If you want a drawing that looks like a photo, I am not your artist.

Sounds strange, doesn't it? Turning down paid work. However, bear with me.

When I started drawing again towards the end of 2019, I didn't think I'd end up at a point where I had my own website selling my own blinking art. This was just something to do to keep me entertained at 3am on a night shift.

Look at the three photos above. Hopefully they're at least identifiable as the birds I was trying to create. But do they look like a photograph of a Kingfisher, Pheasant or Red Grouse? (Just in case you needed clarification). No. No they do not. It never has been how I enjoy drawing, and I'm fairly sure that it won't be the way I enjoy drawing. There are plenty of artists out there who create INCREDIBLE artwork that you have to have a second look at to see if they're a photo or not. And that's fine. That work takes many MANY hours to complete. And it comes with a price tag, and that's also fine, I'm not here to judge anyone's pricing.

Part of my brand values is creating affordable artwork so that more people can enjoy it. For me to be able to create work that's more affordable, I have to factor in how much time each portrait takes to draw. Coloured pencil isn't the quickest of mediums to work with, and for me to be able to draw in a photo-realistic way would correspond into my artwork becoming much more expensive, which isn't what I want. Well, obviously I'd like to earn more money from it, I'm only human, but not at the expense of the general public being able to have a portrait commissioned.

I aim to draw portraits that capture the subjects essence, whilst still being recognisable as my own art work. Hopefully they are still identifiable as to what what species they are!

Would you prefer a photo realistic portrait with a much higher price tag? Or affordable art that shows your pets character? Let me know in the comments!