COMMISSIONS
If you would like to commission your own portrait it is a very simple process. All you need to do is email me a few of your favourite, great quality photos of your pet and I will get back to you with a proof so you can decide if you like your portrait. If you do we can arrange delivery, either digitally or as a print; if you don't then no problem, there is no obligation to purchase unless you love it!
You will notice from my gallery that I draw in three destinct styles using different brush sets; watercolour, oil and mixed media (see examples below). If you have a preference for your portrait let me know when ordering, if you don't specify I will draw using watercolour brushes. Please note portraits drawn with mixed media brushes carry a surcharge to cover the extra time involved, see details here.
My portraits are painted on a Wacom Cintiq using vectored real watercolour or oil strokes as the brush set.
PHOTO QUALITY
In order to create a beautiful digital portrait I need a good quality photograph to work from, I blow them up huge and then zoom right in to brush the fine detail. Photos taken with a modern smartphone are absolutely fine as far as resolution is concerned but also consider the composition; we are going for:
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Good resolution; modern smartphone quality is fine
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In sharp focus; no blurring with nice clear edges
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In good lighting; no direct light source behind the subject
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Pet in shot; no cropping of head, ears or shoulders off the sides of the photo
LIKE THIS
NOT LIKE THIS
If you are in doubt about the suitability of your photos email them to me and I will let you know if they are suitable. It is often helpful to send me a few photos to choose from so I can select the one that will give the best results, also I can sometimes composite the best part of different photos together.
MULTIPLE PETS
I can create a composite making one digital portrait of multiple pets from separate photographs, this is a wonderful way of having past loves and current pets in the same space and time. There is a £10 (approx. $13 / €12) surcharge per additional pet for this to cover the extra work involved (e.g. a composite of 3 dogs would have a £20 surcharge).
There are certain conditions that your photographs must meet in order to 'sell' the composite so it doesn't look like a collage of pets that obviously don't exist in the same space, these are:
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Each photo must be exceptional quality
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Consistency of composition; each pet must be shot from the same angle and the same distance
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Pet in shot; no cropping at all off the sides of the photo for each pet
Again, if you are unsure about the suitability of your photos just send them anyway and I will let you know if they will make a convincing composite.
TURNAROUND
The lead time from order to proof depends greatly on the time of year and my workload. If you are considering commissioning a digital portrait for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary then please contact me with your deadline and I will try to accommodate where possible. I will keep the turnaround below as accurate as possible, however, it is just a guide.
GIFT:
GALLERY:
1 - 2 weeks
2 - 3 weeks