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Original poster

Pet portraits - brutally honest opinions needed

174 replies

Brokkoli · 03/01/2023 18:21

I have little confidence and have been selling pet portraits for £35 each. Buyers always say they’re happy with them but my lack of confidence tells me they’re just being nice

Would love to do it as more of a business rather than a hobby.

im thick skinned, please be honest

Pet portraits - brutally honest opinions needed
Pet portraits - brutally honest opinions needed
Pet portraits - brutally honest opinions needed
OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
purpledalmation · 03/01/2023 20:39

Coloured pencils way better! I have a lot of expensive pencils from a really expensive brand and I hardly ever use them. ☹️

Original poster
Brokkoli · 03/01/2023 20:40

purpledalmation · 03/01/2023 20:31

They are really nice and definitely saleable. I would say (also do pet portraits) don't be afraid to alter the photo to achieve a more symmetrical or more pleasing affect. The middle dogs eye is reproduced as in the photo, but I would've made it more in keeping with the other eye. I would also add more highlights. The eyes in particular can be made to pop more. You're the artist, don't be afraid to add highlights, colour and so on to make these really unique works of art. Charge more realistically. Etsy is a good platform to start. Then have your own webpage. I had a website and never had a sale from it (no idea why) but lots of sales from the same items on Etsy.

Funnily enough after I’d sent it I wished I’d improvised that eye … but the customer loved it and actually wants another one doing so would you recommend I change the eye this time or would you keep it the same as the first one?

OP posts:
ForestofD · 03/01/2023 20:40

Have a look in your local area- there are usually a few free courses for people to learn how to use computers/internet. These are brilliant- don't wait for other people to do things for you- be proactive and find someone to teach you.

My daughter asked me to draw a dog when she was little- she cried because she asked for a dog and not a dinosaur. It was a dog but my skills are very poor. You have a wonderful skill- take it and use it!

Facecream · 03/01/2023 20:41

You are very talented OP!! They are very close to the photos. Advertising locally might get you some commissions too (as well as Etsy)

BettyOBarley · 03/01/2023 20:41

They're absolutely fantastic, you have an amazing talent. My favourite is the sausage dog. 💛

daisyjgrey · 03/01/2023 20:45

I was taught at uni to charge - at the very minimum - £150 per 8 hours, plus materials and VAT.

You're undercharging by a considerable amount. Undercharging also makes the buyer devalue your work, there's a psychology to it.

mm40 · 03/01/2023 20:47

Call me Mr Grinch if you will…… they are excellent - however without know what the dogs originally look like we don’t know they are an accurate representation of the dogs.

mm40 · 03/01/2023 20:49

To elaborate - I paid £750 for an A3 portrait of our Sealyham terrier and our collie. If you know us/the dogs the portrait is undeniably the dogs in question - not just ‘a’ Sealyham and a ‘collie’ lying together. That is the art.

Atethehalloweenchocs · 03/01/2023 20:49

You are very talented!

ProtectorExtraordinaryOfTheCantonsOfNim · 03/01/2023 20:50

mm40 · 03/01/2023 20:47

Call me Mr Grinch if you will…… they are excellent - however without know what the dogs originally look like we don’t know they are an accurate representation of the dogs.

Can we call you Mr Didn't Bother To Read The Thread Before Posting instead?

OP posted photographs of the dogs some time ago.

TheHopefulMum · 03/01/2023 20:55

They are wonderful I'd love some of my pets if you do decide to do them as a business, or even if you have a website / Etsy store now.

Stopclutchingpearls · 03/01/2023 20:56

Omg amazing how very talented

MysteryBelle · 03/01/2023 21:06

Lovely. Please start charging your worth. You are an excellent artist who captures the personality of your subjects and your skills are a chef’s kiss. My son is an artist and he gets 10 times what you charge and I’d say you are pretty equal in talent. He can draw anything, any style, from life, from photorealistic to any other style. I bet you can too based on your photorealism.

MysteryBelle · 03/01/2023 21:10

Ability to draw from life, live subjects, and the people and scenery around you and not from other drawings or 2d renderings, is the test. Judging from your talent with photos you would do very well with drawing from life.

You are an artist and there’s no doubt about that. Your confidence should be through the roof. Beautifully done.

Whycanineverever · 03/01/2023 21:14

There's a lady I follow on Fb. She does coloured pencil drawings and they are several hundred.

purpledalmation · 03/01/2023 21:14

@Brokkoli I think I would change it. I've found it I do something the second time it's usually better, as you learn from the previous one. I also find it really useful to leave the nearly finished item for a day or so as you 'see' it more clearly. Staring at something for hours you stop being critical of what you are doing. Also asking other people is great as they often see things you don't as you've been looking at it for so long. Sort of nose blind of the eyes.

Etsy is a really easy way to start, but Facebook (local pages are great) also works, and even nicer, art and craft shows where you can meet clients.

purpledalmation · 03/01/2023 21:16

I do digital, coloured pencils and watercolours, so having a range is excellent business sense. I can only do digital for my American customers.

Reindear · 03/01/2023 21:18

You are crazy talented! I would love to buy a portrait from you of my lab!

cheeseisthebest · 03/01/2023 21:19

Those are incredible. I would love to be able to draw, you are so talented. How did you learn to draw like that?

Francisca459 · 03/01/2023 21:21

Brokkoli · 03/01/2023 19:25

The current state of the cat 😂

Aww Op you have the talent to capture the individual animals from the photograph - lovely work.

RenoDakota · 03/01/2023 21:26

They are fabulous. You are very talented and could charge more!

PauliString · 03/01/2023 21:26

I don’t like the cat, sorry. It’s the eye position, I think, and that’s quite hard to change at this stage. (It helps to look at your picture in a mirror - sometimes it can be a fresh view that picks out a problem you hadn’t noticed.)

I love the dogs though.

mm40 · 03/01/2023 21:28

ProtectorExtraordinaryOfTheCantonsOfNim · 03/01/2023 20:50

Can we call you Mr Didn't Bother To Read The Thread Before Posting instead?

OP posted photographs of the dogs some time ago.

Show quote history

You can call me what you like - had they been posted together it would have been easier to have given an option rather that traipsing through 4(?) pages to find the originals.

anyway - I’ve seen the pics and I think the OP is doing some excellent jobs - including mugging herself off completely - minimum of £250 a piece for an A4.

Undercoverdetective · 03/01/2023 21:30

Your pictures are wonderful, especially the large one. Agree with others that they are very underpriced. It might be an idea to encourage customers to look for pictures of elderly dogs when they were a bit younger. Obviously the customers choice but a few years down the line it might be more pleasing to be remembering their pets at their best.

chorusline79 · 03/01/2023 21:37

These are really amazing, you are definitely undercharging massively. You are super talented!