Commissioning a portrait - FAQ's
A little about me...
Many thanks for your interest in my art. I am a full time professional animal artist based in Scotland, UK. I have been working with customers full time for 4 years now and love my job. I have clients all over the world and my work is hung in collections both in the UK and internationally. I have been professionally trained with a BA degree in Applied Illustration from Duncan of Jordanstone college of art. I also added two awards from a national art competition run by the Association of Animal Artists to my qualifications in 2012 giving me award-winning status.
I would like to commission a portrait, how much will it be?
Prices depend on many factors and a one price fits all formula does not work as each customer is an individual. I set my prices by size, medium, and additional requirements ie mounting etc. A full price list can be found above in the menu - "Prices".
The price guide is as it suggests, a guide. For a personalised quote please contact me with your requirements, ie medium (Pen and watercolour, Pastel or acrylic/oil) the size required (I tend to work to specific guidelines for type of animal and number of subjects) and number of subjects in the portrait. Also if the portrait is to be mounted by me or if you would like to have it mounted and framed yourself. Location is also importrant so I can quote you an accurate shipping cost too. All this information lets me quote you accurately.
A personalised quote is valid for 7 days after which time the quote price may change. If your commission is booked within 7 days the price will not change (A 50% deposit is required to secure the booking and timeslot)
What is the difference between Pen & Watercolour, Pastel and Acrylic/Oil and why such a big difference in price for different mediums?
This question crops up from time to time so I will answer this question...
Pen and Watercolour - This is a range of work I created that was more affordable for animal owners. Pen and watercolour is the fastest medium for me to work on. In comparison an A4 pen and watercolour takes me one day of a dog compared to 1 week for a single dog portrait in pastel. Pen and watercolour portraits come mounted and cello wrapped for you to take to a framer to have framed. They need to be framed behind glass. Average time to complete 1- 3 days
Pastel - These take days to weeks to complete. This is also the reason for the large jump in price. Pastels give a more realistic portrait and the soft texture of the pastels gives a fur like texture. Pastel is the most fragile of all the mediums I do, these as untouchable on the surface and you cannot once you receive them touch the surface in any way, they are a chalk and will be damaged and smudge upon contact. These MUST be framed by a professional framer asap and cannot be knocked or bumped. Once behind glass they are safer but care should always be taken when moving these especially during house moves etc. Average time to complete 1 week and up depending on size.
Acrylic/Oil - Acrylic and Oil paintings are under painted in acrylic, this speeds up the time to do the painting as oils take weeks between layers, then the oil layers are applied layer by layer on the top. These are the top end of the mediums I produce, and are the most expensive. These are traditional mediums that have been used by master painters as far back as art has been created. The time to create these is weeks to months due to the layering and drying time between layers, the layering is also a lot more due to thin layers over thin layers, hence the price being much higher again. Material costs also are much higher and linen costs. Acrylic paintings are painted on linen canvas, these do not need to be framed behind glass, they are open to the air and will be glazed and this will protect them, of course these cannot be roughly handled as scratching can damage the canvas as it is just tight linen over a wooden stretcher. These can be box framed to give a more modern finish by a professional framer if you source a framer local to you after you receive it. Average time to complete 2 weeks to several months and up.
To see the different mediums please choose the medium you are most interested in here Pen and watercolour, Pastel, Acrylic/Oil
How long does a portrait take to complete?
This is a common question and like the price question it depends on the medium. Pen and watercolour portraits take hours, pastels can take days to weeks depending on the size. Acrylic and Oil paintings take weeks to months to allow for drying time between layers.
When you book your commission you will be allocated a time slot, if you require a portrait as a gift please make sure to let me know the date it is required for. I will make sure the portrait is completed and with you in plenty time for the big occasion.
I want to book my commission how do I secure my booking?
Once I have quoted you a price for your portrait and have all the relevant details from you I will ask you for a 50% non - refundable deposit to secure the booking. For sculpture commissions I ask for a 50% deposit to secure the booking, then 25% upon firing of the sculpture and the remaining 25% due upon completion plus the shipping costs. The deposit and instalments can be paid via Paypal (I will send an invoice so please let me know your email address you use for Paypal) or I can send you my bank details for it to be paid via bank transfer. The initial 50% deposit secures the time slot agreed between us and finalises the booking. For portrait commissions the remaining 50% balance is due upon completion. Upon approval a second invoice will be sent requesting payment via Paypal or bank transfer. Once received the portrait or sculpture will be shipped. Please note that the finished artwork requires payment at time of completion so please consider the completion date and arrange payment to be paid at this time.
I live abroad, can you ship artwork overseas?
Yes, I ship work all over the world. When you contact me for a price please let me know your destination and I can let you know the price including shipping costs to your destination.
I have booked my commission and paid my deposit, what now?
Once we are at this stage I need photographs to work from. The quality of the photographs will determine the quality of your finished portrait so HIGH QUALITY photographs are a must. Mobile phone photographs are not good enough quality in most cases so photographs taken by a digital camera, or SLR camera are best. Equal lighting on the subject, prefereably taken outside without a flash on are best. If you do not have a digital camera please ask friends or family if they can take photos for you. Files sizes around 3MB/3000KB in size are perfect. Please check the file size before sending them to me, 250KB is very low resolution and tiny so would be far too pixelated to draw from.
Photographs can be sent to louise_jarvis82@hotmail.co.uk I need the photographs emailed to me and not sent via Facebook as facebook resizes them and therefore looses most of the original quality.
I would ask that photographs are with me a month before I am due to start especially where working in pastel or in portraits with more than one subject where I need to photoshop them as a mock up for the portrait.
Photographing your pet - Help and tips
I can only draw as good as the reference photographs I work from really so good quality photographs are a MUST for me to produce good quality clear and detailed portraits. For photographing your animal it is much better if you take your animal(s) outside in natural daylight to avoid red eye and flashes over exposing the fur also. If you have an SLR camera turn the flash off and keep a very steady hand, if not have auto on and the flash won't fire (normally) if its nice and light outside. Now standing above a dog for example means it will look up at you and taking a photo looking down at your animal won't show the chest area and neck clearly so get down to their level. kneel on the grass and get your dog about 1-2 metres away and zoom in a little with your camera. Make sure the sun is not in their eyes and their eyes are fully open and looking towards you. if you make sure the sun is not directly behind you so its not shining in their eyes. Direct sunlight isn't great so in a slightly more shaded area is good. Try and make sure the lighting is balanced on the animal and not on one side or you will get one side of the face in shadow. I have attached a poor quality photo to let you see (taken from the internet) taken inside with a flash on and with a low resolution. File sizes need to be around 3000KB in size at least for good quality. If you are having more than one animal in the portrait please make sure all are photographed from the same spot, i.e. same positioning of dog when you photograph and at their level i.e. you kneeling down that way the lighting is balanced, in the same position and your at the same height and it shows head, neck and shoulders clearly, zoom in to the animal too to show these areas more clearly. I have attached at the top of the page two of my own photos also that I took for a client for their pastel portrait (the labs). This shows what I'm looking for, the lighting, the colouring, the composition, height etc. You can compare these two to the bad quality photo of the collie and you can then see the difference. As an artist I can merely work with what I have on front of me, as another artist once quoted, I'm an artist not a miracle worker! lol Thanks for reading and hopefully its helpful to you. p.s camera phones are not the best either so if you have a slr camera or have a friend who does please ask them to take photos for you failing that contact a professional photographer to take some shots for you esp for pastel portraits or for acrylic/oils. Both Andy Biggar or Sandy Kitching who are good friends of mine travel around the UK to photograph animals or a local photographer could help out also x
Can I request a Mock-Up of my portrait after I send the photographs?
Yes, I do a mock up for certain commissions. Pastel portraits and Acrylic/Oil paintings all will require a mock up to allow you to see how the portrait will look once complete. I also send a selection of different mock ups showing different background colours and compositions to allow you to see the differences and choose something suitable for you and your home. It helps to see it than to imagine it. Photoshop'd mock ups are rough and for approving layout and colouring only and are subject to copyright and cannot be used by the customer in any way.
Double/Group portraits in any medium will require a mock up to allow you to approve the composition before I start the portrait. Only once I have received approval from you will I begin working on your portrait.
Single pen and watercolour portrait will not require a mock up.
Can I see the progress of my portrait?
Yes, I post progress photographs of portraits as I work through them on my facebook art page. If the portrait is a surprise gift for a loved one and you DO NOT want me to post progress photos please let me know at time of booking and I can send them to you via email to view and not post them publicly. Some people choose not to see any progress at all and like the portrait to be a complete surprise, please let me know if this is required also.
Copyright Issues
Any artwork produced by Louise Jarvis Art remains copyrighted to Louise Jarvis Art therefore it cannot be reproduced in any way by the customer. I am happy for you to share progress photos with friends and family and even once the portrait is finished sharing the photograph. All photographs posted by my are watermarked and copyrighted and are also low resolution so they cannot be reproduced.
Once the portrait has been received by the customer it cannot be reproduced in any way. I can sell the copyright to my art so that it can be used on dog showing vans, as tattoos, as logos for business etc but you need to seek permission and pay for a licence to do so. This protects my art and you from copyright infingement. Please respect copyright law.
Any other questions?........
If there are any questions you would like to ask that I have not covered please do not hesitate to message me.
I look forward to creating a special portrait for you very soon.....
LJArt x
A little about me...
Many thanks for your interest in my art. I am a full time professional animal artist based in Scotland, UK. I have been working with customers full time for 4 years now and love my job. I have clients all over the world and my work is hung in collections both in the UK and internationally. I have been professionally trained with a BA degree in Applied Illustration from Duncan of Jordanstone college of art. I also added two awards from a national art competition run by the Association of Animal Artists to my qualifications in 2012 giving me award-winning status.
I would like to commission a portrait, how much will it be?
Prices depend on many factors and a one price fits all formula does not work as each customer is an individual. I set my prices by size, medium, and additional requirements ie mounting etc. A full price list can be found above in the menu - "Prices".
The price guide is as it suggests, a guide. For a personalised quote please contact me with your requirements, ie medium (Pen and watercolour, Pastel or acrylic/oil) the size required (I tend to work to specific guidelines for type of animal and number of subjects) and number of subjects in the portrait. Also if the portrait is to be mounted by me or if you would like to have it mounted and framed yourself. Location is also importrant so I can quote you an accurate shipping cost too. All this information lets me quote you accurately.
A personalised quote is valid for 7 days after which time the quote price may change. If your commission is booked within 7 days the price will not change (A 50% deposit is required to secure the booking and timeslot)
What is the difference between Pen & Watercolour, Pastel and Acrylic/Oil and why such a big difference in price for different mediums?
This question crops up from time to time so I will answer this question...
Pen and Watercolour - This is a range of work I created that was more affordable for animal owners. Pen and watercolour is the fastest medium for me to work on. In comparison an A4 pen and watercolour takes me one day of a dog compared to 1 week for a single dog portrait in pastel. Pen and watercolour portraits come mounted and cello wrapped for you to take to a framer to have framed. They need to be framed behind glass. Average time to complete 1- 3 days
Pastel - These take days to weeks to complete. This is also the reason for the large jump in price. Pastels give a more realistic portrait and the soft texture of the pastels gives a fur like texture. Pastel is the most fragile of all the mediums I do, these as untouchable on the surface and you cannot once you receive them touch the surface in any way, they are a chalk and will be damaged and smudge upon contact. These MUST be framed by a professional framer asap and cannot be knocked or bumped. Once behind glass they are safer but care should always be taken when moving these especially during house moves etc. Average time to complete 1 week and up depending on size.
Acrylic/Oil - Acrylic and Oil paintings are under painted in acrylic, this speeds up the time to do the painting as oils take weeks between layers, then the oil layers are applied layer by layer on the top. These are the top end of the mediums I produce, and are the most expensive. These are traditional mediums that have been used by master painters as far back as art has been created. The time to create these is weeks to months due to the layering and drying time between layers, the layering is also a lot more due to thin layers over thin layers, hence the price being much higher again. Material costs also are much higher and linen costs. Acrylic paintings are painted on linen canvas, these do not need to be framed behind glass, they are open to the air and will be glazed and this will protect them, of course these cannot be roughly handled as scratching can damage the canvas as it is just tight linen over a wooden stretcher. These can be box framed to give a more modern finish by a professional framer if you source a framer local to you after you receive it. Average time to complete 2 weeks to several months and up.
To see the different mediums please choose the medium you are most interested in here Pen and watercolour, Pastel, Acrylic/Oil
How long does a portrait take to complete?
This is a common question and like the price question it depends on the medium. Pen and watercolour portraits take hours, pastels can take days to weeks depending on the size. Acrylic and Oil paintings take weeks to months to allow for drying time between layers.
When you book your commission you will be allocated a time slot, if you require a portrait as a gift please make sure to let me know the date it is required for. I will make sure the portrait is completed and with you in plenty time for the big occasion.
I want to book my commission how do I secure my booking?
Once I have quoted you a price for your portrait and have all the relevant details from you I will ask you for a 50% non - refundable deposit to secure the booking. For sculpture commissions I ask for a 50% deposit to secure the booking, then 25% upon firing of the sculpture and the remaining 25% due upon completion plus the shipping costs. The deposit and instalments can be paid via Paypal (I will send an invoice so please let me know your email address you use for Paypal) or I can send you my bank details for it to be paid via bank transfer. The initial 50% deposit secures the time slot agreed between us and finalises the booking. For portrait commissions the remaining 50% balance is due upon completion. Upon approval a second invoice will be sent requesting payment via Paypal or bank transfer. Once received the portrait or sculpture will be shipped. Please note that the finished artwork requires payment at time of completion so please consider the completion date and arrange payment to be paid at this time.
I live abroad, can you ship artwork overseas?
Yes, I ship work all over the world. When you contact me for a price please let me know your destination and I can let you know the price including shipping costs to your destination.
I have booked my commission and paid my deposit, what now?
Once we are at this stage I need photographs to work from. The quality of the photographs will determine the quality of your finished portrait so HIGH QUALITY photographs are a must. Mobile phone photographs are not good enough quality in most cases so photographs taken by a digital camera, or SLR camera are best. Equal lighting on the subject, prefereably taken outside without a flash on are best. If you do not have a digital camera please ask friends or family if they can take photos for you. Files sizes around 3MB/3000KB in size are perfect. Please check the file size before sending them to me, 250KB is very low resolution and tiny so would be far too pixelated to draw from.
Photographs can be sent to louise_jarvis82@hotmail.co.uk I need the photographs emailed to me and not sent via Facebook as facebook resizes them and therefore looses most of the original quality.
I would ask that photographs are with me a month before I am due to start especially where working in pastel or in portraits with more than one subject where I need to photoshop them as a mock up for the portrait.
Photographing your pet - Help and tips
I can only draw as good as the reference photographs I work from really so good quality photographs are a MUST for me to produce good quality clear and detailed portraits. For photographing your animal it is much better if you take your animal(s) outside in natural daylight to avoid red eye and flashes over exposing the fur also. If you have an SLR camera turn the flash off and keep a very steady hand, if not have auto on and the flash won't fire (normally) if its nice and light outside. Now standing above a dog for example means it will look up at you and taking a photo looking down at your animal won't show the chest area and neck clearly so get down to their level. kneel on the grass and get your dog about 1-2 metres away and zoom in a little with your camera. Make sure the sun is not in their eyes and their eyes are fully open and looking towards you. if you make sure the sun is not directly behind you so its not shining in their eyes. Direct sunlight isn't great so in a slightly more shaded area is good. Try and make sure the lighting is balanced on the animal and not on one side or you will get one side of the face in shadow. I have attached a poor quality photo to let you see (taken from the internet) taken inside with a flash on and with a low resolution. File sizes need to be around 3000KB in size at least for good quality. If you are having more than one animal in the portrait please make sure all are photographed from the same spot, i.e. same positioning of dog when you photograph and at their level i.e. you kneeling down that way the lighting is balanced, in the same position and your at the same height and it shows head, neck and shoulders clearly, zoom in to the animal too to show these areas more clearly. I have attached at the top of the page two of my own photos also that I took for a client for their pastel portrait (the labs). This shows what I'm looking for, the lighting, the colouring, the composition, height etc. You can compare these two to the bad quality photo of the collie and you can then see the difference. As an artist I can merely work with what I have on front of me, as another artist once quoted, I'm an artist not a miracle worker! lol Thanks for reading and hopefully its helpful to you. p.s camera phones are not the best either so if you have a slr camera or have a friend who does please ask them to take photos for you failing that contact a professional photographer to take some shots for you esp for pastel portraits or for acrylic/oils. Both Andy Biggar or Sandy Kitching who are good friends of mine travel around the UK to photograph animals or a local photographer could help out also x
Can I request a Mock-Up of my portrait after I send the photographs?
Yes, I do a mock up for certain commissions. Pastel portraits and Acrylic/Oil paintings all will require a mock up to allow you to see how the portrait will look once complete. I also send a selection of different mock ups showing different background colours and compositions to allow you to see the differences and choose something suitable for you and your home. It helps to see it than to imagine it. Photoshop'd mock ups are rough and for approving layout and colouring only and are subject to copyright and cannot be used by the customer in any way.
Double/Group portraits in any medium will require a mock up to allow you to approve the composition before I start the portrait. Only once I have received approval from you will I begin working on your portrait.
Single pen and watercolour portrait will not require a mock up.
Can I see the progress of my portrait?
Yes, I post progress photographs of portraits as I work through them on my facebook art page. If the portrait is a surprise gift for a loved one and you DO NOT want me to post progress photos please let me know at time of booking and I can send them to you via email to view and not post them publicly. Some people choose not to see any progress at all and like the portrait to be a complete surprise, please let me know if this is required also.
Copyright Issues
Any artwork produced by Louise Jarvis Art remains copyrighted to Louise Jarvis Art therefore it cannot be reproduced in any way by the customer. I am happy for you to share progress photos with friends and family and even once the portrait is finished sharing the photograph. All photographs posted by my are watermarked and copyrighted and are also low resolution so they cannot be reproduced.
Once the portrait has been received by the customer it cannot be reproduced in any way. I can sell the copyright to my art so that it can be used on dog showing vans, as tattoos, as logos for business etc but you need to seek permission and pay for a licence to do so. This protects my art and you from copyright infingement. Please respect copyright law.
Any other questions?........
If there are any questions you would like to ask that I have not covered please do not hesitate to message me.
I look forward to creating a special portrait for you very soon.....
LJArt x