Portrait Notes
Some ideas and points  to consider about the  portrait
of your beloved pet, or companion.

A portrait of your pet, or companion, whether it be in colored, graphite pencil or mixed media is a sure treasure.  It brings back many memories that you and your pet had together.  Not only will the portrait show the physical detail of your pet's face, but also that 'inner essence' that we humans so easily bond to and love.  This unique personality, of our pets, separates them from others of its own kind and other breeds.

Therefore, take several photographs of your pet; trying to get as close to her/him as you possibly can, and in the end, still have the image in focus!
In keeping with that idea, here are some guidelines that should help you with your quest.

A.  The Profile View - Obviously, the side view of the pet's head: one or two ears, one eye and an open, partially open, or closed mouth.  

B. Frontal View - The frontal view is most often called "Full Face": two ears, two eyes, a foreshortened muzzle (that is, it appears to be shorter than it actually is), and a nose that is more prominent.  The mouth may be closed or open. 

C.  The Three-Quarter View - Here, the face of the pet, or companion, is at an oblique, or "slanted angle"; not vertical or profile view.  One sees more of one eye than the other.  The  same is true of the animal's ears and the muzzle is either slanted to the left or right. There are many variations to this pose, but, in my opinion, this view does put our pets/companions at their best! 

Note: Should you desire a head/chest portrait, the head should not be less than 3/4 of an inch high.   Having said that, should the pet be deceased and you have only small head images, enlarge the photo and then send the original and the enlargement to me.

Portrait Energy

As I work on a pet's image, it begins to 'radiate' with energy.  Your might say that the image becomes "alive" and seems to breathe!  In one another way, this is called an illustration because it tells a 'story'.  For portraits that have two to seven heads, this 'energy' should be contained within the portrait's four sides and flow back and forth easily from one image to another. 

Questions, or Concerns?   Please feel free to contact me soon!


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