Head & Shoulders: $425 (add $100 for each additional animal).
Full Body: $450 (add $125 for each additional animal).
Ontario residents please add 8% provincial sales tax .
Prepayment of 50% is required .
 

Background

Includes plain background in a colour of your choice, or the grass and sky you see in the gallery section.

A complex background will be $50 to $100 extra, depending on the amount of detail.
 

Sizes

Commissions of your pet are done with a combination of acrylic paint and coloured pencil on watercolour paper. The piece is 10"x12" or 11"x14", or larger for multiple pets. You can request a particular size as well.
 

Time Required

Timing varies, and commissions are done on a first-come first-served basis. If the painting is for a special occasion, please book ahead. For Christmas, please book by late August.
 

Source Materials

Should you be in the Ottawa, Ontario area, I would very much like to meet the pet for pictures and a "get to know" session. There is no extra charge for this.

Otherwise, I can certainly work with pictures you send me. Please take as many as you possibly can. If you are able to take current pictures, here are a few tips for you to follow.
 

Photography Tips

First, if at all possible, use a digital camera. Borrow one if need be, and take a lot of pictures - 50 is not too many. Then you can copy these onto a CD and mail it to me.

If you have alot of lead time keep a camera handy. Then when your pet is doing something really special and your thinking "if only I had a camera," you have a camera.

Think about positioning. If it is a small animal, don't stand and point the camera down; get down to the animal's level. Remember not to get too close as it will create a foreshortening effect.

Take pictures with a flash, and if possible, also take pictures outdoors in natural light. If you cannot get outdoors, try to get some shots near a bright window. If you have a black pet with short hair, lighting becomes a real issue. If you can rig up some lighting so the light comes from one side only, it can create some lovely contrasts in the coat.

Think about how you see your pet and let me know with pictures and explanations. Do you want your pet playing, chasing, or looking contemplative? Ears perked up in attention or down? Eyes looking at you?

By all means email or call me if you want to discuss this. I spend 30 to 40 hours on each portrait, and I want you to be completely satisfied with the result.
 

Contact Information

If you have any questions or are interested in a commission, please email me at armitage@pictureperfectpets.ca or phone 613-832-5404.