AS ANIMAL LOVERS WILL ATTEST, pets are the real gifts that keep on giving. So why not immortalize them in a unique form of art? Pet portraits are increasingly popular, and a number of local artists have turned their passion for animals into businesses that help pet owners honor their loved ones.
Taking Photos for Pet Portraits – Artist Tips with Examples
If you’ve stumbled across this page then you are probably considering commissioning a hand-painted portrait of your pet.
Whether you would like me to work on this painting, or if you have a different artist in mind, it is likely you will be asked to provide your own photos of your pet for the portrait to be based upon.
It is often the case that the better the reference photo the better the finished portrait. So it’s important to take the best photos you can.
I understand that some will be in a position where their pet has sadly passed away. Taking photos specifically for a portrait will not be an option.
In this case it is worth looking through any photos you already have to find your favourite. Perhaps family and friends may have some too.
In this situation I always encourage the client to send as many photos as possible. This way I can potentially piece together the best parts of several photos to acheive the right likeness.
I am often sent less-than-perfect reference photos to work from and that’s okay . That’s where a bit of artistic license comes in useful!
If you have any concerns about your images, I am sure your chosen artist will be happy to answer and give their professional opinion on the best way to proceed for great results.
If you’re based quite a distance from your chosen artist it is unlikely they will be able to meet your pet in person. It’s your job to make sure the photos capture your pet accurately.
It is surprising just how much the lighting and angle can make on how your pet looks, and therefore how they are painted by the artist.
The Quick Answer
To take good photos of your pet for artist reference make sure you are in a well lit area, and take the photo at the pet’s eye level. Make sure your pet is relaxed by finding a place with no distractions. Or use a toy to direct their attention. Having a small pet in a sitting position is also helpful.
Here’s a breakdown of the key factors that can help you take the best photos of your pet:
- Equipment
- Atmosphere
- Lighting
- Angle
- Background
Equipment
When you come to take photos of your pet, make sure you use the best quality camera you have access to. This could be a digital camera, or a good quality smartphone camera will work well too.
An artist will not need professional quality images to work from, but the photos will need to be clear and show your pet’s key features in detail.
To get an idea of whether your photo is good enough, try zooming in on the eye details. The colours and reflections of the eye will need to be visible if you’d like the artist to include these details in your artwork.
In the below photo I have taken a full headshot and cropped to just include the eyes, this photo would be ideal to use as it still shows an excellent level of detail up close.
The way you choose to send your photos to the artist will also have a bearing on the image quality. Often photos sent via social media will be compressed, so will appear smaller and less detailed than they do originally on your device.
I always advise my clients to send reference photos via email to preserve the image quality.
Atmosphere
When trying to capture your pet at their best, you’ll want them to feel at ease, but not bored! Taking photos in a quiet place will help with this, but it often pays to have a helper on hand to catch your pet’s interest with a toy, for instance, as this can help you capture a bright and lively expression.
This can also be done by yourself. For the below photo I placed a toy on the windowsill to the left to keep the dog still and focused while I used the camera.
Lighting
I always advise my clients to take photos outdoors if possible, so the weather will be a key factor! Overcast days are often ideal for capturing an ‘accurate’ view of your pet’s colouring. The light will not be strong enough to make your pet appear too pale, and you can avoid potentially harsh shadows.
The lighting in the above photo is ideal for an artist to work from. There are enough light and shadowed areas to create interest but they are not too strong or harsh.
You may also be able to capture interesting effects with the stronger lighting on a sunny day, and these types of image can work very well for a painting too.
It really depends on the effects you would like to see in your finished painting, and you can always ask your artist for their opinion too if you’re unsure.
Different coloured fur
Dark coloured pets for instance can look great in brighter lighting, as it can emphasise the gloss of their coats. I find that lighter coloured animals however can appear bleached in bright lighting, and the details in the fur are not picked up by the camera.
If you are unable to take photos outside, try taking your photos in the brightest area of your home, perhaps close to a window. Allowing some natural light into your image will help you take a good accurate photo of your pet.
This comparison shows just how much difference lighting can make to your photos. These photos were taken with the same smartphone camera on the same settings just moments apart, the only thing that changed was the amount of light falling on the dog.
As you can see on the photo on the right, not only does this lack the interesting highlights in the fur, but the image is also no where near as sharp or detailed.
Angle
How you position yourself and your camera will make a huge difference to how your photos turn out. When I am photographing animals myself, I always make sure I am at eye-level with my subject.
I am often sent photos where the photographer is looking down on their pet. Whilst this looks cute in photographs it rarely translates well into a painting.
This is because the head of the pet can look disproportionally large in comparision to the body. As shown in the photo below.
If your pet is small then crouching or sitting down may be the bestway to reach their eye-level. If you’re photographing a larger animal such as a horse, you may need to raise yourself onto a higher level. Or step further backwards and use your zoom to focus on the subject instead.
TOP TIP: If you are photographing a dog or a cat, having them in a sitting position usually creates the most flattering pose. Even for a headstudy where only a small amount of the body is included.
Background
The final thing to consider is your photograph’s backdrop. This is mainly a consideration when you would like the setting included in your painting, so may not be applicable to all artworks.
Having said this, it can help the artist to pick out the fine hairs surrounding your pet if you take their photo against an uncluttered backdrop. This could be something to keep in mind even if you would like this to be changed in the portrait.
I always offer my clients the option of having the background of the image changed. This could be to a simple shaded background or an alternative landscape or domestic scene.
This is entirely down to personal preference and can be something to discuss with your chosen artist. Personally I like to provide digital mock-ups for potential clients if they are unsure. This can help envison the end result.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it! Those are my five key factors to keep in mind when photographing your pet for their portrait. In summary, the main things to take away are:
- Equipment – make sure you use the best quality camera you have.
- Atmosphere – Choose a location where your pet is comfortable, and have something available to picque their interest.
- Lighting – Take your photos outside wherever possible.
- Angle -Take your photos at eye-level with your subject.
- Background – Keep the focus on your pet and avoid distracting or cluttered backgrounds.
I hope this guide comes in handy when you are taking reference photos of your pet! If you would like to check out some examples of the acrylic and pastel work I have produced. Please see my Pet Portrait page here and get in touch if you have any questions.
Animal shelters and rescue groups in the New Orleans area
For a list of needed donations and supplies, visit each group’s website.
“The art is fun and colorful,” Mercer says. “I think it offers a fun memory.”
Lillian Aguinaga is another local artist and the founder of Painted Paws (www.artoflillian.com). She creates acrylic paintings of customers’ pets and accommodates requests for quirky details to be included in the rendition. (One client, for example, requested that a dog be painted in “Game of Thrones”-style regalia.)
Aguinaga’s prices depend on the size of the canvas and the number of pets included, but typically range from $300 to $1,000. She also offers charcoal drawings, which start at $150, as well as gift certificates. Like the Mercers, she believes in giving to charity and donates 10 percent of her commissions to the animal rescue group of the customer’s choice.
“I like giving back, and it adds a little extra something to commissioning a pet portrait,” she says.
Julie Dalton Gourgues (www.juliedaltongourgues.com) is a local painter who mainly uses oils and acrylics to create pet portraits. Nine years ago, she gave some of her friends portraits of their pets during the holiday season. They were a hit.
“Everybody loved them,” she says, and her portrait painting business began to spread by word-of-mouth and on social media. “It’s really very gratifying,” she says of the work, particularly because she often spends time with her subjects, getting to know their personalities.
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“It’s a fun, collaborative effort,” she says. “They’ll send me photos, we’ll go back and forth, and they get to see the process, starting with the sketches, and they can approve of things as we go along.”
Laura Helen Marks’ Stone Cold Stones (www.facebook.com/stonecoldnola) uses a different medium — colorful mosaics — to capture the likeness of furry friends. Often, her creations memorialize a pet. She says the stones function a bit like a tombstone but “less morbid” as they are works of art that can be garden features.
“Most people’s pets spent time in the yard, and I sense that customers really love walking through the yard and spotting their beloved pup, kitty or tortoise sparkling in the flower beds, looking happy,” she says. “The stones are celebratory.”
Pet owners also can consider the Louisiana SPCA‘s (www.la-spca.org) offerings. Earlier this month, the organization hosted $25 “Pawliday Pet Portraits,” photo sessions during which families could have their pets’ photos snapped alongside holiday props and costumes. Another program called “Mutt Mondays” takes place during Celebration in the Oaks at New Orleans City Park. On Dec. 17, Louisiana SPCA team members will be on site to assist with the seasonal dog celebration and run a photo booth.
“Photos of your pets during the holiday season help you celebrate and remember each and every holiday spent with your loved ones,” notes Rebecca Melanson, the SPCA’s communications coordinator.
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No matter the medium, Aguinaga perhaps sums it up best: “When you see someone react to getting the gift of a pet portrait, it’s pretty special,” she says. “Pets are like children — they mean a lot to us; they are special creatures. A pet portrait is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give.”
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How to capture your pet’s personality in a portrait
Want to record your beloved pet’s likeness in a work of art?
There are many unusual options, from artfully designed throw pillows to stained glass, metalwork and paintings. Your pet’s adorable face could adorn holiday ornaments, glass stemware, ceramics, jewelry, rock art — even a spoon or a phone case.
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Just a sampling of what’s available:
Digital Portrait
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In the small fishing port of Brixham, England, Karen McIntosh assembles digital caricatures of pets. “I am a real fan of the dark, moody images of the Old Masters, and love recreating this ambience in my work,” she says. She blends images and adds shadows and brush strokes in Photoshop for a painterly feel to works printed on high-quality matte paper. “It’s so much fun creating the composition around an animal’s expression or breed, and I welcome a challenge,” says McIntosh, who has made portraits of llamas, mice and horses in addition to many dogs and cats. (www.etsy.com/shop/YourPetsPawtraits)
Painted Metal
Lisa Manzo of Plainfield, Illinois, uses high-gloss paints on galvanized steel — a modern-looking canvas — to create colorfully stylized pet portraits. She fills in her black outlines with a vibrant, fluid paint. The combination lends dimension. “(With) some of my works, you really have to take a step back to realize what it is,” says Manzo. “I love the fact that the viewer needs to use their imagination to put it together. I think art should make you go, ‘Mmm, how cool.'” (www.etsy.com/shop/DropMyPaintsStudio)
Painted Pillow
Sebnem Ergun’s story begins with a stray cat she found near her home in Istanbul, Turkey. The animal’s courage gave Ergun the strength to quit her day job to paint — first on stones and porcelain but now on cotton fabric finished into pillows. She has mailed her custom-order artwork to customers around the world. “Painting, especially painting pets and animals, is like meditation for me,” Ergun says. “I feel my inner joy and peace while painting their unique beauties.” (www.shebbodesign.etsy.com)
Sewn Pillow
In Hartlepool, England, textiles instructor Diane Watson uses applique, embroidery and pops of vintage fabric color to fashion a pet’s image onto linen that becomes a pillow. She began by embroidering a portrait of her brother’s dog, and has since made hundreds of custom-order pillows, of guinea pigs and goats as well as the usual dogs and cats. “I love animals and have my own pets — a grumpy cat and a friendly greyhound. There’s so much diversity with animals, and they mean a lot to people,” she says. (www.etsy.com/shop/NaughtyDOG2)
Embroidery
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Kathy Halper of Highland Park, Illinois, is a painter who recently began embroidering pet portraits framed in embroidery hoops or stretched over square forms. “Embroidery has always been considered a craft, (but) I approach it as an equal, contemporary art form,” Halper says. “The excitement for me is creating the painting experience with thread.” (www.kathyhalper.com)
Ceramics
Suzanne Ellenbogen of Golden, Colorado, was creating ceramic jewelry and sculpture when she began sculpting animal heads, starting with her two Goldendoodles, Fred and Ginger. Commissioned work soon followed. “I love that a piece starts as a mound of clay, never knowing exactly what it will be until I start forming it, then adding texture and color,” she says. (www.suzellenbogen.com)
Stained Glass
