Having a beautiful pet portrait adorning a wall of your house helps keep the house alive and the memories alive by setting in stone the close bond you have with your pet.
You can avail many services and even individual artists who provide hand-made portrait paintings of your pet. We are here going to discuss the points that you should keep in mind while ordering a pet portrait.
Also, we will suggest the services and individual artists that would make custom pet portraits for you.
Table of Contents
Why should I Order a Pet Portrait?
People order pet portraits for many reasons, some of which are discussed below:
As a Present
A very unique gift to give to any enthusiastic dog owner would be a painting of their own beloved pet. The owner will certainly cherish this gift because it is very profound and thoughtful.Apart from that, someone who has every other pet-related item can complete his collection with a memorable portrait painting.
Commemorate a Departed Pet
The idea to memorialize a pet with a pet portrait painting is quite prevalent among dog owners. This acts as a means to remember the love they have for their pet.
As A Marvel
For your kin and friends, the painting would grab attention and create curiosity. Visualize the visitors getting amazed by the painting.
For Trying Something Unique
There are some unique form of art through which you can bring your pet to life. These include royal pet portraits, renaissance pet portraits, and even digital pet portraits.
History of Pet Portraits
Since time immemorial, pets have not only been involved in our rich cultures, but they have also been included in paintings of some of the famous painters such as Picasso.
The earliest example of a pet in a painting was from the ill-famed painting of Marriage of Arnolfini around 1434. Here, a small dog in the front of the painting portrays the courtly and wealthy status of the house.
Another interesting painting of a dog is seen in the Master Bedroom. It represents a small puppy in a bed sleeping in a curled up position. It depicts a layman’s dog in a layman’s home.
If you are fond of contemporary art, then there is the painting July. It portrays a whimsical dog and an artist in a “Pool with two figures”.
The pet life in earlier paintings served as a medium of depiction of life prior to the invention of cameras.
The pet portraits even today serve as an embodiment of our intimate emotional connection with pets and their love for us humans.
What Should I consider when I order a Pet Portrait?
Following are the factors that a dog owner should keep in mind while ordering a custom pet portrait:
Size of Painting:
The smallest sized portrait will measure 8” x 8”, whereas the largest-sized portrait will measure 24” x 36”. The size would be decided depending upon the area where you will hang the painting. So, keep that in mind.
Medium of Painting:
There are many mediums from which one can select such as pencil sketches, oil paintings, and watercolors. The price of the type will vary; oil and acrylic paintings would have the highest prices.
Your painting’s appearance will differ greatly based on the kind of medium you select. Mediums are discussed later in the article.
Frame of the Painting:
Some services offer a framed painting option. Framing in our opinion is better as it can prevent the painting from dust or debris and can also elongate the lifespan of the artwork.
A few services also give its customers the option of gallery wrapping the painting. In this, you get a pet portrait on canvas. The canvas wraps itself around the painting in such a way that it eliminates the necessity for a frame.
Type of Photo:
The portrait is going to be created with a photo. Your artist will require a high-resolution photo from which details can be observed easily.
It is imperative that the artist recognizes the personality of the dog because that is going to be reflected in the painting.
A Service or a Private Artist?
Services hire dedicated artists that would create a painting for you. This eliminates the need for the time spent on seeking and hiring a private artist.
However, a private artist can facilitate more communication and information contribution.
Combination of Characters:
You can choose to have a painting of you with your pet or of your pet alone. The more the characters involved, the higher will be the pricing.
All About Medium of the Portrait
A painting done in different mediums can have different purposes attached to it. It depends on how you want the painting to look, on the basis of which you would decide the medium for it.
Listed below are some of the most common types of mediums of portrait paintings:
Acrylic Painting:
Acrylic painting is one of the most famous present-day styles of paintings. These paintings have a tendency to dry rapidly. However, some acrylic paints do not dry quickly.
Oil Painting:
Oil paintings are considered the more conventional form of painting. They need some time to lose their moisture.
Pencil Sketch:
The black and white shades of a pencil can bring out the pattern, texture, light, and shadow from an image. A pencil sketch needs less time to finish.
Colored Pencil Drawing:
There is no requirement to dry for a colored pencil drawing. Texture is imbibed by using pencils that are either oil or wax-based.
Charcoal Painting:
These paintings are created with a naturally occurring component called charcoal. This has the potential to generate a feeling of rawness in the observer’s mind.
Should I go for black and white or a color portrait?
It is likely that a majority of dog owners would prefer a colored pet portrait instead of a black and white one. However, black and white portraits have their own appeal.
The charcoal portraits and pencil portraits can give an unusually attractive feel. Unlike colored portraits, the black and white portraits create a contrast that is very powerful, and that can have a huge effect in the viewer’s mind.
Owners might simply be interested in a black and white portrait if their pet does not have a colorful coat or has a grey or a black coat. If you fall into this category of owners, you might check out the B & W option.
If you have a pet whose coat is colorfully rich, you might as well go with the colored portrait option.
Pet Portrait Services and Artists
PortraitFlip
PortraitFlip is a portrait service that, with the help of expert artists, creates a breathtaking portrait painting of your pooch from a photograph.
It creates paintings based on multiple mediums such as charcoal, oil paintings, pencil sketches, colored pencil drawings, acrylic, and watercolor pet portraits.
The service features unlimited revisions, which plays a key part in its operation. This feature allows customers the freedom for full satisfaction in the painting they have ordered.
The upfront payment is only 30% and the entire payment is done only when the customer is fully satisfied.
Not only this, Portrait Flip offers a 100% money-back guarantee. It means
that if you are not feeling fully okay with the painting, then you will get a
full refund.
Size of PortraitFlip Paintings
The paintings provided by PortraitFlip come in various sizes as given below:
| Size | No. of characters |
| 8″x8″ | Ideal for one character or person |
| 12″x12″ | One character with more attention to detail |
| 12″x16″ | Suited for 2 characters or people |
| 16″x20″ | Suited for 3 people |
| 18″x24″ | Four people can be included |
| 24″x36″ | Five people can be included |
Features of PortraitFlip
- Free of cost Shipping – free shipping takes 25-27 days whereas express shipping takes 16-18 business days.
- Custom Background – Customers can choose a background of their liking for their pet’s painting with another image or by telling the artists exactly what they want.
- Unlimited Revisions – Customers can be in constant contact with the artist until they are fully contented with the painting.
- Option to add up to 5 characters – Customers can choose to include either 1 or more than 1, up to 5 humans or pets in the portrait. Every time a character is added, the price increases slightly.
- 100% money-back guarantee – Without any questions asked, you will get your bucks back if you are dissatisfied with the painting.
- Only 30% advance payment – Only pay the entire amount after you get the product in your hand. The upfront cost is only 30%.
Finishing Options for a PortraitFlip Painting
- Rolled: The art piece will be rolled in an Art Tube and delivered so that it doesn’t get damaged in the transit. Availing this option is free of cost.
- Gallery Wrapped: The canvas is extended on all sides and attached on the backside of the frame. This option gives an effect of an artistic edge to the viewers. This option incurs charges depending upon the size of the portrait.
- Framed: The art piece is tightly framed and made suitable to be hung on walls. This method increases the lifespan of the painting. Charges differ as per the size.
How To Order?
Etsy Vendors
Most dog owners will prefer a service such as Portrait Flip for the pet portraits. There are some owners who would go for something unique – something a bit unusual.
This is where artists from Etsy come into the picture. They offer a distinct design for your pet’s portrait.
You can browse works of a few renowned pet portrait Etsy artists by going to their individual links:
- Elshan: Etsy artist Elshan is an expert in creating paintings of watercolor. The paintings of Elshan are contemporary, less expensive, and uncomplicated, mainly because the painting style is not focused on details.
- Eddie Kagimu: Another painter specializing in watercolor paintings, his paintings give a sense of being light in appearance. The downside is that they are a bit pricey.
- Vivian Cooper: Unlike the previous two artists, Vivian provides paintings in both oil pastels and watercolors. Her paintings come at a reasonably affordable price and she is also rated 5 star on Etsy.
- Emma Kaufmann: For those of you who want to memorialize their departed pet, contact Emma. She will create a gorgeous watercolor pet portrait. Emma is yet another artist rated 5 star on Etsy.
So these were some services and artists that you may choose depending upon the type of painting you want to order.
Keep on browsing our website for more knowledge.
Happy Petting to You Guys!
