Today I am sharing how I create a custom pet portrait from a photo reference. Recently my client submitted the rather faded image of her beloved German Shepherd Zoe that has passed on. If you look closely you can see that there are no visible pupils and that the overall photo looks rather flat and without any sort of definition.
After I establish with the client what the setting for the portrait should be - here we decided on the grass, the painting undergoes many transformations. I like to punch up colors and make my pets as vibrant or should I say lively looking as possible. I work in layers and leave the addition of texture and highlight until the very end.
Missing elements like the eyes are addressed . Here I painted the eyes in a way as if the dog is looking at something out of our view point.
Some clients opt for having their pets name on the tags others prefer it left blank. Every painting can be customized until the client is happy with the end results. If you like to learn more about ordering a similar pet portrait click below for more information.
