Fine Art Pet Portraits in Oil
Commissioning a Pet Portrait With Rachel
Hello! I am an artist based in Seattle with 18 years of experience in both classical and contemporary painting and atelier. training. I'm an animal lover. I have a dog and a cat and understand how special the bond is with our fur family, and how they enrich our lives.
Each portrait captures the distinct personality of your pet in a painting that will be loved and treasured.
My portraits are all hand painted starting from a sketch, and then layers of oil paint on high quality canvas with a protective varnish. I primarily work from your photos and truly enjoy getting to know the animals I paint. I can also schedule a photo shoot in the Seattle area, I love collaborating with clients to learn what they want to capture in the painting. The layers take time to dry and in general allow 6 weeks turnaround but I can accommodate some rush orders.
The sections below provide more details on the commission process, prices and stages along the way. Once you are ready I'd love to connect with you and create that special portrait of your pet.
Initial Consultation
After you fill out the form or contact me by email we’ll begin by discussing your goals for the painting. After sending photos we will discuss which photos will work best and which details you’d like to keep, and what kind of background or scene you'd prefer. Once we decide on the size, I make recommendations on composition and background and will send you one or more layout image mockups.. A 50% down-payment is needed at the start. and 50% once the painting is completed.
Choosing a Layout
Head and shoulder or half body portraits work well on square layout. Three-quarter, or full body portraits work best on the rectangle. For full body paintings I suggest choosing at minimum a medium-sized canvas in order to get details of the face in the painting.
Choosing Backgrounds
Sizes and Prices
For each size option there is a square layout or a rectangle layout which can be horizontal or vertical.
Size | Canvas Size in inches | Head and Shoulder Portrait | Full Body Portrait | Add for Detailed Background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Small | 12x9,12x12 | $660 | $825 | $165 |
Medium | 16x12,16x16 | $780 | $975 | $195 |
Regular | 20x16,20x20 | $950 | $1190 | $240 |
Large | 24x18,24x24 | $1275 | $1595 | $320 |
Maxi | 30x20,30x30 | $1625 | $2030 | $400 |
XL | 36x24,30x40,36x36 | $1800 | $2250 | $450 |
XXL | 36x40,40x40 | $2800 | $3500 | $700 |
Head and Shoulder portraits come with a plain background as standard.
3/4 or Full Body Portraits can be painted on Medium or larger. canvas sizes.
Please add 25% for 3/4 or full body portraits, and 25% for a detailed background.
Additional Pets
A portrait of two pets together is such a sweet composition. Additional Pets can be added as long as the canvas is large enough to accommodate the composition. Two pets with head and shoulders can fit on sizes Medium or above. For two full body portraits choose sizes large or above. We can discuss what is appropriate. For three pets I recommend the X-Large Size.
For the first additional pet, please add 40% of the base portrait price. For the second additional pet, please add 30% of the base portrait price.
Canvas, Edge Depth and Framing Considerations
I use premier stretched cotton canvas with a deep edge of 1.5”. The benefit of a deep edged canvas is they do not need to be framed – the edge is painted a flat color of your choosing, normally the background color from the painting but it can be any color that may make the painting pop or go with your decor.
If you do know ahead of time that you’re planning to put the artwork in a frame or float frame, let me know and I may recommend going with a canvas depth of 0.75” that fits more frames. Deeper edged canvases can still be framed but tend to cost more later.
Feedback and Change Requests
Once we complete the initial consultation and decide the compositions, I will send you a photo of the initial sketch on the canvas. Then I paint in several layers over several days. Depending on the size, a painting can take up to 80 hours. Once the painting is near completion, I will send you another update and you can give feedback and request up to three changes free of charge. I strive to include you along the way and want all my clients to be happy, however If there are large composition changes after I begin painting, or many change requests I may have to ask for a change fee.
Varnish
Once the painting is completed it will take 1-2 weeks to dry. Then I’ll varnish the painting – you can choose mat or gloss. The varnish will protect the painting from UV, and dust and can be wiped with a soft cloth without damaging the painting.
Delivery Time
I will aim to deliver your painting within 2 months of starting but if you have a specific timeline please let me know and I’ll do my best to accommodate.
Deposit and Payment
After our initial discussion, if you decide to move ahead you can secure your spot on my schedule. The work is split into 2 payments - 50% prior to starting, and then 50% payment once the painting is completed. Once I start painting the first payment is non refundable. Payments are made online via an invoice and I can accept all methods, credit card, ACH, venmo, paypal.
Shipping and Delivery
If you are local to Seattle I can deliver by hand or arrange for pickup at my Greenlake studio. If you need to ship the painting, shipping and packaging will be extra and not included in the cost.