1) Charcoal is timeless and won't fade, crack, or distort over time, unlike other mediums or prints

2) It has the unique ability to produce interplay between light and shadow (chiaroscuro), that isn't possible with other mediums.

3) Able to capture a subject's emotions really well

4) Entirely hand-drawn, not a digital print

This is entirely up to personal preference. If there's an incredibly meaningful photo, those tend to make really thoughtful pieces.

However, there are some general criteria that make excellent portraits:
- clear view of subject's face (not blurry, pixelated, or distorted)
- eye-level angle (try to avoid photos where subject is looking upwards at the camera)
- avoid harsh sunlight, particularly for shiny, black-furred subjects (which tend to reflect harsh sunlight)

Yes I definitely do. In addition to dogs & cats, I've drawn plenty of people, horses, houses, other landscapes, and even cars.

After thousands of drawings, I've come across a few really interesting subjects! I've worked with clients on crocodiles, birds, skunks, cows, squirrels, and hedgehogs.

Yes, I've worked with many clients on custom backgrounds. Generally I can draw anything, but I will need to see if the subject & background "work well" together. There will be an additional cost depending on what you'd like drawn and how complex it is. Please send me a message & photos of what you're interested in and I can let you know what's possible and the price.

Yes, I currently paint and sell custom commissioned oil paintings as well. Some of my previous commissioned oil paintings include those of prize-winning racing horses, a memorable vacation in Lake Como, a former childhood home, and many others. If you're interested, please send me a message of what you're looking for, any inspiration photos, and I can let you know what's possible.

For portraits containing more than one subject, I can either draw them all together in a single portrait, or draw seperate portraits for each. In the end, it's up to personal preference, though there are a few considerations:

1 Drawing For All Subjects
- Great option if there's not a lot of wall space and you want to have all of your loved ones in a single drawing
- Each subject's face will be drawn smaller, thus less detail
- For multi-subject drawings, it's best to draw them as 16"x20" or larger

Seperate Drawing For Each Subject
- Great option if you have enough wall space
- Each subject's face will be drawn much larger, and thus much more detailed

First off, it should fit well in your home! The 12"x16" and 16"x20" will fit well in most small apartments. Also consider the type of frame you plan to use and whether it's matted or not, all of which will influence the overall size.

Another important difference between the sizes is that, the larger the portrait size, the more detail I'm able to draw. The smaller the size, the less detailed it'll be (hence why I like to keep the minimum size to 12"x16").