Phil Heckels Turns Bad Pet Portraits Into Full-Time Career With Over 100,000 Requests
Phil Heckels, a former estate agent from West Sussex, has turned his talent for comically bad animal drawings into a full-time gig. It all started when he shared a hilariously awful sketch of his dog online, which led to a flood of requests from friends wanting similar portraits. This unexpected demand has now exceeded 100,000 requests. Phil’s unique approach is to only look at the reference photo just before he begins, never revisiting his work, and he limits each drawing to 10 minutes. Instead of charging clients, he asks for charity donations and makes money through merchandise and books. Although some say his art is getting too good, he embraces the humor in his style, which has become a model for creative success.
Key facts
- Phil Heckels is a former estate agent from West Sussex.
- He turned drawing animals badly into a full-time job after posting a terrible portrait of his dog on social media.
- Friends requested awful pictures of their pets, and word spread.
- He has received more than 100,000 requests.
- He only views photos immediately before picking up his pen.
- He never restarts a drawing and spends no longer than 10 minutes on each creation.
- He refuses to charge for his artworks, suggesting charity donations instead.
- He makes money through merchandise and books.
- He said recently: “I do get criticism sometimes that the portraits are getting too good.”
Entities
Artists
- Phil Heckels
- Polly Hudson
Institutions
- The Guardian
Locations
- West Sussex
- United Kingdom