Commissions - FAQ’s

You can either use the contact form or email me to make the initial enquiry and I will respond the next working day to either:-

Respond to your enquiry, reserve your place in my order book (especially important for Christmas Commissions) or send a detailed quote based on your instructions confirming deadline, price, and size.

I am always happy to discuss anything about your commission before starting work on your order to ensure that I have as much information as possible.

If you are not sure about the composition I can create a digital image using your reference photo/s to give you an idea of what the portrait will look like or to give you a few versions to choose from.

Once we have agreed the composition I’ll email a formal quote to you which will list all the important information including size, composition required, deadline and necessary non-refundable deposit which is required to reserve your place in my schedule. Once I have received your deposit this will secure your place on my waiting list and I will email you a receipt for the deposit payment.

Artwork usually takes around three weeks but this may be longer depending on my current workload and during busy times of year e.g. Christmas. I always try to accommodate special occasions if my workload allows. Please let me know your deadline as soon as you get in touch.

When the portrait is finished I’ll email you a photo of the artwork for your approval. I do not generally include detailed backgrounds and instead focus on the portrait itself. Any changes or alterations can be done at this point. Please note major changes are not really feasible without starting the portrait again. This has never happened to date.

When you have approved the portrait I’ll email the balance invoice to you which can be paid direct into my bank account or via PayPal.

Once payment has been received your portrait will be posted to you via Royal Mail Special Delivery. This service is trackable and insured and your artwork will be with you within two working days. For addresses outside the UK delivery may take up to ten working days.

The copyright to reproduce and share digital images of the portrait is retained by me. Please contact me if you wish to have prints made, and let me know in advance if you would like me to wait until a specific date before posting on social media or my website.

I ask for a 50% non-refundable deposit before I start work and the balance is due upon completion before shipment. Payment can be made direct into my bank account or via PayPal and you will receive a receipt.

Yes - You can choose a voucher for any of my size options. A full list of my portrait size options and prices can be found on my [Price List][1].

The voucher can be delivered to yourself or direct to your loved one, and you can choose whether to receive a printable voucher or a physical voucher in the post.

Each voucher comes with a unique code, so once the recipient is ready to redeem their pet portrait, they can simply contact me with their voucher code, using the contact details on the voucher. I'll then arrange everything with them directly.

Gift vouchers are valid for 2 years from the date of purchase. Your loved one will need to contact me to redeem their voucher before the expiry date. The expiry date will be clearly printed on their voucher.

UK Customers If you are a UK customer, please [email me][2] to order your gift voucher.

International Customers If you are outside the UK, I’ll need to factor in postage for the finished portrait into your voucher cost. Please contact me with your order and let me know the portrait size you’d like, and your address so I can price delivery for you. I’ll then send you an invoice so you can purchase your gift voucher. Your voucher can be either emailed to you, or posted. Please bear in mind that postage can take 7-10 days, and sometimes longer during busy periods such as the run up to Christmas.

Gift Vouchers are sold subject to the following Terms and Conditions of Use

A gift voucher entitles the recipient to a hand drawn pastel portrait of their pet according to the size quoted on the voucher.

The gift voucher does not include a mount or framing.

Gift voucher purchases are covered by a 14-day money back guarantee from the date you purchase your voucher. During this 14 day cooling off period, you may request to cancel your purchase, and receive a full refund, providing the voucher has not been redeemed during this period.

Gift vouchers are valid for 24 months from the date of purchase. The expiry date is shown on the voucher. The recipient needs to redeem their voucher before the expiry date.

To redeem the gift voucher, the recipient must: Contact Tricia Findlay Fine Art with their unique voucher code. The voucher code is unique to the recipient, it is their responsibility to not disclose this code to others.

Provide Tricia Findlay Fine Art with suitable reference photos of their pet. Please see my FAQ Page on my website for guidance on how to take a good high resolution photo.

Mutually agree with Tricia Findlay Fine Art on the main reference photo to be used for the portrait.

Once the recipient redeems their gift voucher, they will be allocated a slot in my schedule. My waiting list varies throughout the year and can be several months long. To find out my current waiting list at the time of purchasing the gift voucher, please contact me.

The recipient needs to be able to provide good quality reference photos of their pet/s. In the event that the recipient is unable to provide photos of good enough quality, I will work with them to reach a resolution which may include a refund.

Gift vouchers are non-refundable except in those circumstances outlined above. Vouchers can be transferred to someone else if the recipient does not want a portrait.

The recipient may upgrade their pet portrait to a larger size if they wish, and pay the difference in price. Please ask for this when redeeming the gift voucher. The difference in price will be determined from my price list at the time of redeeming the voucher. This can be viewed on my website www.triciafindlay.com

The gift voucher cannot be downgraded to a smaller sized portrait once purchased.

If you have any concerns or queries, please contact me. I always strive to maintain excellent customer satisfaction. I will always work with you to make sure you are happy with your purchase.

To contact Tricia Findlay Fine Art, please email triciafindlay@mac.com, or phone 07899 754 515. For international callers, please dial 00 44 7899 754 515.

There are a few ways you can send your reference photo/s. If you are sending digital images they can be jpeg, png or jpg and should be as high a resolution as possible. This allows me to see the detail that is essential to allow me to create your portrait.

Please send your images to my email tricia.findlay@mac.com

OR

you can use wetransfer.com - which is a free service (you do not need to sign-up) and it allows you to share large digital files at no cost.

If you only have the original of the reference photo or photos and you are unable to scan photos yourself, you can send them to me by post. Please use registered post to ensure their safety. I will return them to you with the finished portrait.

You can send as many reference photos as you like as it is always helpful to see the subject from different angles and in different lighting. It is always lovely to receive some additional information about the subject, such as his or her name, funny habits, personality traits etc. It all helps with creating the portrait.

Whatever format you choose it is vital the subject is in focus, fills the frame and natural lighting is used, not flash or very strong direct sunlight. You can read my tips about the quality of the photos I need to create your portrait below.

You can send as many reference photos as you like and I will let you know, based on my experience, whether the photo or photos are suitable to use and which would make the best portrait.

If you have a favourite photo you would like to be used but it is not very clear or doesn't have enough detail I can sometimes still use this provided I have extra reference photos for the detail to create the perfect portrait. I am always happy to discuss this.m description

The quality and detail in the reference photo is very important as I will be using the photo to give me all the information I need. The more detail, the better the final portrait will look. You can send as many reference photos as you like and I will let you know, based on my experience, whether the photo or photos are suitable to use and which would make the best portrait.

Each portrait is created using high quality soft pastels and pastel pencils on pastel paper, using high resolution photographs for reference. I aim to create a portrait that you will love, and to do this, it is very important that I can work from good photographs. I can help you choose the best photograph from the ones you have, or you can use some of my photo tips to take a photograph of your pet.

If you want to use photographs you didn't take yourself, please check with the photographer to ensure you have permission to use them, as some photographers have copyright restrictions.

If your pet has sadly passed away, I will do my best to work from the photographs that you have. I prefer to see the photos prior to accepting the commission so that I can make sure that I can work from them to create something you will love.

It is helpful to be able to see things such as nose texture, individual hairs, whiskers, eye colour, and reflections in the eye. Please remember that the artwork is my artistic interpretation, it will never be an exact copy of a photograph.

The better the photograph, the better your portrait will be!

Take close up facial photographs with everything in sharp focus e.g. the face, eyes, nose, and fur.

Take lots of photos in different poses so together we can select the most appropriate one.

Use natural light rather than a flash whenever possible. Photos taken outside in the natural daylight are the best.

Make sure the lighting in the photo shows your pet's true eye and fur colour.

If you're taking a photo of your cat or dog, get down low, this will give a more natural pose.

Avoid bandanas or other clothing, as well as photos where your pet is covered in mud, snow etc.

Ensure you can see things such as nose texture, individual hairs, whiskers, eye colour, and reflections in the eye.

Treats are a great way to get and hold your pets attention, or ask a friend for help.

If you would like a piece of art with more than one animal in, you can take separate photos of each of them. I can then digitally manipulate the images so we can agree on the final layout.

I can advise on what I think will be the best size based on the breed of animal and whether you’d like head and shoulders or full body portrait. I have also given some guidance on my price list page.

Yes, you can have multiple subjects in your portrait. The reference photos of the subjects need to be fairly similar in both lighting and quality. There is an extra charge for additional subjects. Please see my price list for details. You can supply separate photos of each subject, you don't need to struggle to get them all to line up for a shot !

Once the portrait is finished I will send a photo or short video of the portrait for your approval. Minor changes can be made at this point if necessary and I will send a further photo/video. It's unusual for clients to ask for changes, but you never know.

I usually advise a minimum of four weeks lead time for a portrait but this increases during the pre-Christmas period. I can usually adjust my list to meet more urgent deadlines. Let me know your deadline asap.

When balance payment has been received the artwork will be sent securely packaged via Royal Mail Special Delivery to UK addresses. This service means your portrait is insured, trackable and is guaranteed next day delivery in most cases.

For addresses outside the UK please allow up to 10 days for delivery via Parcelforce Worldwide. This service is also insured and trackable

Delivery charges are extra and cover the cost of packaging + delivery. These will be quoted for at the beginning of the process.

Yes, I’m on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - where you can view my latest artwork before it comes to my website as well as news updates, special offers, testimonials, and work-in-progress. Just click on the social icons on my website to go straight to these.

Please note I do not use a spray fixative on my pastel artwork as this often changes the colours of the pastel. It is vital that you avoid touching the surface of your pastel portrait as this will cause damage. It can be easily smudged or blended if you touch the surface. Finished artwork requires protection by being mounted and framed under glass.

With this in mind I recommend you leave the artwork in its original packaging until you hand it over to your framer. Using a framer who is experienced in pastel artworks its very important. I have given an overview of mounting and framing pastels below.

I recommend using a framer who has experience of working with pastel artwork. There are a number of things to consider such as the glass, mount, spacers & frame.

Glass - I recommend using a non-reflective glass which will minimise glare created by the glass. UV protective glass will provide protection against any bright lights over the years to come.

Plexi-glass can be used and is also available with UV protection. However it is important plexi-glass is treated with an anti-static spray to neutralize the static electricity which prevents pieces of pastel from clinging to the plastic.

Acrylic sheets - avoid this as a possible substitute for glass, as it becomes statically charged and acts like a magnet on pastel particles, lifting pastel dust from the artwork onto the sheet.

Spacers / Mounts - It is important the pastel does not touch the glass. This will keep the artwork intact and protect the artwork from smudging. Your framer should allow a gap between the surface of the artwork and the inner side of the glass pane using a spacer or a mount.

Spacers are used when you want a more traditional appearance to the artwork. A mount can also act as a spacer, however double or triple mounts are recommended, as there needs to be a sufficient gap between glass and artwork.

A small amount of pastel dust is unavoidable and the best way to prevent this from ruining the framing job is to create a "gutter" where dust may fall and settle out of sight.

An experienced framer will be able to discuss all these decisions with you so your framed piece looks its best.

I always include framing guidance notes with all commissions.