One of the questions I get asked most often is, “How much does a portrait cost?”
The honest answer is that every portrait is unique. Some subjects require more time, more detail, and a few extra coloured pencil layers (especially if your pet happens to have gloriously fluffy fur!).
That said, I do like to keep my pricing as straightforward as possible. Rather than charging by the number of hours I spend talking to your pet through a photograph (which, admittedly, can be quite a few!), my prices are primarily based on the size of the artwork.
Because… well… size does matter. 😉
The prices below serve as a guide for single-pet portraits. Additional pets, custom backgrounds, or special requests may affect the final price, but we’ll always discuss everything beforehand—no surprises, I promise.
Paper Sizes
| Paper | Dimensions (inches / cm) |
| A5 | 5.8 x 8.3 / 14.8 x 21 |
| A4 | 8.3 x 11.7 / 21 x 29.7 |
| ARCH A | 9 x 12 / 22.9 x 30.5 |
| Large Block | 11 x 14 |
| A3 | 11.7 x 16.5 / 29.7 x 42 |
Not quite sure which size would best suit your pet?
Don’t worry—that’s what I’m here for.
Simply send me your favourite reference photo (or a few, if you’re undecided), and I’ll be happy to recommend a size that I feel will best showcase your pet. Factors such as the pose, level of detail, number of pets, and even all that glorious fur can influence which paper size will produce the best result.
My goal is never to upsell you to a larger portrait—it’s simply to recommend the size that will allow me to do your beloved companion justice.
Pricing Guideline
How My Pricing Works
Every portrait is unique, so rather than charging a flat fee based solely on paper size, I use a simple pricing guide based on how much of the page your pet actually occupies.
Think of it as measuring the amount of drawing rather than the amount of paper.
To do this, I overlay a grid of 1″ × 1″ squares over the planned composition. Any square that’s more than half occupied by your pet counts as one billable square inch.
Each occupied square inch is priced at S$4.20.
An Example
Take this adorable Frenchi below.
Although the portrait will be drawn on 9″ × 12″ paper, the dog itself occupies only about 40 square inches of the page.
So the estimate would be:
40 occupied square inches × S$4.20 = S$168
This gives us a fair starting price based on the artwork itself, rather than simply charging for the full sheet of paper.
A Few Things to Note
Backgrounds
The estimate above assumes that only your pet is being drawn, without including the background from the photo.
If you’d like a more detailed or creative background, the additional occupied squares will naturally become part of the calculation. If you’re undecided, don’t worry—we can bounce around ideas together until we find something that perfectly complements your portrait.
Multiple Pets
This pricing guide is based on a single pet.
If you’d like two or more pets in one portrait, each additional pet is still measured using the same square-inch method, plus an additional S$10 per extra pet to account for the extra planning and composition involved.
Final Pricing
The square-inch calculation is intended as a pricing guide and initial estimate.
Occasionally, as a portrait develops, a composition may evolve slightly. If any adjustment is needed, I’ll always discuss it with you first—there won’t be any unexpected surprises.
My goal is to keep pricing transparent, fair, and easy to understand, so you can focus on the fun part: seeing your beloved companion come to life on paper.