Question 1

How do I take care of my portrait?

Accepted Answer

Pastel portraits are best kept behind glass to help preserve them as they are a dry medium. Until your portrait is framed its best to keep it in the cellophane wrapping to prevent any damaged from being done. When hanging any artwork it is advised not to place it in direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting: both are rich in ultraviolet light and will provoke fading. Oil painting do not need to be framed under glass. The canvas can be hung unframed or framed - whatever you prefer. They are sprayed with a clear varnish which helps to protect them. Over time it is advised to re- varnish every 3-6 years. This can be very easily done but please contact me for full advise and instructions.
 
When handling the artwork these points I cannot stress enough: 
- do not brush or blow the surface in attempt to clean off dust.
- do not touch the surface of your portrait.
and please do not spray fixative / or varnish WITHOUT consulting the artist.

Question 2

How long will my portrait take to complete?

Accepted Answer

When placing your order I will you give an anticipated date of completion. Whilst every effort is made to meet this- it should not be regarded as an absolute guarantee. If you need your commission for a specific date such as Christmas or birthday please order early remembering that from as early as July through to December it is my busiest time.
My waiting list is normally 6- 9 weeks, but this can be longer in busier periods. If you have left it to the last minute to order your pet portrait I will try my best to accommodate you; but if this is not possible I also sell gift vouchers which have proven to be very popular.

Please note - Oil paintings take longer to complete then a pastel piece.

Question 3

What about payment for my commission?

Accepted Answer

Payments can be made by cheque (UK only), direct  bank transfer or by PayPal. I require a 25% non-refundable deposit of the total cost on ordering to secure the space in my diary. The balance is due upon completion once you have viewed and approved a watermarked photo of the artwork. The artwork is only finished once you are 100% happy with it. I offer a payment plan option for orders £125 and over. This option allows you to make small affordable monthly  with a payment plan option which is broken down to a 25% non refundable deposit and then small affordable monthly instalments. No artwork is shipped without full payment being received first.

Question 4

I live abroad, can you ship outside of the UK?

Accepted Answer

Yes, I have sent my pet portraits all over the world, as long as you provide me with a full postage address I will gladly ship my work anywhere!

Please let me know of the shipping destination on ordering so I can give you an exact postage quote.

Question 5

Do you offer a framing service?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately at this time a framing service is not currently available on commissions.

Question 6

Copyright Issues?

Accepted Answer

Any artwork produced by Gemma Weighill remains copyrighted therefore it cannot be reproduced in any way by anyone. I am more then happy for you to share progress photos and the completed piece with your friends and family.  Once the portrait has been received by the customer it cannot be reproduced in any way UNLESS you seek my permission and receive my written consent. This protects my artwork and you from copyright infringement. Please respect this.

Question 7

Do you have any photo tips?

Accepted Answer

For best results the photos to choose needs to be a good quality photograph. 
Close up with good clear detail that show a typical pose and your pets  facial expression is particularly important.  Please do not worry if you haven't got "the perfect photo" I can work from several.

If you plan on taking a photo especially for the commission it is best to take your photos in natural sunlight - outdoors with no direct sunlight if possible.  I really need to be able to see your pets eyes and key features clearly. The better the photo , the better the artwork! 
Get down at eye level with your dogs and cats to take your photos. Sometimes it can take two or three of you to do, especially with dogs - someone may need to stand behind you and make noises or hold a treat near your photo to grab their attention if they wont keep still.

Photographing horses I advice good lighting is definitely  needed. For head portraits its best to get a close up with their ears looking alert which is easily achieved by someone making a noise behind the camera.
I understand that some of your pets are sadly no longer with us, but please do not worry - 
I will do my best to work with the photographs you have.

I need original images - not screenshots or cropped filtered photos. If you need any help or advice please do not hesitate to get in touch , I'll gladly help anyway I can.

Question 8

Whats the difference between pastels and oil paints and whats best for my commission?

Accepted Answer

This is my most asked question. I love both for completely different reasons. With both mediums they are created by building up layers, however pastels are a dry medium and oils are not.
 
Pastels you do not need to wait for each layer to dry before working on them again where as oils you need to wait for each layer to dry before continuing. Oil paintings are very time consuming and take several weeks to finish.
 
When I get asked whats best - neither medium are superior then one another it truly down to personal preference. Pastels are a soft medium  which makes fur and hair texture look ever so "real" looking and oil painting are more vibrant but also look incredably real.

Question 9

What is the difference between stretched canvas and canvas board?

Accepted Answer

Stretched canvases are a piece of canvas cloth tightly stretched and stappled over a wooden frame. Stretched canvases due to their wooden frames can be made very large- the bigger they get the heavier they are but the frame is incredibly strong.

Canvas boards are much thinner than a stretched canvas, meaning they are a lot lighter. Just like stretched canvases the canvas cloth is stretched. However, instead of being stretched over a wooden frame the fabric is stretched over a solid surface; Typically MDF or a thick cardboard.

Stretched canvas paintings can be hung unframed if you prefer as all the ended are painted but paintings on canvas board will require framing.

Gemma Weighill Artist

Frequently Ask Questions