Custom Hand-Drawn Pet Portraits
Realistic and Finely Detailed Artwork - Featured in 'Color' Magazine November 2025 Issue
Welcome to Pet Pawtraits By Nicola. My name is Nicola Bird and I'm a pet portrait artist based in Solihull, Birmingham. I specialise in creating custom hand-drawn pet portrait commissions. My artwork captures the unique character of your cherished pets through coloured pencil drawings, showcasing realistic and finely detailed portraits. I use the highest quality materials and work closely with my clients to create portraits that celebrate their beloved animals.
I love the process of laying down many layers of pigment to build depth, texture and detail in my artwork. Coloured pencil is a slow and precise medium and each portrait takes many hours of work to create the final realistic image. I enjoy getting lost in the process and capturing the beauty and uniqueness of each animal I have the pleasure of drawing. Learn more about me.
Below, are some examples of my work. You can view my full portfolio here.
A highly detailed coloured pencil portrait of a Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel.
A pet portrait of a Cavapoo in coloured pencil. Pippa is sandy and wet after a play date at the beach!
A head and shoulders portrait of a Bernese Mountain Dog drawn in in a realistic style using coloured pencils.
A highly detailed coloured pencil portrait of a Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel.
Art Feature - 'Color' Magazine - November 2025
I am thrilled to share that one of my portraits is featured in The Pencil Box section of the November issue of 'Color' Magazine - I'm so pleased and grateful for this recognition!
View examples of my pet portraits here.
Charity Support - Guide Dogs UK
I'm also a volunteer with Guide Dogs UK, working as a Puppy Raiser. Ulani, our beautiful black Labrador Retriever cross joined our family in October 2025 and we will be raising her for the next 12-14 months. I'm a dog lover and passionate about contributing to this wonderful sight loss charity. 5% of every portrait commission payment is donated to Guide Dogs to support the valuable work they do helping people with sight loss live the life they choose. I will be recording my Puppy Raiser journey on my blog and you will see posts on my social media sharing all the delight and joy of sharing our home with a very special dog who will go on to change a life.
Client Testimonials
"Thank you very much for doing such a wonderful portrait of Buster, the picture exactly captures his character, is full of life and movement and the background adds such meaning to the picture for all the family. When it is framed it will hang alongside the portraits that you have done of Rolo and Bertie over the years to remind us of our wonderful pets.....thank you so much." Gill (2025)
"My beautiful spaniels. The best two birthday gifts ever. They take pride of place. They capture Buda and Pest so perfectly. I'll cherish them forever. Thank you." Rachel (2025)
"I asked Nicola to do a portrait drawing of my two dogs and my family and I are absolutely delighted with the result. It's hard to believe it's a drawing. It really is that good. I can't speak highly enough of Nicola. I promise you won't be disappointed. 10/10." Vincent (2024)
"We asked Nicola to create a portrait of our fur-baby after we lost him suddenly and unexpectedly. We wanted something unique that we could cherish forever and have as a constant memory of him. Nicola has done just this with a beautiful portrait that reflects him beautifully. I would highly recommend using Nicola; she was professional and approachable throughout the whole process and our portrait arrived beautifully packaged too. Thank you Nicola, you've created a gorgeous memory of Marley for us to cherish always." Sheryl & James (2023)
If you have any questions, I'd love to hear from you! Get in touch today.