MELANIE KILBY ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR
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portraits
Would you like to commission a portrait of your pet?
Pet portraits make a beautiful gift for a loved one or to keep all to yourself. All I need is a photo you've taken to work from.
I'm always taking commissions so drop me an email if you have questions or if you're ready to place an order you can order via the links below.
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People portraits
I also draw portraits of people in black and white (graphite and charcoal) and the pricing is dependent on the size of the drawing you would like. Get in touch to discuss it via the link below.
What type of pet portrait would you like?
Total drawing size is A4 (single) or A3 (2 pets) with the paper size approx 35cm x 50cm or 70cm x 50cm for a double portrait. Drawn in graphite on blue/grey toned paper.
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single $345 – double $530
30.5cm x 30.5cm x 4cm stretched canvas. Painted using artist quality oil paint from a supplied photograph.
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single $480 – double $650
Total drawing size is A4 with the paper size A3. Drawn in Polychromos colour pencil on white art paper.
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$550
Choosing the right photo
Picking the best photos of your pet or person is crucial to getting the best artwork in return. I'll always be honest and let you know if I think a certain image won't work... but here's a few pointers to help.
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Details really bring the portrait to life.
If I can't see it then I have to make it up (not good) or ignore it all together.
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Is the photo sharp?
A blurry photo means that I can't draw any furry or feathery details. It's not a deal-breaker though, especially with a painting.
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Does your pet or person look like himself/herself in the photo?
A photo that is "SO THEM" is important. If they look super cute in the photo but they don't really look like themselves, then you'll end up with a portrait that doesn't really capture their personality.
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Is there any lens distortion?
Generally photos with lens distortion can end up leading to strange looking portraits but occasionally it does work (see some of the photos in the gallery above). Email your photos to me and we can discuss it.
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Any weird shadows cast on them or is the photo cropped?
If they're slightly weird shadows then I can probably work with that. If they're REALLY weird then it might be best to pick a different image. If your image crops out a limb, ear, tail or nose (you may laugh but I do get sent half cropped noses) then it might still be ok.
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If part of your pet is cropped out of the photo, then I may be able to just not draw/paint that part and choose to draw their head and shoulders only. If it's something like an ear tip then I can generally reference the other ear or another photo to work it out.
If in doubt, drop me an email with the photo and I'll let you know what I think.
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