Coloured pencil portrait of Haku, a curly red and white dog, drawn by Oksana Buhaiova
Haku · Coloured pencil on toned paper · 2026

London Portrait Studio

From photograph to portrait.

Pets, people and family portraits, drawn by hand in coloured pencil, acrylic and oil, from your own photograph. By London artist Oksana Buhaiova.

Coloured pencil · Acrylic · Oil
A5 to A2 · Private UK commissions from £250

Start a commission View recent work

How a portrait is made

  1. The reference photograph of Haku, sent by his owners
    OnePhotograph
  2. Oksana's hand working with a fine brush
    TwoBy hand
  3. Close-up of layered coloured pencil curls
    ThreeLayers
  4. The finished portrait of Haku, framed
    FourOriginal

Recent work · 2025–2026

Recent commissions, drawn from private photographs.

Coloured pencil portrait of Tilly, a chocolate Cocker Spaniel, on the studio table among coloured pencils
Tilly · Cocker Spaniel · Coloured pencil · 24 × 30 cm · 2026
Coloured pencil portrait of Bruno, a pale Labrador, on toned paper
Bruno · Labrador · Coloured pencil · 2026
Coloured pencil portrait of Belle, a long-haired tortoiseshell cat
Belle · Tortoiseshell cat · Coloured pencil · 24 × 30 cm · 2026
Acrylic painting of Rolo, a black dog with a tennis ball, lying in a garden
Rolo, in the garden · Acrylic on cotton canvas · 30 × 40 cm · 2026
Framed coloured pencil portrait of Margaret, an older woman in a green jumper
Margaret · Portrait · Coloured pencil · 2025
Acrylic painting of Rocky, a white Jack Russell Terrier, resting on a wooden board
Rocky · Jack Russell · Acrylic on canvas · 2026
Coloured pencil portrait of Ziggy, a red long-haired dog, on warm toned paper
Ziggy · Coloured pencil · 2026
Coloured pencil portrait of Rolo with a tennis ball, on grey paper among coloured pencils
Rolo · The same dog, in coloured pencil · 2026

The photograph & the portrait

What people send, and what comes back.

An ordinary phone photograph is usually enough.

The reference photograph of Belle, a long-haired tortoiseshell cat, on a sofaPhotograph
The finished coloured pencil portrait of BellePortrait
Belle · From a phone photograph · Coloured pencil · 24 × 30 cm
A coloured pencil portrait of Margaret halfway through, with the reference photograph laid beneath itIn progress
Margaret · The photograph beside the drawing, halfway through

Each commission is a single original work,
drawn or painted by hand. Never printed.

Signed & dated by the artist

The hand & the material

Detail crops from recent coloured pencil work.

Caran d'Ache Luminance on toned paper. Up to thirty layers of pigment per portrait.

Detail: the eyes and nose of Tilly, coloured pencil
Detail · 01
The eyes and the nose.
From Tilly
Coloured pencil on toned paper
Detail: red and white curls of Haku, coloured pencil
Detail · 02
Curls, light over dark.
From Haku
Coloured pencil on toned paper
Detail: eyes and whiskers of Belle the cat, coloured pencil
Detail · 03
Eyes and whiskers.
From Belle
Coloured pencil on toned paper

A commission

A portrait of the dog they had lost.

This portrait was commissioned by a husband for his wife's birthday, using a photograph of the dog they had lost.

The next morning, he sent this message:

“My wife absolutely loved the painting. She couldn’t stop crying this morning.”

Private commission · 2026

Subjects

Photographs people send.

The kinds of commissions that arrive most often.

  1. 01
    A dog who grew up with the family. Pet portrait · Coloured pencil or acrylic · A5 to A3
  2. 02
    A parent or grandparent, from an old photograph. People · Coloured pencil or oil · A4 to A2
  3. 03
    A child, drawn quietly, without a staged pose. People · Coloured pencil · A4 to A3
  4. 04
    A person with their animal. Combined portrait · Acrylic or oil · A3 to A2
  5. 05
    A portrait after loss, drawn with care. Coloured pencil or oil · A5 to A2
  6. 06
    A birthday or anniversary gift, commissioned in advance. Any subject · Finished in time for the date

Process & pricing

Drawn or painted by hand, in my London studio.

Three to six weeks, depending on size and medium.

  1. One.
    Send the photograph and tell me a little about the subject. I reply within two working days with an honest view: whether the photograph is strong enough, what size and medium will suit it, and the final price.
  2. Two.
    A 30% deposit confirms the commission and your place in the schedule. The balance is due when the work is finished.
  3. Three.
    Work begins in the studio. You'll see one progress photograph at the halfway point and a final photograph before the work leaves me.
  4. Four.
    Delivery to your UK address, signed and dated, with a certificate of authenticity. Framing available on request.

Private commissions begin from £250.

Most commissions fall between £450 and £1,500. Larger and more complex works are quoted individually.

Final pricing depends on

the photograph,
the size,
the medium,
the number of subjects,
and the deadline.

Delivered

Finished, signed, and handed over.

A few of the people who have commissioned a portrait, on the day it arrived.

Oksana with the framed portrait of Haku, beside Haku and his owners
Haku · with his family
Belle's owner holding the framed coloured pencil portrait
Belle · with her owner
Rolo's owner holding the acrylic painting of Rolo in the garden
Rolo · with the Doyle family
Margaret holding a framed coloured pencil portrait of her cat
Margaret · with her cat's portrait · 2025

Begin

Start with the photograph.

Send me the photograph first. Everything else follows from there.

I read every enquiry myself.

I'll reply within two working days with an honest view of your photograph, the right size and medium, and the final price.

Your photograph is not shared with anyone.

If you prefer, email me directly: hello@oksanabuhaiova.co.uk

Three to five
commissions
per month

Reference photograph

If the photograph is on another device, send the form now and reply to my email with it.

About the artist

Trained in fine art in Ukraine.
Working in London.

Oksana Buhaiova at her easel in her London studio

I'm a London-based artist. I trained in fine art in Ukraine and have been drawing and painting portraits since I was a child. My work is realistic: I'm interested in likeness, in expression, in the texture of a coat of fur, in the light in someone's eyes.

I work on commission, by hand, from photographs sent to me by private clients. Most of my commissions come through word of mouth and through neighbours in south London.

I take three to five commissions a month. If we work together, your portrait will not be made by a studio assistant or a printer. It will be made by me, in my studio, slowly, the way I was taught.

— Oksana

Questions

Things people often ask.

How long does a commission take?
Three to six weeks from deposit, depending on size and medium. If you have a date in mind, mention it in your enquiry and I'll tell you honestly whether it's possible.
What kind of photograph do I need to send?
Sharp, well-lit, taken close to eye level. Phone photographs are usually fine. I'll tell you honestly if a photograph isn't strong enough. It's the most important part of the process.
Can you draw from several photographs?
Yes, especially for family portraits or for subjects who are no longer here.
Do you ship outside the UK?
Currently UK only.
Do you frame the portraits?
I can arrange framing through a London framer, quoted separately.
Do you make prints or copies?
No. Each commission is a single original work.

Send the photograph.
The rest follows from there.

Start a commission