Thank you for your interest in having me create pet or home portrait. Commissioned art can be ordered through my Etsy shop when commissions are open.
Pet Portrait Commissions
The Process
All of my pet portrait commissions and home/house portrait commissions are through my Etsy shop. When you’re ready, please contact me before placing an order on Etsy. You’re welcome to send photos, and I’ll let you know which one will work best.
I will update you throughout the process, providing you with photos of your portrait. At approximately the quarter or halfway mark, I will ask you if there is any revision you would like and let you know whether it is something I can incorporate into the art. After that, I’ll finish your pet portrait. Full payment is required before you receive your artwork. If you are a local client who wishes to pick up your portrait, please contact me to arrange a location for pickup.
Photography
A great photograph is a vital element in creating a great pet portrait. The best photos are taken in natural light, with the light coming from the side of your pet. This will illuminate the beautiful colors and reflections in their eyes as well as help show the shadows, bone structure, and direction of the fur. Consider taking your pet’s photograph in morning or late afternoon when the sun isn’t directly overhead. Indoor-only pets should be near a natural light source in order for their color to be accurate and their eyes to show reflections. High-resolution photos are needed for me to be able to clearly see the details of your pet.
Materials
Pet portraits are created using Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils and sometimes other pencils, all of which are lightfast and archival quality. The paper used is either white Strathmore Bristol paper or Canson Artist Series Mi-Teintes Pastel Paper, which will be in neutral earth or gray tones, and works well for all pets. If using the latter, I will use the shade that will best complement your pet’s coloring. I discourage using Strathmore Bristol paper for white pets. Both the Canson and Strathmore paper are archival quality.
Care of Your Portrait
Though portraits are created using high-quality, lightfast materials and archival-quality paper, care should still be taken in preserving them. Handling the art may discolor the paper or the colored pencil so it is recommended to wash hands before touching the art and then try to touch the paper as little as possible. In choosing a frame for your pet portrait, I recommend you choose one that has UV-protectant in the glass. This will help preserve the vibrant colors of your artwork.
Liora Hess, Artist 