Does my pet have to pose for its portrait?
Window Seat
Pets cannot keep a pose for very long, and my pastel pet portraits take many hours to complete. As a result, I paint pet portraits from photographs or slides. I will need photographic material in order to obtain a good likeness of your special pet. Sometimes I combine different parts of different poses, so the more reference material I have to work from, the better.
I have some photos of my pet, but I’m not sure if they’re good enough to paint from. How can I find out?
You can send me the photos that you have and I will tell you if I can paint a pet portrait from them, with no obligation on your part. If you have taken digital photos you do not need to print them, just send me copies of the photos on a CD or via email (.jpegs with 300 dpi are preferred). If you do not have photos of your pet handy, you may want to read my Tips for Taking Your Pet’s Reference Photo below.
What size are pet portraits?
Pet portraits can be many sizes. The smallest pet portrait that I paint for one subject only is 9″ x 12″ (image size).
What do your pet portraits cost?
Here are some sample prices for one subject. These prices do not include framing, taxes, and shipping. A signed Certificate of Authenticity is provided for each pet portrait.
Portraits are matted and unframed. Please note that each portrait is custom sized, that is, each painting is formatted according to the best composition of the piece. As a result, most of my work is not sized to standard sizes, as per the following sample image sizes. The following information is, therefore, given only as a reference for prices, and only concerns one-subject portraits.
- Image size 9” x 12” USD $425
- Image size 11” x 14” USD $625
- Image size 16” x 20” USD $1,275
I will be glad to give you an estimate for any special size or option you may need, without any obligation on your part. I always send a written estimate and description of the portrait for your review and approval before beginning work, so that I am sure to be painting exactly what you want.
Do you have any advice in regards to taking photographs of my pet for you to use as references for the portrait?
Simba
Yes, I do. Here are Anne’s Tips for Taking Your Pet’s Reference Photo:
- Take the photos outdoors, on a fair day, in early morning or late afternoon, or indoors in a bright and well-lit room. Avoid taking photos outdoors at high noon or on overcast days, or indoors under artificial lighting. You want the colors in the photos to reflect the true coloring of your pet.
- Take the photos in a place where your pet is comfortable “being him/herself”, such as in the corral, in your yard, in the park where you walk your pet, etc.
- Have help. Someone should be free to take the photo and someone else to pose the pet.
- Get down or up to pet eye-level to take your pet’s photos. You should be looking straight at your pet’s eyes from the camera.
- Use a telephoto lens to get close-up photos without getting too close to your pet. You should take some photos that have the pet filling over half of the picture frame, with the surroundings filling the rest.
- Take many photos in many different poses.
- Don’t use instant film developing types of cameras.
- Watch the background! If your pet is dark-colored, try to take photos in front of lighter backgrounds; if your pet is light-colored, try to take photos in front of darker backgrounds. In general, keep backgrounds simple and uncluttered.
- Try to use a camera with an automatic focus. Animals move quickly and often, and adjusting the manual focus can take a little time.