Claire Yates Art
  • About Pet Portraits

About Pet Portrait Commissions

I absolutely adore animals and thats why I love working on pet portrait commissions. Having 3 cats of my own I am constantly observing their fur , eyes - you name it! I always work in detail, studying every hair and each glint in the eyes. I have been taking on commissions now for the past 40 years and I could'nt think of anything better to spend my time. I feel the most important part of the animal are the eyes. As they say 'the eyes are the windows to the soul' - this is very true!


What will be included with the Pet portrait?
  • A portrait in pastel (if chosen) on high quality Clairefontaine Pastelmat paper
  • A portrait in graphite (if chosen) on Fabriano Bristol 220g white paper
  • The portrait in a surround mount on high quality ivory Acid Free mountboard
  • An A4 Certificate of Authenticity - plus a smaller one to put on the back of the framed painting
  • Instructions on how to handle your portrait once you have recieved it
  • Plus 4 greeting cards with your finished portrait on, so that you can proudly send to family and freinds

    • Reference Material
    All I need to work on the portrait is a few high quality, clear photographs of the animal, especially that show the eye and fur in detail. These can be sent to me via email. I have found recently that. for example, Whatsapp tends to compress the quality. So email or another sharing platform like Google photos or Dropbox is perfect. If you send me a photograph or cd or even a pendrive then these will be returned to you with the finished painting. If you live in Spain, within a reasonable distance, I can arrange to meet you and your pet and take the photo for you.

    If you are going to take a new photograph of your pet, the ideal photograph would be one that is of high quality and in focus, which has been taken in good light, preferably natural sunlight. The eyes need to be clearly visible as these would be the main focus of the painting. Unless the portrait is of a sleeping animal. And the fur has to be in detail especially to show the colour. If you can try to take as many photos as you can as I know it can be difficult to photograph animals when they are a bit lively. We can work together and choose a few good ones and take it from there. Another good tip is if you can get down the the pet's level. A good tip is to get the camera lens level with the eyes. I got down to floor level when I took this photo of my eldest cat Splodgy.

    Medium

    For pet portrait commissions I like to work in soft pastel on Clairefontaine PastelMat paper as it creates a softer look. I can also work in charcoal and graphite pencil on paper. Here are a couple examples of each medium: To the left is Maisie - pastel and coloured pencil on Pastel Mat paper. To the right is Henry - 20 x 30 cm. Graphite pencil on white paper.

    Group photos

    If you wish to have more than one animal in the portrait but don't have a photo of them together, having a few seperate photos is acceptable. An example of two different dogs and different photos os shown here on the left. Just by positioning them together gives the finished portrait.

    Timescale

    Usually allow 2 - 4 weeks for completion of the portrait, depending on my current workload. If the portrait is for a birthday present then please allow at least 8 weeks before ordering. Christmas is also a busy period and so again please could you order by October. Once I have received your photographs I will start working on it and doing a few rough drafts of the composition etc. I will be in contact with you on each stage of the painting via email or Whatsapp, so that you can inform me if there are any changes to be made. If you are satisfied with the half finished portrait then I will carry on and send you a message with the final result.

    Process

    Once I have received the images from you and we have then discussed the size of the painting, or if you want a scenic background, then I will sketch out the composition for the portrait. I always start by painting the eyes and then work around them. The eyes will always be the focus of the painting. Once I have made a start I will be in contact with you constantly and will send you an email of the painting so far. If you are happy to proceed then I will carry on.

    To enable me to create a likeness to the animal, I like to work in soft pastel and coloured pencil as the result is soft, but can also work in graphite pencil.

    Framing
    All paintings sent outside of Spain will be supplied with a surround mount but no frame due to risk of damage during transit. But with the sizes that I've suggested in the price guide, frames can be easily bought from Ikea or if in Spain , Leroy Merlin. Or if you prefer you can take the painting to a frame shop and get one custom made.

    Payment

    Before the work commences on your portrait I will require deposit of 50% of the total cost of the painting. On completion of the finished portrait, then I will require the full payment. I can accept payment through Paypal or bank transfer. If you reside outside of Spain and have a Paypal account then the easiest way to send money internationally is by using 'XOOM by Paypal or Transferwise. Alternatively You can pay by Revolut. We will be in touch during the process and we can discuss your preferred payment method.

    Prices
    You will find my price guide on the following page: Click Here

    Click here to view commissions Pet Portrait Gallery

    Please read the Terms and Conditions before commissioning a portrait