Image courtesy Shelley Williams
Shelley Williams works as a storyboard artist for advertising campaigns, a job that can be stressful, she says. “You might have four days to draw 245 pictures and have to stay up all night.” To unwind, she began drawing pet portraits about three years ago, selling her custom creations through Facebook. “I got an incredible response,” she says. Most of her portraits are finely detailed pencil drawings, though she occasionally uses pastels. Prices start at $125 for an 8-by-10-inch portrait.
Image courtesy Ward Saunders
Artist Ward Saunders first started drawing pet portraits as gifts for family and friends. Working from photos, he creates a graphite drawing on a gesso board then adds watercolors and paint. About half of his business is memorial portraits of departed pets. “I love that people are so passionate about their pets,” he says. “It feels really good to be of service to someone and put a little well-being back in the world.” Prices start at $456.
Photo courtesy Morgan Swank
Morgan Swank has been drawing animals since she was 8 years old. She describes her work as “vibrant realism” and uses alcohol-based markers to create her portraits, working from photos of the animal she is drawing. “I feel like pets provide a lot of support and comfort,” she says. “My dog means a lot to me, and when I can draw other people’s animals, I know they have that same connection.” Prices start at $375 for an 8-by-10-inch drawing.
Image courtesy Jacob Daley
To create his colorful pet portraits, Jacob Daley uses a stippling technique, “similar to how laser printers do color printing with a four-color process,” he says, using pigment pens and acrylic ink. “It’s always nice getting to look at cute dogs and cats all day. … Pets aren’t going to be around forever — their lives are shorter than ours — and a portrait is a nice way to remember them when they are gone.” Portraits start at $63 and go up to $134 for standard sizes.
