How to Commission a Custom Pet Portrait From Photos

What to Decide Before You Enquire

Six Steps From Pet Photos to Finished Artwork

1. Send the enquiry.Share the pet’s name, number of subjects, preferred format, budget, destination, desired date and the memory behind the work. This is not a purchase.
2. Receive photo guidance.If the project appears suitable, we explain which files, views and details will help and provide a separate sharing method.
3. Review the creative proposal.The proposal identifies format, dimensions, composition, actual artist, review stages, price, estimated schedule and delivery approach.
4. Approve before paying.A 50% PayPal deposit is invoiced only after you accept the written scope. We do not store card details.
5. Follow the agreed reviews.Sketches or progress are shared at the stages stated in the proposal. Consolidated feedback keeps the project clear.
6. Approve final payment and delivery.The remaining balance and actual shipping are invoiced before packing and dispatch. Tracking and available carrier records follow.

How to Choose Photos for a Custom Pet Portrait

Need more detail? Use the complete reference-photo guide for phone photos, dark fur, memorial archives, combining separate pets and sculpture angles.

For a portrait

• Choose a close image with the eyes and face in focus.
• Use natural light so coat color and markings remain accurate.
• Include the expression or pose that feels characteristic—not only a formal photo.
• Add other angles or days to confirm proportions and natural color.
• For a dark-coated pet, include brighter images that reveal facial structure.

For a relief or sculpture

• Front, left and right profile, three-quarter and full-body views when available
• Standing or sitting references that show leg length, chest, tail and silhouette
• Close views of ears, paws, nose, eyes, collar and distinctive markings
• A simple size cue if the scale or body type is not obvious

For a memorial portrait or limited archive

Include the emotionally important image even if it is technically imperfect, then add any clearer photographs that reveal missing color, markings or proportions. Tell us why each image matters. We may be able to combine the emotional truth of one photo with visual information from others, but we will not promise detail the references cannot support.

Do not send original high-resolution files through the public form. Approved applicants receive separate sharing instructions. If old, scanned or blurry images are all that remain, use the memorial portrait from old photos guide before deciding the project is impossible.

What Your Written Proposal Includes

• The chosen physical format, dimensions and number of pets
• The reference-photo plan and composition direction
• Any background, object, name, dates, framing or display decisions
• The actual artist and Cherry’s creative-direction role
• The included review stages and revision boundary
• The project price, 50% deposit and final-payment timing
• The estimated schedule and preliminary shipping approach

Final price is affected by medium, scale, complexity, number of pets, background, accessories and requested detail. See the format comparison and the complete pricing and cost guide.

Sketches, Previews and Revision Boundaries

The selected medium determines what can be reviewed before completion. The proposal may include a composition or sketch review and selected progress updates. Unless the proposal says otherwise, one consolidated round of reasonable sketch-stage changes is included.

Changing the medium, subject, pose, composition, dimensions or major background after approval may require a revised quote and schedule. A preview is a review tool, not an unlimited redesign promise or an automatically licensed printable file.

Deposit and Final Payment

Applying is free. A commission begins only after the written proposal is accepted and a 50% PayPal deposit is confirmed. The remaining balance and actual shipping are invoiced before dispatch. Project-specific cancellation and refund terms appear in the proposal and must comply with applicable consumer law.

Timing, Gift Deadlines and Worldwide Delivery

Many portrait projects are planned for approximately 6–10 weeks and reliefs for approximately 8–12 weeks. Sculpture, multiple pets and collections may require longer. Tell us a birthday, anniversary or memorial date immediately; no deadline is guaranteed until it appears in the accepted proposal.

Worldwide enquiries are welcome. Shipping is quoted separately after destination, packed size, weight, fragility, carrier and available insurance are understood. Import duty, tax or brokerage is normally the recipient’s responsibility unless the proposal says otherwise. Read the shipping and damage policy.