Most pet owners are mad about their pets, which is why a pet portrait makes an amazing gift! And the gift doesn’t have to be for someone else—why not treat yo-self?
Pet portraits are a pleasure to create not only because they celebrate a special part of a family, but also because of the fun I have painting the patterns, layers and textures of each critter’s outer layer, whether it’s fur, feathers, scales or shell. The difficult part of creating four-legged or winged companions is poor reference photos. The most common photo provided is a snapshot of the pet looking up at the camera (like the photo below). In rare cases, this angle might work, but in most, it doesn’t capture the pet’s distinct features or personality, plus it’s boring and unnatural. How many child portraits do you see from the perspective of a child looking up at the camera? Most good portrait reference photos are taken from eye level.
Also consider light and shadows. The light should be coming from a 45 or 90 degree angle and highlight the pet’s colors and features. The shadows should create depth and contrast, not darken or obscure. Too much light, or coming from the wrong angle, will look flat and washed out; too little and detail and dimension are lost. Notice in the example photo that Indi’s eyes are hard to see because the light is behind her. I need to be able to clearly see those important features. Sometimes it takes piecing together several reference photos to create the perfect portrait.
So, squat down (unless you’re subject is taller than you), have fun taking some photos of your pet in a natural environment, and then contact me for a commissioned pet portrait!
