Portrait prices vary depending on size and complexity – essentially, they’re based on how long it takes to draw. Below is a quick guide, but you can find more details about how much pet portraits cost here.

I generally work maintain an order book of about 6 months. If you have a particular deadline in mind, let me know as I may be able to juggle some of my wildlife projects and squeeze you in.

Most portraits take around a week to draw. I’ll let you know when I’m about to start and give you progress updates throughout.

I use only the finest quality materials to ensure your portrait gives you many years of enjoyment. Generally, the pet portraits on this website that have white backgrounds have been drawn with coloured pencils, and the portraits with coloured backgrounds have been drawn with pastels. There are many brands available, which suit slightly different applications. For more comprehensive details, please see the links below:
Find out more about coloured pencils
Find out more about pastels
Find out more about paper

Yes. If I have your permission to post progress on my social media pages, then that will be the best place to keep track of how your portrait is coming along. Otherwise I can e-mail you an update each day.

Yes – portraits featuring two or three pets can look fantastic. Generally, this will result in a larger and more complex portrait which will impact the price, although a double dog portrait will be slightly cheaper than two separate portraits for example. I wouldn’t usually go beyond three subjects as it will result in each of them being quite small, but I am always happy to discuss, and I can show you some examples of how I have tackled this in the past with up to five pets.
If your reference photos don’t show the pets together, that’s fine – I can combine separate photos, but they would ideally be taken from a similar perspective and lighting conditions. I will always provide you with a mock-up to approve before I start work.

Of course. This is something I will discuss quite early on in the process. For example, do you want to remove your dog’s lead or harness, or perhaps your horse’s bridle if they appear in the photograph. It is fairly straightforward to do this, although I may require some additional photographs to ensure I accurately reproduce what is hidden in the main photo. For many pet portraits, it can be fun to include a favourite ball or toy, so I’m always happy to keep them in.

Yes. I draw most of my pet portraits with either a white background or a neutral colour, which helps keep the focus on your pet. This gets rid of any unwanted elements, so it really doesn’t matter if your chosen photo has a background that you don’t like. However, I can leave it in or even create something if you want your pet or horse to appear in a favourite location perhaps.

This is one of the earliest considerations, and you probably already have a rough size in mind if you know where you want to hang your portrait. I have more details on pet portrait sizes here, but you will also need to think about:
– cost – larger portraits will cost more
– detail – larger portraits will have a lot more detail, but if I only have low resolution photos to work from, it can sometimes be better to go for a smaller size. Read more about choosing the right photo for pet portraits here.
– multiple subjects – if you have more than one subject in the portrait, then you will need to go larger in order to keep enough detail in each.

Of course! When you commission a pet or horse portrait drawn by me, you own the artwork and you’re free to do whatever you want with it. If you’re happy linking back to my profiles or website, I’d be really grateful as it helps my business, but there’s no obligation.

I usually work from one favourite photo, but it’s always useful to have additional pictures that show hidden or missing details, or show more realistic colours if the main photo was taken in unusual lighting conditions.

Working to a very high level of detail means that I really need good quality photos (see more about choosing and taking photos of your pet here). Sometimes, particularly if an animal is no longer with us, I understand that it’s not possible to get a great photo. I’m happy to look at the photos you do have, and advise further as it’s sometimes possible to recreate elements. However, the bottom line is that the better the photo I work from, the better the portrait I can produce.

For UK customers, I can accept payments by bank transfer, PayPal, credit/debit card, or cheque. For overseas customers, bank transfer or PayPal seem to be the simplest methods. Let me know if you have any specific questions, and I’ll find out the answer.

Ultimately I want you to be absolutely delighted with your portrait, and will do whatever it takes to ensure it’s perfect for you. Also, I’ll only ever take the balance payment once you’re happy with the portrait. As a last resort, I’d certainly offer a refund but it has never happened yet!

Yes, you can pay in your own currency. When I provide a quote for overseas customers, I just use the day’s exchange rate to tell you what it would be in your own currency. Your bank or PayPal will convert it during the transfer so that I get paid in Sterling.

Yes, my pet and horse portraits adorn walls all over the world! As I’m based in the UK, most of my customers are closer to home, but I regularly send portraits to the USA, Europe, and Australia, as well as Canada and Singapore.

Yes, once your order is on its way, I will let you know and send you a link to track it online.

Yes, I do apply insurance to my parcels, so your portrait is protected.

If you’re outside the UK, then you are likely to be liable for customs fees and import duties. For my USA customers, this is rarely a problem as the exception limit is $800 and most pet portraits come in below that. 

The majority of my pet portraits are supplied unframed, and I always recommend that you discuss your requirements with a professional framer for the best results – read more about framing pet portraits here. However, I can arrange framing if you would like me to – just let me know what sort of style and colour you are looking for and I will send you some options to consider.

When properly looked after, and pencil portrait will give you many years of pleasure. As well as mounting it in a good quality frame, I always recommend that you:
– avoid hanging your portrait in direct sunlight
– avoid extremes of temperature – in a conservatory for example
– avoid humid conditions such as a bathroom or kitchen