I am currently taking on a limited number of  pet commissions. These are in the form of graphite pencil drawings at either A4 or A3 size (approximately 8.5 x 11.5 inches, or 17 x 11.5 inches) The accompanying photographs show an example of what I produce.

Use my contact page to make your initial enquiry.

Reference Material
I work exclusively from my customer's photographs, so you get to choose your own favourite pose, but, and I can't stress this enough, these photos must be of a reasonable size, in sharp focus and with plenty of detail. Please don't be offended, but to avoid disappointment I'm afraid I will have to refuse to work from any poor quality images that are blurred, with poor detail or of insufficient size.  Screen shots of a mobile phone screen just won't ever do. I can only produce good work from good references.

Send reference photographs via email or if your files are particularly large then please use a file transfer site such as Wetransfer.com which is free and gives an excellent service.

Some basic photography tips are listed at the bottom of this page, to help you to produce the best image possible for me to work from.

Framing
I make frames for all of my work from a limited selection of mouldings, which is included in the final price. I mount my pencil drawings in a simple white mount and use a flat, brushed silver effect frame (as in my photograph) which I think suits the medium very well.

Pricing and delivery
My prices include mounting and framing, as well as free UK delivery which is normally via next day courier (UPS) Customers outide of the UK will need to contact me for a seperate quote regarding shipping. Please note, I don't at this time send work to EU countries.

A4 single subject - £165
A3 single or double subject - £225
2 seperate A4 drawings - £300
2 seperate A3 drawings - £400

I require a non-refundable deposit of 20% of the full price before I begin work, with the balance due upon completion before sending out. I will email a final image of your artwork to you before we settle up. In the unlikely event of any concerns, they can be addressed at that point before framing.

Basic Photography Tips
If you have a phone with a decent camera then it's fine to use that, otherwise perhaps use a proper camera if you have access to one. Always use the highest resulution setting available. In general. Screen shots of a mobile phone screen just won't ever be good enough.

Take photos of your subject outside if possible, in natural daylight and use a tripod if you have one.

Try to shoot from your pet's eye level. For my example I stood little Bono on a convenient rock platform to achieve this, but a garden bench or table will do the trick, or something similar.

If possible shoot slightly from one side to avoid too much foreshortening of the face, particularly with long nosed animals. An oblique angle will also give me better scope for the composition with the face as more of a focal point.

The background of your photo is usually unimportant as I can change this if needs be. Plain or simple backgrounds, or even none at all work best in my opinion, but let me know if you particularly want something left in.

Make sure that the picture is sharply focussed and avoid using a flash. The eyes are what can make or break a good portrait likeness, so try to focus on them.

I realise how difficult some pets can be to photograph. Be prepared to take dozens of photos until the right one 'happens'.

Send the photos in their original JPEG format ie. don’t crop or edit them as this can decrease the size and resolution of the image. I can make any adjustments I need at this end.

Send the images via email attachment or via a file transfer program such as Wetransfer.com.
If you only have a printed copy, eg for a deceased pet from long ago, then I can scan and return your photograph to you. (I promise to look after it, but can't be held reponsible for the postal service)

Ultimately the decision is yours as to what look or pose you want from your pet to display their personality and what portrays them best!

Some examples of previous pet portrait commissions can be found in my commissions gallery below.