From unlikely Christmas gift to 100 Commissions

Oh hi! Welcome to Sketch Your Pet's official blog.

I'm Jon, and I’ve been turning photos of your furry friends into artistic masterpieces worthy of the Louvre (or at least your living room)! for over a decade, so I thought it’s about time I share my adventures as a London-based pet portrait artist.

In my debut post, i'll take you on a whistle-stop tour of how I got into sketching pets in the first place, some of my highlights from the last decade, and what makes a Custom Pet Portrait from Sketch Your Pet so special and unique.

Disclaimer, brace yourself for pet puns, funny animal GIFs, and a splash of my artwork here and there. Let's gooooo!

How it all started

The first Sketches of anyone's pets were my mum's dogs Harry & Daisy. The OGs! R.I.P.

For context, ever since I was able to hold a pencil I've been drawing. I love it! I grew up dreaming of becoming an animator/illustrator, working for Disney or Marvel (default).

I've literally been drawing cartoons/comics ever since I can remember and I'm a bit obsessed with all-things illustration/animation and character design related. Drawing makes me happy and is a passion of mine. I'm also completely obsessed with dogs! And you know that old cliche...

"do more of what makes you happy..."

So, as the story goes I was looking for a thoughtful gift for my mum one Christmas, and money was tight at the time, so I thought I'd try sketching her two dogs Harry (the Cairn Terrier), and Daisy (the Sh*t-Russell, or Jack Sh*t!):

Sketch Your Pet's OGs Harry and Daisy

She loved the sketches and suggested other pet owners might like their pets sketched/illustrated too.

The rest they say is history! Cheque's in the post mum! (It's not!)

From unlikely Christmas gift to 100 Commissions and counting

From an unlikely Christmas gift to 100 Commissions and counting, let me share some of my favourite highlights from more than a decade of sketching people's pets!

One of my proudest achievements from doing Sketch Your Pet for more than a decade is being commissioned to sketch more than 100 pets. From Chinchillas to Chihuahuas, to Moon Bears, to Horses playing poker (more on that later) and everything in-between. It's been a crazy ride so far, and heres to the next 100 (he hopes!).

The fact that people love my style and are willing to part with their hard earned cash to have me draw their beloved fur baby is honestly an honour and a privilege. To everyone that ordered a pet portrait from me over the years I can't thank you enough for supporting me as an artist, for supporting my small business and for enabling me to continue to invest in myself, and invest in what I love doing.

I've had fun participating at exhibitions all over the country, from Crufts to the London Pet Show, meeting passionate pet fans equally unique as their fur babies, who love the unique style of Sketch Your Pet. This lady got rather attached to my Pug cut-out at Crufts! (bullhorn sound... put the dog down!)...

Big fan!

Shout out to my Dutch customer from Crufts, who loved pugs soooo much she had one tattooed on the palm of her hand! My portrait of her pug Seloy is still one of my favourites to date. It's not everyday you get commissioned to illustrate a viking Pug! Fun fact, pugs in Holland are called Mops!

Meet Seloy the Viking Pug from Holland

What makes a Custom Pet Portrait from Sketch Your Pet special and unique?

Whether yours is a grumpy cat or a dippy dachshund I work tirelessly to capture the essence of your pet's personality in my sketches. All I need are some great photos of your pet and a little description about their personality and I get sketching.

Bruno the mini-dachshund low-pawed me for his pawtrait!

Once I'm happy with the sketch I'll share it with you via email so you get a sneaky peak as to how it'll look when it's finished. All part of the service!

You'll receive a sketch just like this one of Lila! Excited much?

After the sketch or colour illustration is finished you just sit back and relax and wait for your portrait to arrive in the post.

The hardest thing you have to do is decide where to hang your portrait!

On top of owning a one-of-a-kind piece of art, you can also join our fun animal loving community and get involved by sharing photos of your pet with their pawtrait. It's one of my favourite aspects of doing Sketch Your Pet.

Buddy agreed to pose in exchange for treats and belly rubs! He loves his pawtrait too!

Not only do I capture your pet's character and personality in the portrait, but I also offer a range of personalised made-to-order products, such as custom cut-outs, cushions, tote bags and whole lot more. With Sketch Your Pet you can truly celebrate your fur baby and show off your pawtrait in style!

Unique personalised pet portraits

When I first started doing pet portraits I quickly realised there was already a tonne of other pet portrait artists out there, the majority offer realistic replicas of photos and whilst I can do that, it's not what I'm into, and much like a cat that likes licking their own you know what, just because you can, doesn't mean you should!

You know what I'm talking about!

I wanted to offer something different to what everyone else was doing. And with my background in animation and character design I see all animals as cartoon characters!

So that's what I decided to focus on and thats how Sketch Your Pet came to be.

Sketch Your Pet is for anyone looking for a different style of pet portrait. Something a little more fun, modern, playful, bold and colourful. Something utterly unique, a one-off, just like your pet! For anyone looking for a purrrfect gift for that pet mad friend or family member.

You have someone in mind right?

More than just another replica of the countless photos you already have of your pet

What makes my custom pet portraits unique is that Sketch Your Pet doesn’t just replicate photos of your pet, they’re transformed into modern, fun and personalised illustrations that truly capture your pet's charm and personality.

Available in two distinct styles, the Custom Pencil and Ink Pet Portrait, and the Custom Colour Pet Portrait.

The Classic Pencil and Ink Pet Portrait, and the Custom Colour Pet Portrait.

I draw every pet by hand, myself, from scratch, all from a few of your photos. Every commission is unique, just like your pet, and I pride myself on being able to capture your pet's character and personality in my sketches. Visit my website to learn more about how it works and my super simple 3-step creative process.

But wait... there's more...

Personalised made-to-order products

As well as creating a completely unique one-of-a-kind illustration, I also offer personalised made-to-order products, such as cushions, coasters, phone cases, tote bags and even custom cut-outs of your pets! Yaaasss!

Barney was paid in treats for this photo!

Yes thats right, you can have your portrait printed onto a range of made-to-order products!

Ready to order a custom pet portrait?

It's super quick and easy to order a custom pet portrait via the website.

Simply choose which style you prefer out of the Custom Pencil & Ink Pet Portrait, or the Custom Colour Pet Portrait. For more information visit the Custom Pet Portraits page on my website.

That's all folks!

That’s a wrap for my first blog post! If you enjoyed this post, please Like and subscribe to the blog for more pet sketching adventures, behind-the-scenes looks at my artwork, exclusive offers and more pet-tastic updates, tips, and fun stories.

Follow Sketch Your Pet on Instagram to see more of my artwork and all the fabulous characters I get to sketch, and if you're interested in commissioning me to sketch your pet, or a pet-mad friend or family member's pet, head over to www.sketchyourpet.com to place your order.

I can't wait to Sketch Your Pet.