Our pets are like family so planning to have a portrait painted of them is but natural. Who doesn’t their best buddy immortalized in a gorgeous piece of art? It may not be the cheapest you’ll pay for, but with the right artist, it will be worth the full amount and more.
If you’ve been thinking of having a custom pet portrait of your dog, cat, hamster or any pet you may have, the following tips can be of help:
Portrait Artist Search
What Almost No One Knows About Art
Portraiture, regardless of the subject, is a specialized field that few artists would attempt. So the first step in finding a portrait artist is to limit your search to those who actually call themselves pet portrait artists. In most cases, online professional pet portrait artists work with people from all over the world, so there’s no need to fuss about location. There’s always shipments.
The Best Advice on Paintings I’ve found
Checking Out Portfolios
As you check out an artist’s portfolio, do bear the following in mind:
> Is the artist’s style in line with what you want?
> Can you picture their work on a wall in your home?
> Are their portraits consistently good through their entire portfolio? Are some portraits great and others not so?
> Do you like the colors they used? A lot of artists make use of only one single ‘palette’ so if you want the colors bright and sunny but the artist confines himself to grays and browns, look elsewhere.
> How do you like the animals’ eyes in the artworks? The eyes are the windows to the soul, so if the eyes are bad, the entire portrait is bad!
The Costs
A good pet portrait will set you back from $200 to $1000, depending on medium and size. Oils usually cost more since the process is extensive and the materials are expensive. Pencil and charcoal are the cheapest, while acrylic and watercolors are in the middle range. If you’re ordering online, artists will of course expect full payment before shipping. And note that packing and shipping fees will likely be charged to you.
The Reference Photo
All pet portrait artists work around pictures and for understandable reasons. It may be said that a pet portrait can only be as good as the picture the artist used, so this is really a major part of the process. You have to supply the artist a few awesome shots for consideration.
Payment
As this will be a custom work of art, most artists would like you to put money down before they get to work. This will probably range from 20% to 50%. Ask the artist about the payment methods they accept.
The Result
Finally, if the artist’s work is not pleasing enough to you, you are in no obligation to buy it. Some artists might simply forfeit your deposit, but most of them will be glad to work with you until you get what you want.