Pet Portrait Commissions

I know firsthand that sharing your life with an animal family member is a special experience. Owning a bespoke portrait creates lasting memories and is a unique and personal way to celebrate them.

I can be commissioned to create realistic graphite drawings using your own photographs, making for a precious gift or a wonderful addition to your own home. Each portrait has many hours of care and attention poured into it to ensure that the character and details that make/made your animal companion(s) so special are recreated in your portrait.

You can find more information below and examples at the bottom of the page. Further portrait examples can be found in the Gallery.

“Graphite produces timeless artwork that is full of heart, with a unique and beautiful depth that is hard to recreate through other mediums or through the use of colour” – Kate Priestman, 2023

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Pricing

Pet portrait commissions for a single subject are priced below; for more than one subject or to include a background to the drawing, please provide more details when booking. Portraits are mounted (included in the price). Frames are not included. The price does not include delivery, which will be additional and confirmed at the time of booking:

Paper size: 2x2”
Price: £160
Paper size: 4x6”/6x6”
Price: £270
Paper size: 7x10”/8x8”
Price: £380
Paper size: 8x12”/10x10”
Price: £490
Paper size: 12x16”/14x14”
Price: £590
Paper size: 15x22”
Price: £750

Can’t see what you’re looking for? Please contact me with any queries/for a bespoke quote.

Materials and finishing

All drawings are produced using the finest materials and acid-free paper. Portraits are mounted in a neutral/off-white window mount, with an acid-free back, ready to fit into a frame. I am also able to frame most sizes of artwork if required for an additional fee of £35. Frames are black, handmade in the UK and use wood from sustainable UK sources. Frames are supplied with clear perspex rather than glass (visually, perspex provides an identical finish to glass).

NEW for 2024: miniature pet portraits

Miniature pet portraits are as detailed as my standard portraits and are drawn to fit a 2x2” aperture, mounted to fit into a 5x5” frame. These tiny jewel-like portraits are true miniature pieces of art, reminiscent of 16th and 17th century miniature graphite portraits of people (known as plumbago), perfect to gift as a keepsake and have on a desk or side table as a daily reminder of a beloved animal family member, past or present.

(Please note that frames are not provided with miniature portraits; however, 5x5” frames are readily available to purchase.)

Extras

An animal family member is special to all members of the family; to that end, mounted fine art prints of your commissioned drawing can be ordered when you book, which makes for the perfect surprise gift for those who also share(d) their life with your perfect pet.

In addition, your favourite companion can feature on your very own enamel camping mug and ceramic mug. Just select your requirements on the booking form.

Payment terms and timing

A 40% deposit is required upfront when commissioning the drawing. The remaining balance is due when the drawing is complete and before it is dispatched. I will update you as I go along, and I will also email over a photograph of the final piece before it is sent.

Please note that portraits typically take three to four weeks to turnaround (up to eight weeks for a large portrait) and there may be a wait until I can start the commission, depending on existing commitments at the time of booking. Please keep this in mind if you have a fixed deadline. An estimate of the turnaround time will be provided upfront.

(Terms and Conditions)

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Pet portrait examples …

Reference photo used in conjunction with supplementary images. Commissioned for the customer's own home.
Customer feedback: "Drop. Dead. Brilliant! An amazing likeness. Thank you! More life-like than in real life".
Reference photo used alongside other images to provide the detail in the absence of the rider. Commissioned as a gift for the customer's daughter.
Customer feedback: "Oh wow. They’re just brilliant. Thanks so much Kate." [Joint commission with a hen portrait.]
Reference photo used in conjunction with other images to supplement the detail. Commissioned as a gift for the customer's daughter.
Customer feedback: "Thank you so much for this beautiful drawing of Percy, you have captured him perfectly! I love it".
Reference photo used in conjunction with other images. Commissioned as a gift for the customer's friend.
Customer feedback: "I commissioned this for my best friend and she absolutely adores it. Kate has captured her dog perfectly and I'll be commissioning more in the future".
Reference photo used in conjunction with other images to supplement the detail. Commissioned for the customer's own home.
Customer feedback: "Wow! I'm blown away ... it's My Boy! You have done such an amazing job and captured his true character".
Reference photo used in conjunction with other images to supplement the detail. Commissioned as a gift for the customer's husband.
Customer feedback: "It’s incredible! I am blown away. It’s better than I could have hoped for".
Reference image used in conjunction with other images to refine the detail. Commissioned as a birthday gift for the customer's partner.
Customer feedback: "Thank you so much Kate. You did a marvellous job, I am touched and speechless".
Reference photo used. Commissioned as a memorial portrait using an old photograph. Commissioned for the customer's own home in addition to two prints of the drawing which were gifted to family members.
Customer feedback: "Thank you Kate. Lovely job. You drew him better than the photo".
Reference photo used in addition to other images to supplement the detail. The customer requested that the beak of the hen was closed on the portrait. Commissioned as a gift for the customer's daughter.
Customer feedback: "Oh wow. They’re just brilliant. Thanks so much Kate." [Joint commission with an equine portrait.]
Reference image used in addition to other images for additional detail. Commissioned as a gift for a customer's daughter of their new puppy.
Customer feedback: "The drawing is so lifelike and really seems to have caught his character as well. Highly recommended".
Reference photo used in additon to others to supplement the detail. Commissioned as a gift for the customer's daughter.
Customer feedback: "Oh WOW! Brilliant! You’ve really caught her. Thank you so much".
Reference photo used in addition to supplementary images. Commissioned as a memorial portrait for the customer's sister. Included two prints which were gifted to family members.
Customer feedback: "This is the first artwork I've ever commissioned. I was able to deliver the finished piece to my sister yesterday. It was a bittersweet time as we had to say goodbye to 'Dizzle' 2 years ago, she has been missed by the entire family ever since. Kate did an amazing job! Despite all the tears, my sister, myself and the family love this drawing. Thank you so much Kate!"