Create a work of art with me
How to order a commission
Commissioning a portrait is easy and is the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for everyone!
Step 1:
Take a look through my Gallery of Portraits and pick a style and medium you like. My favourite mediums are colour pencil, graphite, pastels and acrylic. The surfaces I use include drafting film, artboard, pastelmat and birchbark. Depending on what you are ordering will determine what surface will be suitable.
Step 2:
Size is the next consideration. Will it sit on a desk or be the focal point of a large wall. Sizes start at 5" x 7" and can be as large as 16" x 20". Pricing is $4 per square inch for film, paper and pastelmat. Contact me for pricing on Birch Bark. I have various sizes available that will work with some but not all portraits.
5" x 7" - Best for single head-only portraits. $140
8" x 10" - Best for head-and-shoulders portraits. $320
9" x 12" - Best for single full body portraits or two head & shoulders. $432
12" x 16" - Best for full body portraits or head with fine detail. $768
16" x 20" - Best for full body, multiple subjects or head with extra fine detail. $1280
Step 3:
All my works of art are created by using reference photos. The best reference photos have good lighting, good details and a good pose. I can help you choose the best reference photos for your custom portrait order. Follow this Reference photo checklist to help you choose or take the best photos possible. If the pet has passed away, I can work with what you have. The more photos you can send, the better.
If you would like multiple pets in the same photograph, I can combine them to make a family portrait. Having the photos with similar angles and lighting works the best.
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Lighting – is your picture light enough to see detail in the shadows?
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Eyes – does the picture show the true eye colour of your subject?
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True fur and hair colour – does the picture show the true fur colour of your pet and hair colour of your person?
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Visible fur direction – can you see the fur direction in detail?
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Close - Close enough to the camera to see good detail but far enough that the photo isn't warped?
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Good angle - Is the angle of the photograph flattering and doesn't warp features such as make the head look huge and the body look small?
Step 4:
I use Photoshop to mock-up your pet portrait before I start drawing. That way you can approve the layout and size without me having to draw, erase and waste paper. I will send you a preliminary mock-up before I begin so you can decide what looks good. Changes are super easy at this step. I can even mock up a frame so you can see how it looks hanging on the wall. At this time I ask for a 50% deposit. The balance is due at the time of shipping.
Step 5:
Watch your drawing come to life. I will send you progress photos of your portrait as well as a final watermarked photo of the completed work of art. Your work of art will come mounted and matted to the finished frame-size opening. This makes it easy to ship flat and minimizes the risk of damaging the work of art. If you require, I can have the art framed for an additional cost and it would come with gallery-quality plexiglass. Birchbark works of art come mounted on backing board and matted. Hand-built barnwood frames are at additional cost and do not contain glass or plexiglass.
Step 6:
The remaining 50% is due when you are happy with your final portrait and before I ship it to you. I accept Interac e-transfer and PayPal. I will send your art with your preferred method of shipping. All shipments include tracking and price depends on your location, the size and how fast it arrives. I use Canada Post, FedEx, UPS or Purolator. Local pick-ups may be possible depending on my travels between BC and Alberta.