Based in the US? Read our guide to US pet portrait pricing in dollars.
A pet portrait might use £8 of paper and pencils, but that doesn't make it an £8 product. The real cost is the 10, 15 or 20 hours of skilled work, plus the messages back and forth about which photo to use, the packaging and the trip to the post office. Pet portrait artists who price by looking at the cheapest sellers on Facebook or Etsy almost always end up working for far less than minimum wage.
This guide is for UK pet portrait artists, whether commissions are a side income or your full-time business. It covers what artists are charging in 2026, how to build a price from your own time and costs, and how to charge for the extras.
Prices on UK artists' published price lists vary enormously. For a single pet on a plain background, unframed, typical ranges are:
| Size and medium | Newer artists | Established artists |
|---|---|---|
| A5 graphite pencil | £15–£35 | £50+ |
| A4 graphite pencil | £25–£50 | £90–£150 |
| A3 graphite pencil | £40–£80 | £130–£200+ |
| A4 coloured pencil or pastel | £30–£70 | £150+ |
| A3 coloured pencil or pastel | £50–£100 | £200+ |
The gap between the two columns isn't only about skill. Established artists have a portfolio, reviews and a waiting list, and they've usually worked out what an hour of their time is worth. Many newer artists are simply undercharging.
Time your next few commissions from start to finish, including:
Detailed coloured pencil or pastel work can take 15–30 hours for an A3 piece. Even at a modest £15 an hour, a 20-hour portrait needs to be priced at £300 before materials. That's why the cheapest prices you see online are rarely sustainable.
Price = (hours × your hourly rate) + materials + packaging + fees + a margin. Do this calculation for your most common size first, then scale up and down. Larger sizes take disproportionately longer, so don't simply double the A4 price for A3.
Once you have a waiting list of more than a few weeks, that's a clear sign your prices are too low. Raise them for new commissions.
Enter your materials, working time and the complexity of each piece, and PortraitPrice Pro calculates a price that hits the income and margin you're aiming for. It works for pencil, pastel, watercolour, acrylic and digital work. It's an offline app with no subscription.
See PortraitPrice Pro — £15 →Take a deposit before you start. This is commonly 25–50%, or a fixed amount by size, and it's non-refundable once work has begun. Put your terms in writing: how many changes are included, what happens if the reference photo isn't good enough, the expected turnaround, and when the balance is due (usually before posting). Clear terms protect you on memorial portraits in particular, which are emotional for the client and often requested at short notice.
For many pet portrait artists, a large share of the year's commissions arrive between October and mid-December. Set a Christmas order cut-off date, publish it early, and consider a small peak-season price rise. Clients who want a portrait for Christmas are usually less price-sensitive than at any other time of year.
Work out how many hours the portrait takes, including messages, drawing and posting, and multiply by your hourly rate. Then add materials, packaging, postage and selling fees, plus a margin. In the UK, A4 single-pet pencil portraits range from about £25 for newer artists to £90–£150 for established artists.
Typical 2026 prices for a single pet on a plain background are about £25–£150 for an A4 pencil portrait and £40–£200+ for A3, depending on the artist. Coloured pencil and pastel usually cost more than graphite.
Price each additional pet from the extra time it takes. On larger portraits a second animal can add almost as many hours as the first, and some UK artists charge £60–£100 or more per extra subject.
Yes. A deposit of 25–50%, non-refundable once you start work, protects your time. Ask for the balance before the finished portrait is posted.