Some people have asked me my motivation for providing custom pet illustrations.
"How much do you charge?"
"What do you use them for?"
"Do people buy them?"
The simple answer is probably because it's meaningful for them.
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There is a ton of reasons why someone would want a custom portrait of their best friend.
Some wants to trade stickers with others. There is a large pet sticker trading community out there and it's a great way to make new friends. Even in this digital age, there's still that amazing feeling you get when receiving snail mail. Some of my snail mail takes months to arrive, but when I open them and see all the stickers and cards inside, it makes the wait worth it. Somewhere across the world, there's someone just taking the time and effort to print out stickers, write out cards and mail them to you.
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Other times, it may be for gifts, be it personal or for a whole group of people.
Customized gifts are deeply meaningful. Illustrations can be printed onto mugs, stickers or simply framed. What better way to show you care than by gifting someone a mug with their childhood dog drawn on it?
Some people use them for hampers too! Giving out gift boxes to friends and family for a special occasion is part of the culture where I'm from.
These goodie bags can be filled with literally anything, from personalized mugs to blankets or food. And can be sent during major holidays like Christmas or special days like birthdays.
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Then there's also the idea of keepsakes.
Life often involves loss, especially with pets since they do not have a long lifespan to begin with. And having things to keep that memory alive is meaningful. Some would even tattoo these drawings.
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Of course there are a plethora of other reasons as to why someone would want custom illustrations done. But those I've listed are the most common reasons that I've encountered in my time as a custom pet illustrator.
But then again, most of the time, you just don't need to justify wanting a custom artwork of your loved ones done 😉