Tips for your photos
As I draw your portrait from photographs, the following hints and tips will help guide you to choose the perfect photograph for your pet portrait. You can send me as many pictures as you like to my email address if you are struggling in chosing a photo, and we can discuss together which would be good to use for your custom portrait.
The perfect photograph
The sharper and clearer the photograph, the better detail I can get into your drawing. The pictures below show photos I like to use; they are taken outdoors using natural light and no flash. This ensures that the clarity of the eyes are clear and the fur colour is of a good likeness. Photos taken at eye level to the dog are also the best, although depending on some photos, the photo can be taken from above the dog.
Bad reference photos
The photos below, show examples of bad photos. The dog is too dark, not enough detail in the photograph, or the eyes lack clarity and are glowing due to flash. Photos taken from a distance, an incorrect angle and blurred photos also do not make good reference photos.
capturing personality
Try photographing your pet doing something they love to capture their personality. If they are crazy for play time, try holding a squeaky toy or treats in one hand to help direct their gaze towards the camera while they are looking happy and energetic. If they are more of a couch potato, get down to their level and get a great snap of them looking to the camera with their soulful eyes. You know your pet best, so just keep in mind their personality when trying to get that perfect reference photo!
pets that have passed away
If you are looking at commissioning a portrait of a pet that has sadly passed away I understand you may have limited photos available, but please don't worry - send me as many photos as you can and we can work through them together. I will need to see photos of pets that have passed before I accept your commission, so I can check I can work from your photos.
here for advice
Don't worry I am always happy to help and give you the very best advice that I can. I will always review and discuss your photos with you when ordering a commission. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any more help, or if you wish to ask any questions. Feel free to send me as many photos as you like, with no obligation at all - my advice is always free.
multiple pets in one portrait
If you would like a portrait that includes all your pets drawn together but can't get them all in one photo, do not worry! With the right combination of photographs I will be able to integrate them all together for you. Or we can use seperate photographs to draw just their heads into one portrait - the choice is yours.
To aid you in making a decision, I will create 'mock-ups' to show you the choices that are available to you.
To aid you in making a decision, I will create 'mock-ups' to show you the choices that are available to you.