Pet reference photo guide

It’s really important to send good quality photos when you’re commissioning a pet portrait - they allow me to see all the detail I need to create a beautiful pet portrait and get a good likeness.

Remember, I can draw only what I see. The more detail, the better able I am to render a more realistic painting.

Below are some tips in taking and choosing a reference photo for your pet.

For a HEAD AND SHOULDERS: a photo that is focus with the pet close in frame

For FULL BODY: portrait a photo that shows the entire animal within the frame without cropping off ears, paws, tail etc.

TAKEN IN NATURAL LIGHT: - this means I can see accurate colouring of your pet, and photos taken in natural light generally show more crisp detail

FOCUSED ON YOUR SUBJECT: this really goes without saying

TAKE PHOTOS ON THE CORRECT LEVEL: Try not to look down on your pet when taking photos, even though it might feel natural to do. It's important to always photograph from your pet's level since your portrait will hang on your wall at eye level.

THE HIGHEST RESOLUTION POSSIBLE: If you are sending photos straight from your phone, you are sometimes asked what file size you want to send. Always choose the largest size - this means I can zoom in to see all the details I need.

ORIGINAL PHOTO FILES: please don’t send screenshots of photos - it’s generally really difficult to zoom into these to see enough detail. Try to email me your photos in original size, downloaded directly from your camera. If photos are reduced in size they are less clear, sharp and much important information is lost.

AVOID DIGITAL ZOOM ON MOBILE PHONES

PLEASE AVOID SENDING FACEBOOK PHOTOS: many people share photos on of their pets on Facebook. Unfortunately Facebook compresses and resizes your photos to make them load quickly. This reduces their quality and I find them more difficult to work from.

A 50% non-refundable booking fee is required at the time of the booking to secure a slot in my diary. I will email you an invoice that will provide the remaining balance and payment details, the full payment will be paid when the drawing is finished.