Commissions
I can work from photographs for a commissioned sculpture or portrait of your animal - I give guidelines below for the type of photographs needed for me to be able to produce a good likeness.
For a sculpture, I need photographs from as many angles/sides as possible, and also a description of any visible markings they might have. I also like to know something about them and their personality, so that I can try to get that across in the portrait or sculpture.
I do sometimes work from limited or not very clear photographs if, for instance, the animal is deceased. If this is the case, we can discuss the possibilities with the available photographs.
Prices
Sculptures
The price for a commissioned sculpture starts from just £200, depending on the animal and what you would like; just get in touch and we can talk about what it is you are looking for in your sculpture.
Portraits
I charge £125 for a portrait of your animal. A portrait is usually around A3 size and includes a mount. If you would like more than one animal in your portrait, each extra one would be £90. Once again, please get in touch and we can discuss what you would like.
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Guidelines for Photographs suitable for a portrait
They must be clear photos, preferably taken in daylight. Blurred photos taken in artificial light will not give me what I need to produce a good portrait of your animal. I cannot paint what I can’t see; you may be able to look at a photograph and see exactly what you always see, because your eyes are so used to looking at your animal every day that your mind fills in all the little blanks that are missing in a photo. I, on the other hand, am looking at that photo for the first time; if I tried to fill in the blanks, it wouldn’t be your animal I was painting.
If you would like me to create a portrait of your animal, please make sure that I can SEE the important features in the photos that you send - for example, the way their hair lies and their expressions, particularly on breeds where expression is very important - I can’t see their eyes if they have a lot of hair covering them. I have had people ask me if I can just put in the eyes, and my answer to this is ‘Probably, but I wouldn’t do it because they wouldn’t be your dog’s eyes I was painting’.
There is not much point in sending me a blurred photo taken in artificial light from across the other side of the room if you want something that looks beautiful when finished - the better the photograph, the better the picture I can paint. For portraits, I suggest that full face or ¾ to the camera is best, so that you can see at least one eye and a glimpse of the other.
Please don’t get too close when taking them or the nose will be the main feature - they look very cute as photos, but don’t translate to paintings very well!
I can certainly correct some things in the photos that may not be desirable, so you'll need to discuss this with me.
I hope that these guidelines help you to understand what I need to be able to produce a portrait of your animal for you.