I create beautiful portraits that capture fleeting moments.

Interested in commissioning a portrait or illustration from me? You can inquire here: How To Commission Me.

Let me help you find what you're looking for.

Amber Harness, watercolor and graphite artist, graphic designer, teacher, daughter, and wife. After graduating from university, Amber pursued education then returned to art. She now focuses on creating portraits of loved ones for clients.

If you'd like a more indepth 'about' me, please check out my Artist Information page.

Something else? Contact me here.

Everywhere you can find me.

Like most artists I have built my social media over the years. I have listed my socials and where you can follow me. I hope to see you soon!

Why join the newsletter?

It's an easy way to stay in the loop. A monthly email from me includes:

  • New Commission Slots that have opened.

  • New Prints available.

  • Updates on my life and store (think a little chat with me!).

Don't like newsletters? You can join the pay what you want/free tier on my patreon and get updates too.

Contact me using the form on this page. Be sure to include a good email so I can get back to you.

Commission Progress Board.

About the Artist.

Amber Harness, educator and artist from idyllic Ozarks. There is nothing more important to her than her family and brothers.She graduated Cum Laude from Arkansas Tech University with a double major Bachelors of Arts in Graphic Design & History and Summa Cum Laude with a Masters of Arts in Teaching.Her Graphic Design degree had a heavy emphasis on Fine Arts after falling in love with painting. Her senior exhibit was included in the Fine Arts Exhibit due to the amount of paintings included.Amber's artistic journey paused briefly after meeting her wonderful husband, a coach & teacher, to pursue secondary education as a profession. She taught English for 5 years before returning to her passion, painting & drawing portraits.She now creates commissions for clients and is interested in joining a company as an in house artist or designer.

Patron Benefits.

Interested in supporting me? I offer monthly benefits to those who join my members only community.

  • 1 New Cozy Coloring Page Monthly

  • See Work in Progress Photos & Finished Works First

  • Members Are Given Opportunities to Buy Newly Finished Original Pieces First.

  • Access to Youtube Videos early.

  • 1 Full Real-time Video of a Traditional Painting or Drawing

  • Any sketches (digital or traditional) created for warmups will be available for your viewing in High Resolution.

  • MONTHLY RAFFLE FOR PORTRAIT SKETCH.

Available to those interested in a higher tier - everything listed above plus:

  • Access to my NSFW (not safe for work) figure studies and couples art (inclusive + safe space).

  • 1-2 Digital Art Timelapses

  • Fan art for various books, movies, and series that I enjoy.

  • Predominantly digital art & paintings.

  • MONTHLY RAFFLE FOR PORTRAIT SKETCH.

Interested in commissioning a portrait or illustration from me? You can inquire here: How To Commission Me.

I also post portfolio content to industry websites such as: ArtStation and Behance.

Traditional Artwork

Though she creates primarily with watercolor, Amber enjoy multiple mediums, including gouache, and graphite.Her primary interest in painting lies in expressionism. She hopes to convey emotion and earnestly wants her viewers to feel the saturation and liveliness of her nature and portrait work.Nature and Portraits bring her the most joy, allowing her to capture the essence of a moment in time.

Interested in commissioning a portrait or illustration from me? You can inquire here: How To Commission Me.

Watercolor Paintings

Amber enjoys using Daniel Smith Fine Art watercolors in her portraits and illustrations. Working with their essentials set, she mixes combinations of warm and cool primaries (red, yellow, blue) to create expressive portraits with varied color depth.

... her process.

Primarily working with a 1 inch flat brush, then transitioning to a small round, she lays down large areas of color before refining the work. This allows many layers without destroying the quality of the artwork.

Amber most often works in recreating photographs taken by her clients of loved ones. Creating a pencil portrait first, ensuring a close resemblance before painting begins.

"Capturing moments brings me joy. I want to get the essence of the person when I paint. Something, their family can cherish for years."

Pencil works.

I enjoy working in graphite most when in a smaller, more compact format such as my sketchbook. I find the graphite to be extremely beautiful when used in simple, classic compositions.

When not using a 6b or 2b Graphite Pencil, I often select instead the Prismacolor brand of colored pencils. I enjoy both the scholar and professional brands they offer.

Looking for a unique gift? » How To Commission Me.

Pen and ink.

A less used medium but important to my process would be pen and ink. This medium allows me to train my eye and focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of my line work.

Used primarily in my sketchbooks to develop my artistic eye for proportion and line confidence. My favorite pen is a classic Bic Ballpoint or a .3 Muji Pen.

Interested in a drawing of your own? » How To Commission Me.

I hope you've enjoyed this selection of traditional works. If you would like to browse my other portfolios or commission me, please select the appropriate link below.

Digital Portraits & Illustration.

Amber is not only a talented traditional artist but a digital painter as well. Beginning in university, she took to digital illustration using Photoshop, Illustrator and now includes apps like Procreate and Clip Studio into her process.

Utilizing custom brushes, she is able to create beautiful portraits with the flexibility to print copies, resize, crop and distribute images online to her supporters. While digital art is still fairly new, Amber hopes that others will appreciate the amount of time and skill that goes into painting in digital applications.

While there are many shortcuts, her process is the same as her traditional one. She begins with a sketch, lowering the opacity, then building colors up to achieve a painterly effect.

Digital Sketches

Like my traditional process, I like to keep my 'pencil' and line work skills honed. Digital art feels very different to my sketchbook, and so I warm up daily on my iPad.

When attempting a digital painting, similar to Traditional art, I find it looks best when I do preliminary color practice. I wanted to include those here as well.

I hope you've enjoyed this selection of traditional works. If you would like to browse my other portfolios or commission me, please select the appropriate link below.

How Can I Commission You For Art?

First, thank you for considering me. I appreciate that you enjoyed my work and are interested in inquiring. There are two ways that you could obtain art from me - buying originals, or commissioning me.To commission art, you can start by sending an inquiry to [email protected].

Buying an Art Commission.

Commissioning is simple. You contact me with your desired idea, medium, and your budget. In return, I give you an idea of what works for your budget and a quote.Include details in your email such as:

  • - your idea,

  • -deadlines for the gift (birthday, anniversary, etc.)

  • -the medium you would like (watercolor or graphite).

This helps me inform you of the time it would take me to complete the project. It also allows me to honestly say if it is in my skill range or not. For example, I am not highly skilled in drawing cars-so I might decline painting a hot rod.Shipping is covered by the buyer. Payment can be made through Paypal or Etsy.

If you'd like more information, email me [email protected] or you contact me via this form.

Each photo can be enlarged if clicked.

Graphite Portraits.

Watercolor Paintings.

General sizes available.

  • 4x6 inch

  • 8x11 inch

Graphite has two available styles, sketch and polished. Sketch (4x6 only) is looser and cheaper, than polished graphite (all sizes available), which is a more complex and complete portrait with shading and detail.Larger paintings sizes and specific or special sizing is available upon request. Please, reach out for a pricing quote. The complexity, medium and size determine pricing. I do not provide frames for these artworks.

A typical commission receives the following items upon paying & completion of the painting.

  • The commissioned art.

  • Any sketches created alongside paintings.

  • A certificate of Authenticity.

As a small business, I enjoy adding a personal touch. I will often include a personal “Thank You” note to the commissioner for choosing me.

Digital Commissions, File Images (png, jpg, svg.).

Digital Commissions are a great idea for those who would like a unique social media profile picture, banner or to print and post in specific places such as magazines, books, or online albums. I create scalable patterns that can be used on fabrics as well.You should include details in your email such as:

  • deadlines,

  • the format you want the art in (PNG, JPEG, PDF, SVG), I can help you pick.

  • and the style you want (sketch, painting, vector).

Payment can be made through Etsy. Due to scams, Digital art cannot be purchased via Paypal.If you're unsure, email me [email protected], and I can help you through the process. :)

What do I receive?

What you receive when ordering a digital product.

  • The image file in your requested format (png, jpg, svg).

  • A certificate of Authenticity.

  • A smaller image file that will work for social media if desired.

  • All files will be 300 dpi (high resolution/high quality).

Digital art generally comes in 8x11 inches or square layout. Please, reach out for a pricing quote. The complexity, style and colors (black & white/monochrome versus full color) determine pricing. This is NOT a physical product. Nothing will be shipped to you. This is a digital file.

As a small business, I enjoy adding a personal touch. I will often include a personal “Thank You” note to the commissioner for choosing me.

Styles available.

  • Sketch

  • Polished/Painted

  • Surface Pattern Design (fabric, invitations, etc.) & Vector SVG Graphic, Infinitely scalable, Prices vary heavily for these, so please contact for pricing.

A commission isn't right for me, how else can I support you?

Etsy allows me to sell prints of my artwork and shirts with my designs. Clothing items are higher cost due to fees and production cost. However, it is a trustworthy platform that ships straight to your home. As my business grows I hope to move my business from Etsy to my website for better costs effectiveness.

Youtube is a video platform where I post long form content (10–60 minutes) showing my artistic process and giving commentary. If I get 500 subscribers and so many watch hours I will be paid by Youtube to post content. Subscribing is a free way to show support to me!

All commissioned work is for personal, non-commercial use unless otherwise agreed upon. Commercial work must be negotiated.Payment Details
I accept Paypal. I will take cashapp or cash for local orders. Tips are appreciated, but not required.Working Process Steps for traditional Art
1. Client orders via etsy, or email.
2. I respond to client with budget needed and timeline.
3. Client agrees we discuss payment agreement.
4. I grid or freehand their reference images onto chosen material.
5. WIP/kanban board updated as work progresses.
6. Work delievered to address or locally as agreed upon.Working Process Steps for Digital Art
1. Client orders commission via the etsy or email.
2. I respond to the client with my quote.
3. Client responds, agrees to pay price.
4. I send etsy or paypal invoice to the email provided. Payment required in full before starting.
5. After receiving payment, I send follow-up email to the client letting them know payment came through.
6. Then I create rough thumbnail(s) for the client to approve or ask for changes.
At this point, the client may ask for major changes (pose, clothing, etc.)
7. I show new or adjusted thumbnails to client. They approve in writing via email.
8. I start illustration, providing 1-2 WIPs (work in progress screenshots, low resolution).
*MINOR changes may be made at this stage, but Major changes (e.g., addtl. persons or pets, pose, outfit, background) will incur an additional fee at the illustration stage.
9. Client approves final image (low resolution final sent for approval).
10. I send 2 files to the client. One high resolution file without watermark and one medium resolution file with watermark & artist signature that client is allowed to post online. This is so that ai bots, scammers, and other awful things do not steal, reuse, resale, or copy the illustration online.After this final email, I will close the commission. Any edits/changes/etc. asked to be done after this fact, will incur additional cost and will have to wait until the next commission slot opens.Communication will be conducted through email ([email protected]) so there is written record for both the client and I.Details
- Project timelines may vary depending on complexity, so please inform me in advance if the commission is time-sensitive. I ask for 5 weeks to complete commissions, though I strive to deliver them faster.
- Holidays do slow my working hours due to personal and professional obligations. You may expect 1-2 week delays during Christmas.
- Prices do vary based on the complexity of your request-extra people, complex or intricate pieces, etc. Refer to the commission post for a general pricing guide. Accurate prices will be given prior to payment invoice.Artist Information.
- If you did not know I am a Type 1 Diabetic with ADHD (medicated thankfully!). I strive to be 100% healthy and working all the time but there are times I am not such as: viral sickness (flu, covid, etc.); doctor appointments; acts of god (wildfires, tornadoes, etc.). If this occurs I will always be upfront and update you on progress/timelines.
-Please feel free to ask questions throughout the process. It can be scary to pay for art online, and I aim to ease that fear by being approachable.
- I do set public hours for myself. I am able to communicate between the hours of 8a.m. to 3p.m. Tuesday-Friday, Monday's vary depending on personal appointments.Note: Contact me ([email protected]) before ordering if you have any questions or specific requests not addressed in this terms of service.Rescheduling Policy
If you need to reschedule your commission after you have paid upfront, please inform me, so I may adjust the commission line up accordingly.Those who do not pay after being invoiced will be removed from the list. Those who pay late (3 days or more after invoice) will be moved into the next available commission slot.Refund Policy
There is no 100% refund. If we have made it to a paid invoice, then my time has been/was used in a way that took away from other paying clients.
- I no longer offer refunds due to the amount of scammers online.
Be aware that you are prohibited from taking the thumbnail elsewhere to be resold in any way. It is strictly a personal use thumbnail(s) without commercial use licensing.What I Draw:
- Digitally: Original characters from various settings, Human/humanoid characters, portraits, headshots, half body, Maps, landscapes. I’m open to most things as long as I have references to work with/from.
-Traditionally: Portraits, still life, from photos.What I Don’t Draw:
- Children/minors in inappropriate scenarios.
- Adults who are portrayed/meant to appear as children/minors in appropriate scenarios.
- Heavy Gore or Injury, Machines, Cars, Mecha, Robots.
-Traditional portraits without reference images/grids.