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Ordering Information
This
page gives you an insight into what is involved in
the portrait process, I don't expect you to trawl
through it all if you want to order a
portrait! It just answers some questions that you
may have for now. I will explain to you what is
involved when you get in contact anyway and we can
discuss all of the options then.
Get in contact!
When you are ready to
order your portrait, you can contact me by email to
amanda.brown40@btinternet.com or by telephone
on 01622 720952 (if I don't answer straight away,
please leave a message).
Deposit
I request roughly a 25%
deposit to begin with which you can either pay on my
order web page by
credit card, debit card, paypal or cheque. When your
portrait is complete, I will scan it and send a copy
by email so that you can see what it looks like. If
you are completely happy with the portrait, I will
ask for the final payment which can be paid using
the same method.
Delivery
Once your payment has
cleared I will contact you to confirm a convenient
delivery date. I will post your portrait by Next day
delivery see
portrait delivery information
for further information about delivery.
Collection
If you are local to me,
you are welcome to come and see me both before I
start your portrait and after to collect your portrait.
Deciding on the details of your portrait
Here are some tips to
help you decide on some details of your portrait
before ordering. If you have any questions, or would
like some help in deciding what sort of portrait
would suit your pet, please don't hesitate to
contact
me.
Oil paints, pencils or colour pencils?
If you have already had a look through my
gallery, you will see that I work in three mediums. Oil Paint, Pencils
and Colour pencils. Each one creates a different mood to the portrait
and has its own advantages. Oil paints are a very traditional medium for
portraits, they have been around for hundreds of years. Once it is dry,
the paint is very durable. Pencils can create a very romantic mood to
a portrait. Because of the absence of colour, the pencil concentrates on
the tones and form of the animal. A colour pencil portrait is more
unusual. Colour pencils are becoming more and more popular as a medium.
If you are after a colour portrait of your pet and are on a
budget, this is a great option.
Size
You will probably choose the size of
your portrait according to your budget. If you can afford a larger
painting then go for it . This is because
the larger the painting... the more detail can be added. Large paintings
e.g. 20"x30" can have real 'wow' factor. However if you are on a budget,
a small painting can be just as charming and give an excellent
depiction of your pet.
The Background
The background should compliment the
colours of your pet. For pencil and colour pencil drawings, the
background is plain and the portrait is blended slightly into the white
of the paper. This brings the pencil portrait out of the page. For Oil
paintings I have outlined a couple of different backgrounds below. If
you have an idea for your background, please let me know. Please note,
for 8"x10" and 12"x10"paintings the backgrounds need to be kept simple.
Background 1 is the standard
background, a few blended neutral tones that keep the focus on the pet. I will choose
colours that are complimentary to your pet, however the above colours are
quite complimentary to all colours of fur, they just might need
altering in intensity to achieve the best result. You are welcome to request a particular colour for
the background.
Background 2 can be
taken from the photograph or I can paint a ball or a
favourite toy. It could be a special place that they
like to sit either indoors or in the garden. All of
these things can be taken from various photos that
you may have. I am happy to discuss your ideas and
work with you to design a unique portrait that
captures the character of your pet.
Background 3 is scenery that I can add in if the photograph's
background is not very interesting. It can be mountains or a
field or even just grass. Feel free have a look at around my
gallery to
see more examples of backgrounds.
Photographs
The most
important factor in creating a good portrait is the
photograph that you provide. My best portraits are
the ones which are created from clear, good quality
photos. I know from experience that it is not all
that easy getting a perfect photo of a pet but I
hope I can give you some useful tips that will help
to eliminate any errors which may make your portrait
difficult to achieve.
If you are
local to me here in Kent, I am happy to come and
take a few snaps myself at no extra cost. I enjoy
meeting pets and their owners so I would be
delighted to come along.
If
your pet has passed away and you have a limited
amount of photographs, it shouldn't be a problem and
I understand that you may not have a perfect
photograph. In this instance,a great likeness can
still be achieved if the photo(s) that you provide
give me a good idea of what they looked like. I have
done this many times, using different photos for
reference and bringing them together to create the
portrait.
If you are
commissioning a portrait as a surprise and you do
not have access to the pet to get some new photos
email the one(s) you have and I will give you my
honest opinion as to whether they will be suitable.
If you
don't have a favourite photo in mind and you have
the opportunity to take photos of your pet
especially for your pet portrait, I would recommend
doing so and you can take advantage of my pet
photography tips below!
Lighting - It helps if the photo is taken
outside in the daylight. This way the true colours
and tones of your pet's fur are described more
accurately to me. Low lighting can lead to some
colours appearing more intense than they really are.
Try to avoid using a flash as this will
bleach the animal's colours and can banish the
shades that show me the shape of the animals face.
Angle -
Sometimes the angle at which a photograph is
taken can cause the pet to look different, giving a
misleading idea about how the pet appears in real
life.
Mobile
phone photos - Please note that I can not
usually create a portrait from a photograph taken by
a mobile phone. Mobile phone photos look great on
the screen of your phone but when you upload them to
a larger screen, they become very grainy and the
fine details of your pet will be lost which are
vital to getting the portrait right. Therefore I
would strongly suggest that you do not use a mobile
phone to take photos.
Double portraits and
multiple portaits
It is
tricky to get a perfect photo of an animal at the
best of times but if you have to photograph two or
more pets at the same time, it can be a nightmare!
However, nine times out of ten I use separate photos
of each pet and merge them together with my artistic
licence! So don't worry if you don't have your pets
all sitting in a row or standing looking intently at
the camera, as I can easily work from multiple
photos to create one unified portrait. Again, I use
this method when creating portraits of pets from
different generations, where the pets have never met
each other but the owner wants a portrait of all
their pets from days gone by. When you have gathered
your favourite photos of each pet, I will work with
you to come up with a portrait composition which
brings the best out of each of your pets.
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