A hand-drawn portrait captures your pet's personality the way photographs can't

Royal or rescue, there is nothing like life with a dog!

They make us laugh. They make us proud. They make a mess. They make our hearts melt.

They make us talk baby-talk. They make us pull out our hair by depositing theirs everywhere. They make us hand over the treats.

...And eventually, much too soon, they make us cry — just like we've lost our best friend. They are with us such a short time, these fur-clad messengers of love and devotion. We stockpile the memories of their antics and retell the stories again and again. But we miss their expressive doggie faces.

Let me capture that lovable face for you in an heirloom you'll cherish forever!

"It looks just like a photograph!" people often respond when they see my work.

One person went so far as to proclaim, "You're a camera!"

These comments remind me anew of the old debate between art and photography during the 1800s when photography was first invented. Would artists become obsolete? Why spend long hours lovingly laboring on a portrait if the results look like a photograph taken instantly?

What value can an artist add to a portrait?

As a customer you may be thinking: "Hmmm.... why am I giving this artist a check and a photo of my pet, so I can get back a portrait that looks just like a photograph?!"

Creating art is much more than reproducing the world with pinpoint accuracy. Good photographers know that taking a memorable photograph is much more than simply pointing the camera and clicking the shutter!

Your photo records your dog's likeness — my portrait captures the "life-ness." — Why? Photographs dutifully record every ray of light that the camera "sees." Of course, the camera doesn't really "see," its lens just frames and focuses the light passing through it. Artists, on the other hand, process what passes through their eyes. My "Artist's Eye" filters out the nonessentials to reveal, well, the "essence" of my subject -- a living, breathing being bursting with personality.

After over forty years of making art, I don't know how it happens — part of it comes naturally, a gift from God. But like a gifted athlete (which I am *decidedly* not!), I do know I have to stay in condition, train, and practice to keep my skills sharp. Sheer mechanical ability to reproduce a subject isn't enough either. Many artists have honed those skills, but their work lacks a spark of life. Folks say my work has that spark.  I usually reply, “I just draw what I see.” I guess it is my “Artist’s Eye” that seeks out the spark of life and captures it.

Meet Gretel, my friends' dear, departed Basset Hound. Gretel was her dad's hunting buddy, specializing in tracking bunnies with that incredible nose. I had to redo her nose several times, even calling my friend to ask, "Was Gretel's nose impossibly huge?" She assured me, "Yes!" Bassets look like caricatures come to life!	Gretel's portrait brought out a glamorous side no one realized she had! She's one of the most popular dogs in the PetsPictured.com CafePress store. I also use her on my business card and Yellow Pages ad. Those oversized, exaggerated Basset features work well at small sizes.

Most non-artists think art is about gifted eyes and hands. But it is more than that.

It's about the connection between eyes and hands. Sure, the brain acts as microprocessor and switchboard, taking care of the mechanics of vision and small-motor coordination. More importantly, the Mind, Soul, Spirit, those seats of emotion and memory, are equally active participants in creating art.

Each of my portraits is influenced by my lifelong appreciation for life and creation.

Every pencil stroke in my portraits is filtered through

• A heart warmed by the love of many dogs, cats, and birds over the years,
• A mind that savors light playing on fur and feathers, and
• A soul that marvels at the miracle of communication between species.

I always call my portrait subjects by name when I'm working on them. Even my family knows "Britt," "Lindsey," Sadie," "Gretel," "Bart and Tali," "Marie and Pierre," "Candy," "Buddy," "Miss Kitty," "Bandit," "Barkley," "Daisy," and others by name!

What kind of portrait fits your mutt's mug?

I'd love to meet your best buddy, too, and capture that wonderful face that makes your heart melt (and makes you hand over the treats!). Bring back warm memories of a beloved buddy now gone. Or commission your current mutt's angelic mug as a reminder next time you arrive home to evidence of a chewing marathon!

You'll need to choose which medium you would like to have your portrait in. If you are like most people, who haven't touched drawing or painting materials since school, you may feel at a loss. Don't worry, I can help you out. Think about what you love most about your dog's face. Besides the obvious color differences, black-and-white portraits and color portraits "specialize" in emphasizing different aspects of a subject.

My current dog Rosie is a black Standard Poodle — it almost makes no difference at all whether I use color or black and white! On the other hand, our dear, departed Irish Setter’s beautiful coloring shines in an oil pastel portrait (above).	The pencil portrait on the right was done from the same photo, so you can see the difference. Pencil emphasizes the expression and character more without the distraction of color. It also allows more detail and emphasizes the texture of the coat.

When to choose a black-and-white portrait

• A detailed black and white graphite pencil portrait focuses attention on your pet's character and personality by filtering out color as a distraction;
• The intricate shading possible in black-and-white graphite highlights your dog's expressive eyes, ears, or cocked head;
• Graphite pencil depicts textures, like soft, velvety ears; silky waves, or wiry curls wonderfully;
• Here are more examples of black-and-white dog portraits in graphite (lead) pencil.

When to choose a color portrait

• Some pets are pretty colorful characters! If people always comment on your pet’s beautiful coat or markings, then you might show those off with a color portrait.
• Oil pastel's strong, vivid color reproduces the colorful complex highlights of shiny coats and the soft fuzzy textures of others;
• Watercolor and colored pencil's color is more subtle and makes possible much more detail than pastels.
• See examples of color portraits in oil pastel or watercolor and colored pencil.

Need more help deciding?

I've done dozens of each kind of portrait. I'll be glad to give you the benefit of my experience about what portrait suits you and your dog. Get in touch below.

Multiply your joy and your savings

First, let's talk! Let me know what you are looking for in your portrait...

If you are like most of my clients you've probably never commissioned a portrait before and have a lot of questions... So do I! I'd like to get to know your dog better and learn more about what you are looking for in a portrait.

I'm either sitting here working at my studio or not far away -- feel free to pop in and say "hi," say a few words, or ask a question. I'm all ears...

Meanwhile, start digging for photos

While you decide what you want in your dog's portrait, start looking for pictures! If you are like me, you've got a photo albums and shoe boxes (or folders on your computer) overflowing with pictures of your pets (I've got more pictures of the pets than the people in my family!). Get those photos out right now and look through them with details and close-ups in mind.

Send me several of your favorites so I can get a feel for your pet’s character. I’ll tell you if these photos are suitable for my “model.” If you don’t find what you like, get out the camera, read my “Tips on Taking a Photo” and shoot away from all angles, in a lot of poses and places. Then send me prints of your pictures, or have them put on a CD and mail that to me.

If your pet is gone, send the best photos you have

Britt, a Welsh Springer Spaniel, died suddenly at only six years old. Britt's mom's friends wanted to comfort her with a portrait showing off Britt's beautiful face. Obviously, there was no chance to take the perfect picture. Their solution was to find (being very sneaky to not ruin the surprise!) several pictures.	In the finished portrait, I combined elements of several photos. Her mom's favorite photo with the cocked head was over-exposed so there was no detail visible in the highlights. I started with the cocked head expression, then pulled the missing details, like Britt's freckles, from the bottom photos and her silky ears from the top left and bottom right photos.

 

Nervous about ordering a portrait from an artist you've never met?

I don't blame you! That's why I offer a guarantee where I assume the risk, not you.

People can be understandably nervous when ordering a one-of-a-kind custom work of art of someone they love dearly from someone they don't know -- and over the Internet, no less! They imagine opening the package containing their much-anticipated portrait when it arrives and feeling their heart sink when it doesn't meet their expectations. Then begins the anger over wasted money!

Rest assured, this won't happen to you! Here's why:

1. We will talk about your pet, your expectations, my work process, deadlines and all the rest, before you decide to spend one penny;
2. When you decide to commission your pet's portrait, you'll send me a 30% deposit, and we will both sign a Commission Agreement spelling out this guarantee and other rights each of us have doing business together;
3. We will work together to help you take or find the best photos of your pet to work from (including finding good solutions if your photos of deceased pets are not high quality);
4. I'll be in touch as I work on your portrait and send you scans of my work in progress to get your comments and suggestions sooner, rather than later.
5. When the portrait is done, I will scan it one more time and email it for your approval. Only after you approve of your portrait completely will you pay the balance and will I ship it to you.

I'll assume the risk (because, frankly, I haven't had to return a deposit yet!). You don't have anything to lose, but do have a whole lot to gain: A beautiful portrait to remember your best buddy for years to come!

But wait, there's more…