Pet Portrait Artist is an independent guide for people in Australia who are thinking about commissioning a portrait of a dog, cat, horse or other animal, or who already own one and want to look after it. We publish plain-language guides in three areas: mediums, covering oil and acrylic, pastel, charcoal and pencil, and digital portraits; commissioning, covering the process, choosing an artist, deposits and consumer rights, and copyright; and photos and care, covering reference photos, memorial portraits, framing and caring for artwork. Our free pet portrait planner gives a photo checklist and questions to ask an artist.
Why we exist
This web address was once home to a single artist's pet portrait website, which later closed. We have no connection to that artist. Commissioning a portrait is a personal and sometimes emotional purchase, often made after a pet has died, and it's easy to feel unsure about mediums, photos, deposits or who owns the finished picture. We want to bring the essentials together in one place, grounded in expert and official sources.
How we work
We write every guide in our own words. For legal, consumer and conservation facts, we rely on sources such as the Arts Law Centre of Australia, the Copyright Agency, the Australian Copyright Council, the Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material, the ACCC and Scamwatch, and we list our sources on each page. We never invent statistics, prices, quotes or reviews, and we don't rank or recommend artists.
Independence
Pet Portrait Artist (petportraitartist.com.au) is an independent information site. We are not an artist, studio, gallery, marketplace or framer, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by any artist, business or organisation named on this site, any previous operator of this domain, or any business with a similar name.
General information only
Our guides are general information and don't take your circumstances into account. They are not legal advice. For questions about copyright or contracts, contact the Arts Law Centre of Australia or a lawyer.
Contact us
Spotted an error, or have a suggestion? Please use our contact page. We read every message, and we correct mistakes promptly.