Gathering the art...
HELLO.
My name is Zann
I paint pets out of my home studio on Vancouver Island and host the Shaw TV show “Painting Pets with Zann“. My oil paintings and pet portraits ship all across North America. So if you’d like to get a handmade oil painting of your pet, you’re in the right place!
Galleries
Hand-painted pet portrait art, made by me in Canada
START YOURS
1. PLACE ORDER
Place your order securely online and send me a photo. I’ll work with you on the composition from there.
2. GET UPDATES
Next, you’ll get updates as I paint and can preview the final in 1-3 weeks.
3. Enjoy!
Your oil portrait will arrive ready to hang on the wall and brighten your day.
CONTACT
So you want to get a custom pet portrait painted but you’re not sure where to start. Well I’d love to hear from you! Use the form below or email me: pawsbyzann@gmail.com
Please note I am on maternity leave starting Fall 2023, so I may take more time than usual to respond.
FAQ
Like good pizza, good art takes time. My standard pet portrait sizes can be complete and ready to ship within three weeks, but please note that oils take a few days to dry and even a rush order will require drying time.
So if you have a particular deadline in mind, feel free to reach out to see if I can work with you to make it happen!
First off, I can definitely put multiple pets in one portrait!
Furthermore, if you can find a photo with all the pets together to use as a primary reference, then there’s no extra charge. In other words, pricing is just based on size.
But if they’re all in different photos and need to be arranged into one piece then I charge a 10% composition fee. Furthermore, adjusting the lighting to make different photos look natural together can be a real challenge. So one photo is better if possible.
Custom pet portraits are priced by size. So for specifics check out the full list of available sizes on my pricing page.
PET PORTRAIT BLOG
Check out the painting blog so you can see inside the pet portrait process. To start off, there are a lot of videos and painting demos. Then you can take a look at reference photo and sizing guides. And these are a great way to see the before and after when I paint a portrait of your pet from photos. Lastly, get in touch when you’re ready to order!
Labrador Retriever Paintings in Oil — by Zann Hemphill
Labrador Retriever Wall Art over 5 Years I’ve been painting pet portraits professionally since 2017, and over that time there
Great Dane Paintings in Oil — by Zann Hemphill
What draws you to Great Danes? Great Danes are a favourite subject of mine because they’re just such striking dogs.
Painting Pets with Zann Episode 4
In this episode Zann will show you an easy way to paint a cat. Use tools you already have (like your fingers) to figure out where your subject will be sitting on canvas. Full video demo!
Pet Portrait Artist & Oil Painter
My journey as a pet portrait artist first began in Vancouver, BC, where I worked with local pet owners who wanted to capture their best friend in on canvas in a realistic pet portrait style. Then since moving to Vancouver Island, I’ve worked with more pet parents in Nanaimo and Victoria, and have expanded my online presence. Now my animal portraits brighten the walls of pet-loving homes across Canada and the US—likewise in California, New York, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Mississippi and others.
To sum up, painting pets from photos has allowed me to make a career of my two favourite things: art and animals. Dogs, cats, rabbits and horses, I paint them all.
pet portraits: Painting videos
Paws By Zann on YouTube
To share more about how I work, I’ve put together a series of videos featuring custom pet portrait paintings. You can find a more complete collection on YouTube, but these go through the basic steps I follow to ensure each painting comes out looking just right.
My oil paintings are all created using traditional media and techniques. To start, I render a basic sketch of my subject, and then work up layer by layer, paying careful attention to lighting and form. It’s important to get these basics in before getting distracted by detail, or the final piece tends to fall flat. If you have questions about how I would approach painting a portrait from your images, do get in touch! I’d love to go through the process with you and talk about the many different options.