Last week I was surprised to be asked in my Etsy shop if I did Custom Portraits. Truthfully, I hadn't thought about it much. I have been so busy trying to fill my shop with prints I couldn't see an obvious thing. So, when the custom illustration was suggested, it didn't take much for me to say yes and just to go for it.  I ended up creating a portrait for a "Save the Date" card for a Texas couple's upcoming wedding.

Here's is the final:


You know what? It was really fun. The couple already loved my Victorian Portraits and knew exactly what they wanted. They sent a few good reference photos and we were able hash out all the extra details (I've gotten pretty good at asking many, many questions through email). I sent them some sketches, made a some changes, waited for their OK and got down to the final. It worked out pretty smoothly. And I felt pretty confident with the whole process.

So what did I learn? I really like doing this custom illustration thing. I think I will be doing it more. So as of today, bluehour studio is offering custom portrait illustrations! Woo Hoo...

(Of course, the prices will depend on the size, complexity and details of the illustration but I'm thinking a basic range of $100 -$350 for a custom portrait. So, if you are interested...let's talk.)