Photo Guide

The Quality of photo that I receive has a huge impact on the end result of the portrait that I can draw, so there are a few key factors to consider.

Location

The best photos are taken outdoors, in clear natural light and avoiding too many shadows. If your photo must be taken indoors, try to ensure as much natural light as possible and have your pet looking towards a light source such as a window.

Clear features and fur direction.

Try to make sure that all features such as eyes, nose and whiskers are visible as well as the direction of the fur.

Focus and Clarity

Photos need to be in focus and showing lots of detail. The more detail I can see in your reference photo means the more detail I can draw in your pet’s portrait and the more life-like the end result will be.

Distance from the camera

Make sure your pet is as close to the camera as possible, without cropping out important parts like ears or top of their head etc.

True Colour

Is the photo a true representation of the colour of your pet's fur and eyes? I take time prior to starting commissions to plan a personalised colour recipe which is unique to your pet’s colouring, and this recipe is based on the tones and hues I can see in your reference photo.

Direction

Ideally have your pet looking at the camera or slightly to the left or right. The most successful portraits are drawn from photos which show excellent details and highlights in the eyes.

The More the Merrier

I encourage clients to send multiple photos so that together, we can be sure to find that perfect one for your commission.

Pets that have passed away

If you are looking at commissioning a portrait of a pet who has sadly passed away, I understand that you may have limited photos available. Please send me as many photos as you can and we can work through them together. I will need to see photos of pets that have passed before I accept your commission to ensure that I can produce a quality drawing from your photos.