Pet Portrait Policy

The terms and conditions below set the agreement made between Salme Art (‘the artist’, ‘they’), and you (‘the buyer’, ‘your’) who have commissioned the pet portrait artwork/s.

1 – The pet or pets commissioned by you, the buyer, will be the subject of the artwork produced by Salme Art, the artist. The buyer is familiar with the artist’s previous pet portrait work and expects the final piece to reflect a similar style, quality, and level of detail. While the reference photo serves as a guide, the artist retains creative license to make adjustments—whether by altering details, enhancing certain features, or taking artistic liberties—to enrich the expressiveness, impact, or overall aesthetic of the piece.

2 – The buyer will supply a clear photo of the pet or pets that will be used as reference for the portrait along with any details of what you would like, for example; headshot portrait or full body portrait, with or without the collar etc. Reference photos can be sent to the artist by email at contact@salmeart.com. The buyer confirms their copyright ownership of the image, and authorizes the artist all rights to the photograph.

3 – The buyer has been quoted in Australian dollars for the pet portrait artwork. This artwork will include the portrait of 1 pet drawn with graphite pencil on A4 sized paper (21cm x 29.7cm / 8.3” x 11.7”) in portrait orientation, unless previously agreed upon. The portrait artwork commission does not include a frame or mat.

4 – The buyer has been quoted 2-3 weeks for the completion of the artwork, unless previously agreed upon. Completion time can take longer with coloured pencils or with additional pets. This time frame is an approximation and does not include shipping time nor does it include the time it takes for the buyer to review/approve the artwork throughout the process.

The artist will begin the artwork once the buyer has paid the 50% deposit and has emailed the artist a clear reference photo that the artist has approved.

If circumstances change for the artist and they are not able to complete the artwork within a reasonable time outside the quoted time frame, the artist can refund the deposit, unless the buyer accepts the new time frame.

5 – A 50% deposit is required upfront. By paying the deposit, the buyer has agreed to these terms & conditions. The balance is to be paid after the preliminary sketch is approved. All payments must be made through the artist’s electronic invoice.

6 – At the initial stage, the artist will make a preliminary sketch for the buyer to review and approve. At this point the buyer can suggest changes to the artwork. If at this stage either the buyer or the artist decides that the results are not satisfactory, the deposit can be refunded to the buyer.

7 - After the preliminary sketch has been approved by the buyer, the balance must be paid before the artist continues the artwork, and the deposit is no longer refundable. If the buyer decides not to continue with the commission after the preliminary sketch has been approved, the artist will retain the deposit for costs incurred and time spent by the artist.

8 – After the preliminary sketch is approved, the artist will only send progress photos of the drawing if at any stage they have questions regarding any aspect of the reference picture and/or drawing and wish to know the buyer’s preference and/or gain approval.

9 – At its completion, the artist will email the buyer with a photo of the artwork for final approval. Reasonable alterations can be made.

10 – Artwork will not be shipped until full payment has been received. There are no refunds for commissioned artwork.

11 – The artwork will be shipped with a tracking number, and will require a signature on delivery (unless the buyer requests otherwise). Please refer to the artist’s website for more information on shipping.

Please ensure that your postal address is correct, the artist will not take responsibility for any lost or stolen packages.

All care will be taken with packaging to protect the artwork during shipment. If in the rare event the artwork arrives damaged, please contact me within 10 days of receiving it. For insurance purposes, please photograph both the item and packaging where the damage has occurred.

12 – The artist maintains full copyright and reproduction rights of the artwork and has the rights to use the images of the artwork for promotional purposes such as its use on the artist’s website, social media, business cards and other marketing materials including paid advertisements.

13 – The buyer must credit the artist when sharing images of the artwork online or on social media.