The Pet Portrait Artist
Philippa Jane Ellis
Example Commission
This is an example of the stages of a recent commission that I undertook.
This gentleman wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a portrait of her two lovely pet dogs Oscar and Lucky for her birthday.
He contacted me by e-mail attaching a number of photographs that he had taken of Oscar and Lucky and we agreed on the portrait size and he chose to have a pastel portrait painted. Each dog was photographed separately, and from these I produced a plan of how a double portrait would look.
The gentleman paid a 25% deposit online using paypal, and a deadline for completion was set.
At regular intervals, I sent updates on the progress of the portrait to my clients e-mail account, allowing him to see how it was progressing and allow any changes to be made.
On completion, the client paid the remaining deposit online using the secure paypal, and the portrait was posted via Royal Mail by registered post.
The client was very happy with the painting, and chose a black modern frame to complement the portrait and his girlfriends home.
On the day of his girlfriend's birthday, she was absolutely delighted to receive this really special and personal gift.
Choose your Preferred Style
Pencil portraits give a clean, classy and timeless look to the painting, but they can really only be accomplished if the source photograph is very clear due to the detailed nature of this medium. They will look good framed in either a contemporary or traditional manner, and they look stylish and elegant.
I always think that they look especially good if the subject has quite an interesting expression, as does the little dachshund in the portrait opposite.
Pastel portraits give a warmer look and also obviously celebrate and show off your animals coat and eye colour, you have the choice of a smokey, plain or detailed background, see the pastel gallery for details of each type.
My pastel portraits can capture a lovely dreamy mood of your pet, and if the light is falling on the subject in a wistful and romantic way, then these portraits work well. Please see Gallery.
Photography Tips
As I work from photographs, the first requirement is a clear and attractive photograph of your pet. The success of a portrait is in part down to the quality of the photograph that you supply.
There are certain tips that can result in the best possible photograph. An overview of which I have given below.
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Try to get down to the eye level of your pet. A good tip for this if you don't fancy lying on the carpet , camera in hand, which just tends to understandably alarm your little friend! is to take the photograph when your dog is sitting in the car waiting for his/her trip out. If it's a cat, then it is easier as they tend to sit quite happily on windowsills or sofas. Horses being at eye level and generally kept outside are somewhat easier to photograph, but avoid looking up at your horses face as this distorts the image.
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By far the best photographs will be taken with a camera, on a bright sunny day with your dog sitting in the car looking relaxed but alert, however most people have their mobile phone or electronic tablet with them which can also be great to capture that special moment.
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The sun should not be behind the subject as this will result in silhouetting of your pet, also too much sun shining into your pets face will cause squinting and loss of definition in the photograph.
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A selection of pictures showing the colour of your pets fur and eyes is very useful for me to work from.
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If the portrait is for a friend, and you cannot get a photograph of their pet easily, then another idea is to give one of my Pet Portrait Gift Vouchers. This allows them to take their time choosing a suitable photograph from which I will work. It also means that if they have e-mail, then I can send them scans of the portraits progress which is an enjoyable part of the process.
Examples of good photographs
Example of clear photograph, but looking down on subject causes distortion
Still cute though!
How To Order
It is a very simple process to order a pet portrait for yourself or as a gift for somebody special.
The four stages are:-
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Send photograph and any other details of your beloved pet electronically by e-mail to philippa@thepetportraitartist.com
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Secure your commission by paying a 25% deposit by card or bank transfer
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Receive regular updates on the progress of your portrait via your e-mail account.
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Once you have approved your portrait, you will then need to settle the remaining balance by card or bank transfer and then your bespoke pet portrait will be delivered by Royal Mail recorded delivery.