using my services, it would be very kind of you. Testimonials appear here.

The portraits usually take between a week and a fortnight to complete, once you've approved the final draft and I've received your deposit; however this may vary depending on the size and complexity of the image, as well as my workload. If you are thinking of getting a portrait as a gift for a specific date or occasion, please let me know when ordering and I will endeavour to get it finished and sent out to you in good time. I pride myself on having never missed a deadline. The run-up to Christmas can be very busy, so do bear that in mind - ordering well in advance is advisable. Further information about Christmas ordering can be found here.

So if you would like to commission a pet portrait, would like more information, or just want to chat about an idea for a portrait, please get in touch: