Full Spectrum Creative Art Studio - 250.899.1795

The Portrait Process

Commissioning a painted portrait of your beloved pet involves several steps. To get the process started, please complete the enquiry form on the Enquiry page and send it to me. The information from the order form helps me determine an initial quote for your portrait. I also make sure that what you are asking for is possible; including two Great Danes in a 6"x6" is not!

Once I receive your order, we discuss your ideas and preferences for your pet portrait by phone and/or email. When we are ready to move forward with the portrait, you send me several of your favourite photographs of your pet and I let you know what I think will work best for a portrait, sorting through them with an eye for the details that highlight your dog, cat, or horse's personality.

I require a deposit of 25% of the commission price prior to starting the painting; I accept PayPal as well as money orders and certified cheques.

I then begin work to create a sensitively rendered drawing or painting of your pet. During the creative process I periodically email you images of the work in progress and invite your feedback to make sure things look like they should. This way, I can most effectively achieve my ultimate goal which is to create a painting of your precious cat, dog or horse that not only looks like them but captures their spirit and character.

Upon completion of the painted portrait you will have a chance to see the finished picture as I will email you a photo of it. Upon hearing from you that you are totally satisfied with the portrait, I ask for full payment plus delivery costs prior to shipment of the painting.

Mediums: During the initial discussion, we will decide which medium you want used for the portrait. The choices include pastels, pencil crayons and acrylic paints. In addition, items can be collaged into the portrait; any items to be included must be sent to me ahead of time so I can incorporate them.

  • Pencil crayons - The effect of pencil crayon drawings can be quite different depending on the paper chosen. A smooth paper yields a very clear image whereas watercolor paper provides a more impressionistic style.
  • Pastel - I prefer to use velour paper for pastel portraits as it provides a very classical soft effect. If you want a more expressive, dynamic style then a heavier paper would be better. The finished painting will be sprayed with a fixative to help set the pigments. While this application of fixative helps to set the pigment particles it by no means stabilizes them completely. The painting will be covered with a special protective paper prior to shipping. Of all mediums, I find pastel to be the most 'delicate' in the sense that you must not touch or brush against the surface. When you get it framed it must be framed with a riser inserted between the image and the matte so that any loose pastel particles fall down between the picture and the riser and not onto the matte itself. It is important too, to remember when you are moving the painting around, always ensure that you carry it glass side up so that loose particles don't get onto the glass surface.
  • Acrylic - The majority of my paintings are sized according to the ratio of the golden mean so I generally work on boards that are custom cut. I use deep sided canvases for the square formats.
  • Collaged items - If you want any items collaged onto the painting you will need to send those to me ahead of time so that I can take the time to integrate them into the composition. Adding collage or mixed media elements can be a lot of fun. For instance, when I get around to doing my memorial portrait of my dog who just passed away, I plan on putting dirt onto the painting as she LOVED digging. Just something to think about.

Time: Please give me 2 to 3 months lead time for me to do your portrait. I have other commitments in my life so it is important for me to know. I will need at least 8 months and preferably a year's lead time for Christmas commissions. If the portrait is to be a gift and I am unavailable for the time frame that you need it, please contact me by email or phone and I will be happy to provide you with a gift certificate so the recipient can arrange a time that works for them.

Photographs: I will return all your photographs to you along with your painting. Please keep in mind that the clarity in the photographs will be very important for me to do a good job of painting your pet's portrait. Do send me several images including close ups. Be sure to check out my page with tips on pet portrait photography. Let me know details such as painting a collar in or if you want it omitted.

Copyright: If you get a professional photographer to take the pictures of your pet you will need to send written confirmation from the photographer that I have permission to use the photographs as reference for painting the portrait. I retain full reproduction copyrights on each painting I create. On occasion I will use an image for the purposes of marketing and promotion of my own artwork. I will not reproduce your portrait image for use on cards, mugs etc. for sale without your permission.