Welcome to the Portrait Order Information Page

Below is a description of a typical portrait ordering process. I have summed it up into five simple steps. I work from photographs for all my commissions and they give me a very good idea of the subject to create a stunning pet or family portrait.
Clients often describe their pet to me when commissioning their pet portrait and this helps a lot when painting their portrait as I can make an image in my mind of that particular pet.

I work in two mediums: acrylic and graphite pencil and I have included some medium information on both on this page here. I have also included some tips on taking photographs of your pets that are suitable for a pet portrait. You can find that information by scrolling down or clicking on the links below.

art materials

tips on taking photographs

The Contact Form can be found on the Contacts page. You can attach your photographs there. Please enclose your initial requirements regarding size, medium, background, number of subjects, etc. Don't worry if you are not sure on any of these, just drop me an email with any questions you might have and I will advise you. If you only have hard copy photographs, you can post them to me and I will make sure to take good care of them and return them to you with your finished portrait. Just contact me for my postal address.

I always provide a 'proof' of your portrait before any commitment is made. This way you have a good idea what your portrait will look like. I use Photoshop to prepare your proof. Using your photograph I will add background, remove or add elements to your photograph, etc. When the composition is finalised, you will receive your proof via email. This will include the main subject / subjects and background. We can move on to the next stage when you are satisfied with your proof.

You will receive an email detailing the final price including delivery price and approximate lead time for completing your portrait. The lead time for portraits is currently 10 to 12 weeks. The actual painting process takes approximately one week depending on the size and complexity of your portrait. I work on a first come first serve basis.

To secure your commission, I require a 50% deposit of the final portrait price. To pay your deposit, please go to the Payments Page.

I use PayPal to process all payments. You can pay with a credit card even if you do not have a PayPal account. If you prefer to send a postal order or a personal cheque, please contact me for my postal address. Always read Terms and Conditions before paying your deposit. You can read them here.

Work on your painting / drawing can commence. While working on commissions I like to take progress photographs. I will drop you an email when I start working on your portrait.

All artworks are created completely by hand. Pencil portraits are hand drawn and acrylic paintings are hand painted with artist quallity materials. I use Fabriano paper for drawings and Belle Arti fine grain stretched canvas for paintings, both made in Italy.

When your portrait is finished, I will scan it in-house or take a photograph in case of a larger portrait. I will email you with the final image. Amendments can be made to your portrait if you require. The portrait is completely finished only when you are fully satisfied with the outcome.

After artwork approval, you can proceed to pay your final payment. I will email you with a payment link. All payments are processed through PayPal and they accept all major credit cards. Should you prefer to pay by postal order or cheque, you are welcome to. Your artwork can only be posted after payment has cleared.

Your artwork is posted to you in a few layers of protective packaging to make sure of its safe arrival to you. Artwork is delivered unframed. I do not offer a framing service at this time. Acrylic paintings are posted on stretched canvas or rolled in the case of an oversized canvas (above 50 x 60cm), pencil drawings are posted in a mount for protection.
I use AnPost registered post which arrives within one to two days within Ireland. You can commission a portrait from anywhere in the world.

All portraits are first wrapped in a protective plastic sleeve, then sandwiched between sheets of foamboard / thick cardboard. The whole package is wrapped in a few layers of bio-degradable bubble wrap. Finally it is put into a polythene posting bag together with your receipt and care instructions. The posting bags are tear resistant and very durable so your artwork is kept safe.