A hand-drawn artwork built from someone's whole life
Send me their favourite things. I hide every one of them inside a single intricate ink piece. They'll keep finding new details for years.
From €800 for an A3 original. You get a fixed quote before you pay anything.
"How did she get it to be so personal to me!? Best gift I received this decade."
"I won the best wedding gift by far."
"This roo has become the mascot for our beach house now!"
How it works
Tell me about them
Make a list: favourite things, people, places, obsessions. Photos are welcome. There's no limit. As many as you can think of.
You approve the sketch
I work your list into a composition and send you sketches before any ink goes down.
I draw the final piece
Archival inks on sturdy acid-free paper. Lightfast and waterfast, so it won't fade in the sun or bleed if it ever gets damp.
Tracked delivery, worldwide
Rolled with tissue paper inside a sturdy tube and posted with a tracking number. Postage from €20 depending on where you live.
A 50% deposit books your job into my calendar, and I reply to first messages within 2–4 working days.
Some recent commissions
Click any piece to see it full size.
Watch one being drawn
The details
- You get a one-of-one original, drawn by hand. No two exist.
- Paper is smooth, sturdy and acid-free, so it won't age badly.
- Inks are archival: lightfast against sunlight, waterfast against accidents.
- Framing can be arranged case by case before we start.
- Wooden panels are possible too, though they're harder to ship.
- Prints of my other work live in the store.
Birthday presents, wedding gifts, anniversaries, retirements, group gifts that need to beat last year's. Or no occasion at all.
What receivers say
"I was instantly lost in this piece as soon as the boys surprised me with the finished product. There are so many stories wrapped into it, and visually I think it's breathtaking. My wife and I will proudly be displaying this in our house for many years to come!"
"The kid keeps finding new details. Thank you so much!"
"David was so surprised by his retirement gift and very touched. His retirement dinner turned into a full on 'this is your life' with lots of stories and laughter, which was just perfect..."
"Having the ability to jump right back in to a collection of quality moments portrayed so vividly is nothing short of a superpower."
"It draws you into its many layers that don't seem to end. It makes you want to be there and experience it all."
"Such a unique and fresh take on a present idea. My husband loved it!"
Sound like the right gift for someone?
Tell me about themQuestions people ask
What does it cost?
Commissions start at €800 for an A3 original. Price moves with size and how much you want packed in — a piece with forty objects takes longer to draw than one with ten. You get a fixed quote before you pay anything.
How long does it take?
Four weeks from the deposit is typical. Three is the fastest I can do it properly — the first week goes on ideation and sketching before any ink. In busy stretches, usually the run-up to Christmas, it can stretch to eight. Shipping is on top, depending where you are. If you have a date to hit, tell me early and I’ll tell you straight whether it’s doable.
What if it’s not what I pictured?
You see it before it’s permanent. I turn your list into a composition and send you the sketch — no ink goes down until you’re happy with it. If something’s in the wrong place, we move it at the sketch stage. That is what the sketch stage is for. By the time I’m inking, there are no surprises left.
I’m hopeless at describing people. What if I get it wrong?
Most people think they are, and it has never been a problem. Send a messy list — favourite bands, the dog’s name, the pub they always end up in, the holiday they won’t shut up about. Photos, half-thoughts, whatever is easiest. I have built these from one paragraph and from a three-page brain-dump. Finding the story in the pile is my job, not yours.
Why does it cost that much?
It is weeks of drawing, by hand, once. There is no print run to spread the hours over. You are buying the only one that will ever exist, and the hours are the product.
What if they don’t like it?
It is built entirely out of things they already love, so it is a hard one to miss with. And it doesn’t land as a picture — it lands as someone paid attention. Nobody has ever asked for the receipt.
What if I change my mind after paying the deposit?
If I haven’t started, you get it back. Once I am into ideation and sketching it is non-refundable — that week is real work, and it is the part that turns your list into a composition. You will always know where we are, because nothing gets inked until you have approved the sketch.
How many things can I include in the artwork?
So many things. As many as you can think of! Send pictures or just write what you need. We’ll figure it out together.
How does payment work?
A 50% upfront deposit books your job into my calendar. Once it lands I start sketches for your design.
How much does shipping cost?
Postage depends on where in the world you are. A paper piece rolled into a sturdy tube starts around €20, tracked.
How will I receive my artwork?
Carefully rolled with tissue paper, packed in a sturdy cardboard tube that protects the edges, with a tracking number so you can follow it.
Can you frame the artwork for me?
We can organise that. It’s worked out case by case before we jump in on the project.
Where can I buy prints of your other artworks?
Over in the store, along with all sorts of other fun creative gifts to suit any occasion.
Tell me about your special someone
The more you share about them, the more personal the piece gets.
Say hi
From custom murals to unique personalised artworks, I'm your guy. Send me a message and I'll reply to you within 2-4 working days.