Drawing Postcard Sized Pictures with Pastel Pencils

I recently received an interesting email from one of our members asking my advice concerning subject material for two projects she wants to paint. Her local Hospice is inviting artists to submit two paintings of their choice in a competition, they stipulate that the paintings are to be postcard size.Her question to me is do I have any hints and tips regarding postcard sized pictures and what would I recommend as suitable subjects for this size of painting; her favourite subjects are animals.Postcard size is restrictive and only a little larger than miniature therefore I would suggest that the detail is simplified rather than intricate.Animal portraits would fit the bill nicely here that is head and shoulders/neck dissolving into a misty background, there are many examples of this type of presentation on the members site.Another consideration is the desirability of the subjects, the more appeal that can be generated the more chance both the judges and the public will like them.The best selling animal pictures would be cats and dogs so I would suggest that these be considered, the two that spring to my mind are pictures like the two latest demonstrations currently running on our YouTube channel (see videos).There is another consideration for suggesting these subjects that is that if they are not selected by the Hospice judges then they would certainly be popular in a exhibition perhaps mounted and framed, the cost would be reasonable and the postcard size would also be appealing.