Commission A Pet Portrait
Photographs
of your Pet
When painting your pet portrait I work from
photographs which you have sent to me, or which I have taken. You can send
as many photos as you like - the more the merrier! The better the photos
you can supply, the better the final portrait is likely to be. I do not
necessarily work directly from one photo as a straight copy - unless that
is what you want. I may work from several of your photos, taking something
from each one, to come up with the final drawing I will let you see for
approval. They can be
sent by post as prints or on a cd, or you can email them to me at a high
resolution. All photos
are treated with great care while they are with me and returned to you
when the portrait is complete. You may like to have copies made of any
particularly precious pictures before you post the originals just in case
they should go astray en route. Please included at least one printed for
colour matching which will need to be sent by regular mail.
Selecting your Photos
When selecting your photos of your pet A clear close up of your pet's
head is especially important, showing the eyes in natural light with another showing the full body if you
are having a full body portrait. If you are unsure which photos would work
best, just send them all and I will help you choose! If you are ordering a
pet portrait as a surprise gift and it is proving awkward to magic the
photos away without being found out, you might like to consider a
Gift
Certificate instead.
Tips for taking suitable
photos of your Pet
If you are able to take some pictures
especially for your portrait, please remember that you are not trying to
take a prize-winning photo but a series of pictures for me to use as
reference, so they don't have to be perfect and there is no need to worry
about what is happening in the background. If you are able to send a
lot of pictures I quite often work from several which I combine in the
final painting. If you are having more than one pet in the portrait it is
very helpful to see at least one photo with them together so I can get
their relative sizes accurate.
This is an example of a
clear photo for a pet portrait (and thanks to young Charlie for being such a patient model!) I can see all the details well
and the subdued natural lighting has not cast strong shadows or affected
the colouring (this picture has been reduced for this webpage, but try to
leave your digital images at full size when you send them). If you can
avoid strong sunlight or heavy shadows it is helpful.
-
You may
find that it is helpful to have other people around to assist - someone
behind you with a toy or treat often works well for a dog for example
(see above!).
-
Food is a great bribe, and just before being fed is often a good time to
get a very alert picture of cats and dogs.
-
If
you are taking photos of your horse, try not to stand too close but use
your zoom instead as this helps eliminate weird perspective!
-
Pictures
taken at eye level work well - which depending on the size of your pet
can mean lying on the ground or standing on a ladder!
-
Patience
is vital, and the more pictures you can take the more chance of getting
exactly what you want.
-
Of
course you don't have to be restricted by more traditional poses -
sometimes an unusual pose will capture your pet's personality and appeal
to you more.
-
Try
if you can to take your pictures outside as the colours are often better
represented, especially if it is not very bright sunlight.
Working from Older Photos
It may be
that your pet is no longer with you, in which case I will do my best to
create a lasting tribute from whatever
photos you have. It is especially helpful if you can tell me a little
about your pet as well. I have worked from passport-sized photos with a
magnifying glass in the past, which while not ideal (and tough on my
eyes!) does illustrate that anything is possible.
If you have
any questions or would like further help in selecting or taking your
photos please
get in touch.
All that remains for me to say is thank you for your interest in my
work, do get in touch if you have any questions and I hope to
hear from you soon!
EMAIL TRACY
