Pet Portrait Commissions
When you commission a portrait from me, you’re not just getting a hand drawn image of your beloved pet – you’re getting a labour of love, a hyper realistic interpretation of your furry (or feathery) best friend.
I am devoted to bringing your pet to life on paper, creating and improving on the likeness a photograph can give, and giving you the best possible tribute that you can cherish for years to come.


The Process
The first step is deciding the size of your portrait. This will depend on your budget and where you’re thinking of hanging the final piece. In my opinion, the bigger the better so that all the tiny details that go in to making your pet come to life are easily added and easily seen. However, a lot of people do opt for a smaller size and I am still able to get full detail impact even on a small scale.
Next is looking at photographs you have available. Ideally, clear, well-lit, high resolution photos are best however, I know in some cases that this just isn’t possible and I will do my best to work with what you have. I like to have a selection sent over so that I can really see the character of the pet – even if they’re not ones in a great pose, send them over so I can see just how goofy or straight-laced your pet is.
Once you’ve got both those in order, the next step is to contact me with your ideas, photos and portrait size and we can discuss a composition that works for both of us. Usually full head or bust portraits look best, but sometimes a portrait with your pets favourite toy is just too cute to pass up.
Once we’ve had a discussion and you feel confident to continue to book, a 20% deposit is required to secure your space in my diary. Be sure to tell me if the portrait is needed for a specific date and I will do my best to accomodate this for you.
Once the deposit has been received – that’s it! Now it’s just waiting until your date comes up and we can begin the best part of the commission process – the updates!
Throughout the process, I will send you updates and lots of pictures to make sure you’re happy with how to portrait is coming together. I’ll send you a mock up of the composition and once that’s approved, the colouring can begin and you can watch your pet come to life on the paper.
Materials
Your portrait will be drawn using the highest quality Faber-Castell Polychromos and Derwent Lightfast Coloured Pencils. Both of these are artist grade and have a high lightfastness meaning your portrait will stand the test of time.
I only use 100% cotton, Hot-Pressed papers. These are super smooth, acid free and allow your portrait to jump off the page with all the fine details that can be added in.
Deposits and Payments
A 20% deposit of the final portrait price is required to book your portrait and secure a space in my diary for 2023. Deposits are non-refundable in the event that you cancel the portrait slot. However, in the event that I am unable to fulfil your portrait and need to cancel, the deposit will be refunded in full.
All payments are to be made via PayPal invoice where you can either pay with your PayPal account, or with a credit/debit card. All payments will need to be made 7 days prior to starting your portrait.
Payment plans are available to help spread the cost. Mention this in your email when booking and we can discuss what the best options for you.
All prices include postage to the UK. Overseas postage costs are not included and will be quoted based on individual portrait size and postage country.
Ready to book?
Send me an email, along with any photos you have to hand of the commission you’d like and we can discuss the next steps and a potential booking date!
email: hello@amiehowardart.com