General Commission Info

I am always available for commissions. If you are thinking of having your pet painted and have some questions about the process, please contact me by email or message. We can chat about it, even if you are just curious about a possible future project and don’t wish to commit to it at this time. I understand that original paintings are, in a way, luxury items but I am doing my best to be as affordable as possible. My biggest aspiration is to keep painting, stay financially afloat by finding loving homes for my work and hopefully, and very importantly, warm some hearts in the process, which is truly the biggest reward of all.

My commission prices are a little higher than my regular prices, since I need to take a lot of extra care to be accurate in likeness while painting from your pet’s photo. From my end, I give my each painting my very best and sincere effort, as my work is an extension of me in this world, and therefore feels very personal.

So please connect with me for more info, if you are interested or are just thinking about it some time down the line, I’ll be happy to hear from you.

Payment

I accept PayPal and Venmo. 

I would usually request $50 paid upfront and the rest of the amount upon completion. 

Turnaround time

Since I don't paint very big, I usually take between 1-3 days to complete a commissioned painting. I am usually available at a fairly short notice. An oil painting takes about 2 weeks to dry, a little longer if I need to varnish it. So budget around 3-4 weeks total time between placing the order and holding the painting in your hands! 

Reference image

The reference image for a potential commission is of a paramount importance, as I rely on it for anatomical details, likeness, lighting and composition. If i “see” it, I will paint it. If I don’t, no amount of struggle will help to arrive at a satisfying result.

I may make a few artistic deviations from the image for the sake of a stronger painting, but I can not make up likeness and anatomical nuances and thus create a lifelike truthful and expressive painting working from an inferior photograph.

What I am looking for in a photo reference:

• a portrait shot, possibly with a bit of the torso and paws if they add to the visual interest
• a very clear and sharp view of the facial features
• a clear view of the eyes, ideally both or at least one eye in the light (creates depth and luminescence)
• not an action shot. Working with blurry images is impossible.
• the face of the animal should be at least partially lit up. If it’s all in the shade, it takes away from the visual interest
• an assymetrial view is preferred. Strictly symmetrical frontal view of the face creates a static and thus more boring composition.
• the photo should be large enough to allow for zooming into the features.

Prices and Sizes

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