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| Pet Portraits Ordering Information |
It is a very simple process to order a pet portrait. Many clients are a little apprehensive about the process and I try to put everyone at ease.
By following the 'case study' below you will be able to see an example of a previous commission form start to finish.
Each commission goes though a similar process, so by quickly reading through this page you will have a better understanding of what I need form you and what you can expect from me!
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CASE STUDY
Here is a step by step walk though of a real commission. This painting was commissioned by Mrs Jarrett from the UK and you can follow each step from her initial email enquiry to her thank you letter. This painting was quite large and it was quite a challenge to seamlessly fit jess into the scene in a natural way. Mrs Jarrett and myself worked closely together, and our correspondence continued over a number of weeks until we were certain about the design and layout of the portrait. For many portraits this process is much shorter particularly if your requirements are a head study on a mottled background. Every clients commission is unique, however this hopefully will give you a general idea of the ordering process. This portrait can be seen at the top of every page of my website, although I reversed the painting to fit around the text.
1 - The Initial email
Mrs Jarrett gave me a basic run down of what she was looking for.
"I have been browsing your site with a view to commissioning an oil on canvas portrait of one of our golden retrievers for my husband's 60th birthday. I have noted your prices. I am also trying to keep this all a secret from my husband and will send you photos on cd. I will then go on to have the portrait professionally framed"
Mrs Jarrett had already decided she wanted an oils, however if you are unsure of which medium to choose, just let me know in your enquiry and I will give you my professional opinion when I have seen your photos. You can either email me photos direct or you can post them to me on CD, just drop me a line and I will email you my home address.
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| 2 - Photos |
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Original Photo - Although Mrs Jarrett sent me a cd full of photos of Jess, along with a movie of her, I always work from one single photo of each pet. (I can add a group of pets together from single photos).
This is the original photo the client sent. When you are choosing, try to pick a photo which you feel is the best representation of your pet, one that captures their personality and character.
Mrs Jarrett also required a full background in her portrait and wanted "a portrait of Jess in the "wilder" countryside" With this in mind I found a variety of backgrounds Jess would be comfortable standing in.
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For this particular commission I produced 8 mockups, here's a snipped of Mrs Jarrett's responding email.
"We very much like this mockup, and we have decided that we will do as you suggest and use the photo with the various hills behind, including the heather and the cloudy sky. I feel that the brilliant blue of the "centre" of the sky should be toned down a bit, more like it was in that picture you so kindly made up from all the various elements of the previous ones. I would also like you to paint Jess without her collar showing - and I now notice that the fur on her chest is grubby!! Oooops." |
4 Payment & Client Area.
Once the client is happy with the mockup payment can be made very simply on my website using a secure server. The majority of commissions are paid in full, however larger portraits can be paid with a deposit of half, the remainder to be paid when the portrait is complete.
Clients also receive a client area, with their own unique username and password to login to a secure section of the website. Here they can
› View an estimated start date,
› Access a personal gift webpage if one has been requested, (Gift Voucher Webpage Service)
› Terms and conditions form,
› View the portraits mock-up,
› Read important notes about the portrait,
› Work in progress section
› Final scan of the portrait when complete
In the 12 years I have been receiving commissions I have worked with over 700 clients. In this time I have learnt about my customers requirements and I have devised this unique system to help the customer feel safe and secure during the entire process of the commission. The client area allows customers to be updated on the progress of their order at their convenience and gives every customer peace of mind that their investment is in safe hands. It is also a secure area, no one else can see your webpage, you can be confident that no one else will read it or come across it accidentally.
The following is a snippet form Mrs Jarrett's email when she had logged into her secure area for the first time.
"Have just looked on my "special" site (how exciting!) I'm quite pleased with myself having negotiated all the hurdles - it was in fact very straightforward, so thank you so much."
5 - Step by Step Progress |
Once I have started the portrait you will be able to watch its progress in the work in progress section of my site or in your secure area. I usually have four or five portraits on the go at various stages so some will be on the main website and others will be within clients own areas. The steps below are 'Jess in Progress'.
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6 - The final Scan
Every customer is shown a final scan of their portrait so they can make sure everything is correct. If they need any changes made i am more than happy to do this for them.
7- Ready To Send
The final stage before packing this portrait was to sign and photograph the painting. I always have a high resolution scan of every drawing and painting that leaves the studio. For portraits that are particularly special to me, I like to have a photo taken of me with the portrait for my scrapbook. |
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8 - The Delivery
Once the portrait is dry I pack it up using gallery standard packaging materials along with copious amounts of bubble wrap. This helps the paintings stay safe in the postal system. The outer layer is wrapped in specialist plastic to stop any chance of water damage.
9 Happy Customer!
Mrs Jarrett was kind enough to send me this lovely photograph of her husband with his portrait.
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It is always wonderful when clients are able to take photos of the portrait framed, even better when the recipient is in the photo too. Sometimes I receive photos with the dogs as well which is brilliant.
Mr Jarrett phoned me especially to thank me for the portrait and I have included some lovely feedback below when they received it. The portrait was a total surprise for and was presented to David with their friends present. |
"Melanie. the portrait of Jessie is beautiful - and the most wonderful thing of all is that you have captured her personality in a really magical way - our brave little retriever with twinkling eyes and a heart of gold! She's just leaping off the canvas to us.
I just can't thank you enough for everything - not least your kindness in helping me to sort things out, and your guidance and patience whilst we chose the background. The framer was pleased to see it, as much of his work does not consist of portraits of that quality.
The littlest puppy saw it last night and she could hardly believe her eyes - went up to it, looked, came to us, looked round to see where Jessie was: What better credentials for a true likeness could you wish for?!!
I shall miss our emails (though not the anxious wait!). Just can't thank you enough. Perhaps one day we might make it to your workshop in Wales. Enjoy your week-end"
If you are interested in commissioning me for a portrait please don't hesitate to contact me at any time. Visit my contact page to email or telephone me. |
