Has anyone had any success with having a pet photo used to produce a portrait? DS has a new apartment and I was thinking that a smallish portrait of his beloved dog (deceased for a couple of years) might be a nice thing to have. I see lots of folks doing this online, but hesitate to spend money without a recommendation. I’m thinking watercolor or pastels–nothing too formal looking.
I have a neighbor who does oil paintings from photos. I have two on my mantel! She does the eyes so well!
FYI, for “later”
Rover & Fluffy can join the rest of Lenin and Ho Chi Minh: pet taxidermy/freeze-dry and cryonics
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-dogs-go-heaven/201201/would-you-your-pet-stuffed-freeze-dried-or-cryonically-preserved
The chihuahua in the glass case looks perky.
Last Christmas, D2 had portraits done of four dogs in our family… our already deceased first dog, our current dog, and D2’s two dogs, that she’d never met before. We hung them up on our main living level and get so many comments on them. She just uploaded pictures that she was able to locate and the artist did a great job!
Would you like me to find out who she used? I think she found someone on Etsy.
Oh, well… I did it anyway. This is who she used:
https://www.■■■■■■■■/shop/TheStardustStudio
I want to order one of these!
http://nepaldog.com/index.php/what-else-can-these-guys-paint/82-danger-dog/147-front-page
Last year, I used a photo editing program to create a watercolor effect on close-up photos I’d taken of a friend’s dogs, then printed them on textured paper and matted & framed them. A friend used a similar program then had a stretched canvas print made (at a UPS or FedEx store) for about $30.
Good idea. I’d love to have a portrait of my late beloved beautiful lady (pictured here). Sniffle sniffle…
Still missing her 3 years later…
A few years ago I surprised my husband with a portrait of his favorite dog who had died a few years earlier. I had seen some beautiful pastels of dogs while traveling and found the artist through google. The whole transaction was handled by phone and email with her agent. I forwarded the photo I wanted to use and the artist confirmed that she could work from it. The whole process was super smooth and the portrait is fabulous.
@GRITS80, how did your husband react when he saw it?
He loved it and was totally surprised. The artist really captured the dog’s eyes and that’s where all the personality is. We’ve loved all our pets, but there really was a special bond with this dog and losing him was really rough on my husband. We’re happy to have a beautiful tribute to a beloved pet. Our current dog is crazy so the joke is there will be no portrait of her!
Thanks, @teriwtt! I like the style of that artist–a touch of whimsy, not too much sentimentality.
@Silpat, good idea, but I am so not the person to take this on as a do-it-yourself project. I have neither the time/patience to figure out a new program nor the talent to make anything good from it.
@BunsenBurner, that website will haunt my dreams tonite!
@GRITS80, can you PM me any info for this artist?
I know a lot of people who’ve had felted dog sculptures made by this person: https://www.■■■■■■■■/shop/DreamwoodArtDesigns
(Yes, more than one. More than five.)
You know more than five, er, interesting people. I guess the line between a nice way to remember a pet and something completely creepy is different for everyone.
MommaJ, I sent you a PM
For something unique, contact Jesse Lewis (http://greatlocalart.com/artist/jesse/)
He did a portrait of my Sheltie that you will see on his site. He uses a photo that you provide and then does a 3D mixed media portrait and can use all sorts of things in the finished work. For example, in one of his horse portraits, he included a feed bag, straw and hay from the barn, and some horse hair. Everything he does is unusual and dramatic.
He is in Connecticut. I’d encourage you to see some of his work up close and personal before committing to it – the images on his site don’t show you the texture and detail of the finished work.
MommaJ–they aren’t creepy, actually. They’re very small, about five or six inches tall. Just a little replica of their dog.
@cnp55, thank you, I love Jesse Lewis’ work as shown of the website you linked–especially your Sheltie! I’ll make contact–I actually live in CT, not sure where he’s located, but maybe I can make a visit to his studio.
Tell Jesse that I sent you! I’m pretty sure he is in Ridgefield – on the west side of the state, south of Danbury.
Close to me! So I should tell Jesse that cnp55 sent me? 