Frequently asked questions

1. Can you alter your drawing to be like my car?


YES. This is probably the most commonest question I get usually from folk on their smartphone (my original site predated smart phones!) and hadn't noticed the word 'portraits' in the URL, obviously a tailored-to-order service.
2. I have no photographs of the car as it will be a surprise gift. Does that matter?.

YES. without any photographs a request for a portrait may be declined. I would  advise (unless you are more of an expert than the recipient) to involve the owner anyway. This avoids the awkward situation when the owner spots errors later but feels it is too late or doesn't want to 'look a gift horse in the mouth', so to speak.
It is the owner who has to endure the niggling errors later.
3. Are the quality of the photos I send important?


The photos are mainly needed to identify a specific model and see what aftermarket options are fitted (eg: Mirrors, luggage racks, mudflaps, aerials etc), so quality may not be important. However if there are areas of a car I haven't drawn before then quality square-on photos ideally at some distance (close-up for badges though of course) to minimize perspective are needed to be able to draw these features accurately
4. What size are the prints?


I usually supply a set of 3 different sized laser prints posted in a tube*.
The set comprises:


1 x A4 (LASER 170gsm silk finish)

210mm x 297mm / 8.3in x 11.7in


1 x A3 (LASER 170gsm silk finish)

297mm x 420 mm / 11.7in x 16.5in


and an in-between size approx.

250mm x 350mm (13.7mm x 10.75) LASER 170gsm silk finish)

*Note: Prints end up very ‘curly’ after being in a tube for a day or two. To make them more manageable simply roll them up the other way, replace them in the tube and leave for a few hours.

5.Why is there not an online order form?


This is a personal one-to-one order service where you the customer asks me if I can do a portrait of a car and I decide if it's possible. Archaic? - possibly but seems the most efficient and practical method for this.
6. My car is a non-original colour.

Does that matter?
No, however getting the colour exactly right is for a few colours sometimes is hard. Particularly with metalic colours which are usually affected by background colours and lighting conditions when photographed.
7. My car is a special and highly modified. 


The general format of the drawings on this site are mostly 'showroom spec', but it is of course necessary on my part to be a flexible. What is and what is not original, is often a subject of debate amongst experts and collectors anyway. If the car is so far removed from the original, perhaps it has been hotted up and looks more like a rally car then it is still possible to have a portrait done, though you will need to email some pictures to give an idea of how much extra work is needed and thus make a quote possible for any extra work.
8. Is there a charge for two-tone and metallic colours?


Only if the car in question did not have a 2-tone or metallic paint option at the time of production or the coloured areas differ from what would have come out of the factory. I have tried to use typical 2-tone samples on the website as much as possible to illustrate these.
9. What is the delivery time for my car portrait print?


If the car is already on the website and only needs a change of colour, number plate, caption and perhaps wing mirrors and wire wheel option, about a week. For similar cars to those on the website but actually drawn yet please use the e-mail address to inquire about availability. You could perhaps send all the necessary reference (see photo tips page) to help speed up and enlarge the list but not include any payment.
10. Why have you drawn the cars windscreen wider than it is?


When possible for the first drawing of a car I measure the cars thoroughly. I sometimes get it wrong of course but in most cases the drawings are actually quite accurate but may just look wrong when compared to a photograph (usually by folk just not used to technical drawings). Only when using a telephoto lens from several hundred yards away do you get a true idea of the profile of what a car actually should like like as a technical drawing. It is significant that Architects, draftsmen and engineers who are used to seeing scaled drawings do not find car profiles odd or 'wrong'. The average person is somewhat conditioned by photographic images and has a different expectation to what a two dimensional representation of their car should be.
11. Will my photographs be returned to me?


Only if requested (in the case of CDs the postage may cost as much as the CD)
Original, treasured old photographs, would be returned by recorded delivery (please include an extra SAE). Though it would be safer if good quality copies were sent or the original was scanned and emailed or burnt to CD.
12. Your charge doesn't include VAT. Why is this?


Simply, I am no longer registered for VAT. This is a slight deviation from my previous business in as far as I am now dealing with the general public rather than other registered for VAT businesses. I want to keep the price to classic car owners to a minimum. If in the future this status changes then the final price to you would be higher.
13. If I find a mistake on my print what shall I do?


A proof or 'draft' is always emailed before printing. Please check this thoroughly for any errors and email me back. If it is for a gift and you are not a 100% sure of the actual details, then it may be safer to present the proof to the recipient, allowing he or she to make the final checks ensuring the best possible end result.
14. The original drawing on your site is wrong!


Please, please let me know on your order. In some case the original subject I worked from had been modified and i have a limited knowledge of how it should be. I will rectify this for your print and ASAP update the image on the site.
15. The original drawing on your site has extras that I think wouldn't be on when it left the factory?


On the original drawing I would draw on all the extras that the owner had added, this gave the owner that extra bonus to thank him for his time regarding reference material and technical information. I may have left these on accidentally or there is confusion as to what should be original. In any event I can remove anything without extra cost. Only adding or changing details increases the cost. Typical examples of this are aerials, badges, mudflaps and mirrors. So at the quoting stage I will need to be aware of any extra work.
16. Is it cheaper if all you have to do is change the number plate?


No. Although changing the number plates take only a few minutes, the same applies to changing the colour and pasting in the correct mirrors etc. Putting aside the uniqueness and quality of the product, what you are actually paying for is the running of a laser printer (£1,000s), the administration (invoicing, logging, emailing etc), postage a packing, and hundreds of hours of development and original drawing and even queuing up at the post office for half an hour (longer before Christmas)!
Please don't expect a discount just because, by luck the sample which appears on the website at the time matches your car. Anyway, this may only be temporary as the original drawing I work from may have been updated or altered to another colour since its uploading to this website.
17. Why do you not sell prints 'as they are' of the examples on the site? 


Some of the drawings were done some years ago. When revisiting them for a commission I invariably make improvements and make a few tweaks (I like to think that my drawing abilities and knowledge are actually improving) - this is usually done during or after the process of personalizing them. Improvements made often with the direction from an owner when commissioning a portrait. So, I would prefer not to sell prints of work I'm not 100% sure of without spending hours checking them out without the benefit of an owner (often an expert) overseeing it.
18. My car is not on your list. Will you draw it for me?


In the conventional sense I do not do commissions unless for publication.
The objective is to produce as many different car profiles as possible eventually for later book publication. The portrait service provides a useful method of production and source of reference. It depends entirely whether the car is relevant to what I've already drawn. For example I've drawn about 90% of all MG models so am happy to draw any MG regardless of it rarity or whether I will ever get another order for that model.
19. Can you supply pictures framed?


Sorry, no. Quite apart from the economics (you can buy a suitable 20" x 60" frame for only a few pounds). And there's obviously dangers when posting glass. For every hour spent organizing a frame I could be finishing off one of the dozens of car drawings I've started.
20. How are the drawings done?


They are drawn with Adobe illustrator (currently v. 2024) on an Apple Macintosh. This may seem like cheating but I've found it just as hard and time consuming as traditional methods, requiring the same basic drawing ability. Besides, traditional technical drawing requires tools too: (compasses, French curves etc.) Computer drawing however, has the advantage of editing and duplication making Technical Portraits of an ever increasing number of different cars available and affordable.