Pet Portraits
Hi! I love dogs! Can I paint your dog?
Colorful. Silly. One of a kind. Just like your pup.
It's an honor when someone trusts me to paint their beloved pup!
All pet portraits are done in a vibrant, pop-art inspired style with bits of realism. I've been developing my pet portrait style for 5 years now - look around online, you won't find anything quite like it!
Pet portraits come in two sizes/styles:
Mini Pet Portrait (6 x 6")
Full Pet Portrait (16 x 20")
Example Full Pet Portrait - Midas Finch.
Midas' background pattern and colors are based on his favorite rug.
"Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased.
It is no small gift."
- Mary Oliver
The painting that started all...
a portrait of my dog Beatrix.
If you know her at all, you know this is her "throw the damn ball or else" stare.
She loves the river, rolling in the grass, and being outside. And fetch... mostly fetch. If the painting feels a bit intense, that's because she is!
More Pet Portraits
Full Dog Portrait
Full Dog Portrait: Polly. Polly loves her favorite blanket, her Kong tug toy (bottom center), and chasing her ball.
Full Dog Portrait
Full Dog Portrait: Gordo loves his sloth toy (upper left), stroller rides (center right), and the family cat (bottom right). He may be blind, but he doesn't let that hold him back from exploring the world with zest! 11/10 precious.
Mini Dog Portrait - Cooper. Cooper loves to wear his human's hat, along with stylish hoodies.
Mini Dog Portrait - Apollo. Apollo does NOT love having to balance a Milk Bone on his face. But he does like eating them.
Pricing
Mini Pet Portrait
I want my art to be accessible and know that a full-size portrait is a big investment. So I developed a new technique to create more affordable, mini paw-traits! This is also a great option if you want a streamlined process with less decisions.
Size:
6 x 6"
Base price:
$95
Full Pet Portrait
The deluxe experience! If possible, I'll meet your dog (video call works!) to really get to know their personality. Full pre-painting digital mockup. Customized background to show off your pet's favorite toys/activities.
Size:
16 x 20"
Base price:
$425
Mini Pet Portrait Process
Painting type: Acrylic & Transfer
Hand-painted color and detailing with black ink transfer base layer. Edge painting included.
Painting Surface: 6 x 6" Basic Canvas
100% Cotton Stretched Canvas - Back Stapled, 5/8" depth (looks great unframed)
Additional sizes available: No
Process:
- Save your spot! Submit a commission request form.
- I'll email you a link to upload reference photos.
- I choose what I think will work best and send you image selection/crop for approval.
- With your input on colors, I let creativity take over and paint your pet!
- The painting process usually takes 2 weeks.
Closeup showing ink transfer with hand-painted color and details technique.
Full Pet Portrait Process
Painting type: Layered Acrylic
Fully hand-painted, using my signature layered technique to build up depth and visual interest. Edge painting included.
Surface Type: 16 x 20" Premium Canvas
100% Natural Cotton Duck Canvas - Gallery Profile, Splined, 1.5" depth (looks great unframed)
Additional sizes available: Yes
Price will vary. Minimum size is 11 x 14"
Process:
- Submit a commission request form
- I'll email you a link to upload reference photos or videos.
- I'll chat with you in detail about your pet's personality, favorite toys/activities, and what you're hoping to capture in their portrait.
- I create a digital concept, often utilizing several photos to create the design. You get to review the concept and request changes if needed before I start painting.
- The painting process usually takes 3-4 weeks.
From Digital Mockup to Hand-Painted
Pup Approved!
Frequently Asked Questions
These are all dogs... Do you paint other animals?
Yes! Dogs have been my primary subject, but I would love to branch out.
Can I have more than one pet in the painting?
Yes, at a custom price. Fill out a commission request form to start the process.
Will I need to frame the painting?
No! I include edge painting on all of my portraits. I recommend putting a nail in the wall and hanging it right up!
What is edge painting?
Your painting will wrap around the sides of the canvas. So, all of the edges are finished.
What is ink transfer?
This is a technique I've developed! First, I photoshop the image to remove the background, adjust lighting, convert it to black ink only, scale it to the canvas, and flip the image (so it doesn't end up reversed in the final piece!). Then I print several copies.
Next comes the wild part... after hand-painting a base layer of color, I apply medium and adhere the paper to the canvas (it always feels scary!). After it sits for 24 hours, I scrub away all the paper fiber until only the ink is left. This usually takes 4-6 rounds of scrubbing and drying. The paper is fully removed, it is not collage. Then I continue layering on paint and line work detail. All color is hand-painted, only black ink is transferred.
Why is your price so high for full pet portraits? I can find pet paintings online for much cheaper.
It is totally okay to ask this! Here is what goes into my pricing:
- I use very high quality canvas and paints and seal my work with UV protecting top coat, meaning this piece will last a lifetime. The canvas alone for my premium pet portraits retails at $62.
- Many "pet paintings" you see online are not hand-painted products. They're often called "paintings" but if you read closely, they're prints of digital paintings. This is a great option if you're looking for a lower price point. Just not the same thing.
- Many other pet paintings only include a solid background. My canvases are generally richer and more detailed. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples if you shop around.
- My full portraits include a pre-painting digital design phase and advanced photo editing. Just the preparation phase (reviewing images, making mockups, digitally painting background concepts) usually takes 3-5 hours.
- My paintings are layered and rich. On average, I spend 25-30 hours on the painting process.
- So, there you have it... ~35 hours of work and $100 of supplies goes into a single full portrait.
All of that being said, if you really want a portrait but cannot afford the price, please fill out a commission request and include that in your message. I'm able to do a limited number of reduced rate portraits, on a sliding scale pay model.
Will you include people in your pet portrait?
No. People are not in my subject matter preference or expertise.
What kind of photo works best?
Mini portraits: "Shoulders up" - basically closer up photos of your dogs face! Including your dog's whole body in a mini-portrait usually does not work well. I'm particularly fond of photos where their face shows emotion or them doing something silly.
Full portraits: I will need lots of photos (videos are great too), so I can get a realistic sense of your pet's coloring, how their eyes shine in the light, etc. From there, I can design a composition.When you send me photos, I'll ask you to tell me which images capture your pet's personality the most. Silly poses (like the golden retriever portrait) work great, as do more traditional poses (sitting, standing, etc).
What if I'm unhappy with the painting?
So far, this has never happened. 🙂 Full portraits include a digital mockup (see examples here), so as long as you are engaged with the design and painting concept phase, we can both feel confident you'll love the final result.
I don't have the perfect picture that captures their essence and a cute pose... can you still work with me?
This is a great fit for a full portrait! Whereas the minis are pretty much "from photo," the premium portraits include advanced image editing and combining. I'll still need clear resolution photos with good lighting, but I can combine images to create the right pose - for example, pulling their facial expression from one photo and their body position from another.
Still have a question?
Please contact me, I'd love to hear from you!
