Please note I have stopped taking commissions for the time being as I am currently travelling in Asia.
The advice below is still relevant for taking great pictures of your pet though.
A commissioned art work is a unique original piece, which is a collaboration of effort and ideas from both the artist and the person commissioning the artwork. Usually the person commissioning the artwork will have an idea or examples of the kind of work they like, or may already have reference images for the artist to work from. Before accepting a commission I will talk through your ideas, any reference material you may have and the possibilities for the artwork with you. This could include some sketches (either on paper or digitally) for more complicated commissions e.g. using multiple reference photos. At this stage changes to the commission brief can be made (such as changing backgrounds, altering colours, removing a collar). I will always make sure that you are happy before I begin the physical artwork. Once confirmed I will ask for a deposit. After this I cannot guarantee that any requests for changes can be accommodated.
Pet portraits are my most regular type of commission though I will accept any subject that I think will fit with my style and interests, particularly wildlife, nature and marine themes. If you have any questions regarding commissions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Below are some general guidelines for what to think about when ordering a commission but please don’t feel that you need to know all (or any!) of the answers before getting in touch! I will always be happy to discus the various options with you and what will best represent your wishes.
What is the look you’re going for?
Think about the room that the artwork is going to be displayed in and the colour scheme of the room and furniture. Do you want the artwork to match or stand out?
What size and shape?
The larger the artwork the more impact it will have and the easier it will be to include lots of details but it will take more time.
Think about how much room you have on the wall and remember it will take up more space when framed.
I can do any size or shape of artwork you like, so make sure to consider how different shapes might change the composition.
Materials
I like to work in a variety of mediums. Each one has different advantages and a slightly different look. I love creating in different mediums because it keeps things interesting for me. Most of the skills are transferable between each one but each has it’s different advantages. I offer acrylic or oil paintings or graphite, pastel or coloured pencil drawings. All of the materials I use are lightfast, meaning the pigments have a good resistance to fading and acid free, meaning they will resist yellowing. All of this ensures your artwork will last a lifetime!
Most commissioned paintings are in acrylics because they dry much faster than oils so they can be varnished and shipped quickly after finishing the painting. Oil paint is slower drying but has beautiful blending qualities so is very good for out of focus backgrounds. They look very similar once they are varnished.
Oil painting
Acrylic painting
Drawings look more different from one another. Graphite is in greyscale and is suitable for any size. Coloured pencil is good for putting lots of detail into a small space so this is good for smaller artworks or where no large complicated background is needed. Pastels are excellent for creating smooth blending and out of focus backgrounds.
Graphite
Pastel
Coloured pencil
Sometimes it can be advantageous to mix media to get the benefits of each. There are almost endless possibilities of mediums, combinations of mediums and surfaces to work on. If you don’t mind what medium or surface your artwork is in I will make suggestions for what could work best with your particular commission and how you would like the final result to look.
Framing
The fame will make a big difference to the look of the completed piece. Any artwork on paper (i.e. coloured pencil, pastel or graphite) will need to be mounted and framed behind glass. The frame will make the artwork look bigger and more impactful as it will take up more space on the wall. This is also an additional cost that you will need to consider. Paintings do not need to be framed and I will paint the side of the canvas so that you have the option to frame or not. Paintings are not usually framed behind glass and are typically displayed in a box frame
Acrylic painting in a box frame
Coloured pencil drawing mounted and framed behind glass
There are many different options for framing from choice of wood to colour of the mount if a mount is necessary. If you would like to have your artwork professionally framed before being sent to you please contact me for a framing quote. Alternatively you can visit your local professional framer and they will take you through the various options they provide.
Reference Photo Guide
I always work from reference, either from photos or from life. To produce quality artwork I need to work from quality reference. I can only work from photos where I have the photographers permission to produce artwork from it. If you would like to commission an artwork but do not have the means to obtain your own reference photos please contact me; I often purchase the rights to work from photos so I will work with you to find the perfect reference for your artwork.
Taking reference photos of a pet
You don’t need a fancy camera to take a good photo. Most phone cameras are good enough these days. There are a few things you need to watch out for when taking a photo for a painting. Not all good photos make good reference to work from!
This photo isn’t good enough to work from. Although I can see some details in the face, there is a lot of information missing and the angle and position isn’t the best to show him off at his best.
We’re looking down on him here which might not look good in a painting that is hung on the wall and will be viewed from eye level.
The photo is slightly blurred so I can’t see all of the detail in the fur on the face and very little detail elsewhere. His head is also at an angle with half of the head in shadow so I can’t clearly see both eyes.
The chest area is overexposed which means I cant see any detail in the fur here.
This is nice because he is coming back with his ball and is in one of his favourite places. Think about if you want to include some favourite elements in the portrait like a place or toy.
He is outside which is good but he is in powerful sunlight which makes the contrast between lights and darks a bit extreme. I would need to check to see if I can see any detail in the lightest and darkest parts of the fur. So long as I can see detail then the lighting can be softened in the portrait. I often edit photos to try and bring out more detail than you can see in the original photo.
He is a relatively small part of the photo so the resolution that I can see will be limited. This is fine for smaller, less detailed paintings or a portrait which incorporates lots of the background but would not be good for a very large, close up or very detailed piece.
The harness is obstructive to being able to see the chest fur so that may be difficult to remove. Additional photos of him in roughly the same position without the harness on would be really useful to see the fur direction and texture.
Good lighting. He is close to the camera. I can see plenty of detail including eyes and fur direction and texture all over the body. Good position with the whole body visible and were at eye level with him. He is looking towards the camera. He is doing what he loves and he is showing his character.
