HOW IT'S MADE
From your photo to their portrait.
Every commission follows the same careful path. Here is what to expect, from first hello to the day it arrives at your door.
STEP 1.
We talk about your animal
It starts with a conversation. Who were they? What did they do that made you laugh? The tilt of the head, the favourite spot on the couch, the way they looked at you. The more I understand your animal, the more of them I can give back to you.
STEP 2.
We choose the photo
I work from your reference photo, so the clearer it is, the better the likeness. Send the best images you have. Where a detail is missing or the photo is older, I will research the breed and fill the gaps with care. For the largest sizes, a very high-resolution photo is required.
STEP 3.
The design takes shape
I sketch the portrait in pencil first, getting the proportions and the bones of the composition right before any paint goes down. This is where your animal starts to appear on the page.
STEP 4.
Finding their colours
Every animal has their own palette. I mix the exact colours for your animal's coat, eyes and nose, and keep a record of them - the same colours that come to you on a card at the end.
STEP 5.
Painting begins, with the eyes
I always start with the eyes. They are what carry the likeness, and what every family mentions first. From there I build the portrait outward, layer by layer, until the fur looks like you could touch it.
STEP 6.
You watch it come to life
Along the way I send progress photos and short videos, with my notes on what I am seeing and the occasional question about a quirk only you would know. You are part of it the whole way through.
STEP 7.
The finishing touches
The last details - the whiskers, the catchlights, the final layers - are what make it real. Then we prepare the animal for delivery - carefully packaging them away to go home.
STEP 8.
Wrapped, sealed, and sent
Your portrait is lovingly gift-wrapped and wax-sealed, packed to arrive safely, and sent with tracked, insured delivery, free within New Zealand. Inside you will find the colour card of the shades I mixed for your animal, and a few small touches that make it a keepsake, not just a parcel.
Ready when you are
Tell me about your animal and let's get started.
