My specialty is portraiture of people, and animals. I also paint still lifes, figurative subjects, and landscapes. And I license images and provide art to serve as illustrations for magazines, etc. And as you have seen from my website I am also a photographer ( portraits, architecture, still life, people studies, animals, etc).

Recently I was contacted by the national #1 dog magazine BARK, and it’s editor. They were looking for a drawing or painting of an older dog. So I submitted some images for review and had one of my paintings chosen to Illustrate the article! Im especially pleased with this recent project as the magazine is truly one of the best out there in it’s category of upscale dog magazines.

This painting was an existing piece of my art. I also provide custom pieces to portrait and illustration clients. The painting of the black lab in the grass that was used for the article is of a client’s dog, named Dolly. And Dolly was as sweet and gentle as her expression in the painting. Unfortunately, Dolly has passed away. And I know her pet parent will never forget her. And those of us who have pets, understand how deep that bond is.

which brings me to another topic,....

1. PHOTO REFERENCE for the PAINTING:
   

2. - Do you have existing photos of your dog that would male a good reference for a painting
   

  -photos should be clear, not blurry

1.   
   

2. -if you are looking to capture the details of the eyes, you need a more close up photo
   

3.   
   

4. -a good artist can render legs or tails that are cropped off in the photo, change backgrounds, remove other unappealing distractions in the photo when painting the original portrait.
   

5.   
   

6. -understand that the photo reference you and the artist decide upon is what the artist is going to paint,
   

7. unless otherwise agreed upon changes are made.
   

8.    
   

9. -the artist will want to work from the perspective that the photo reference provides, ( ex. if the photo is
   

10. shot from an angle looking down on the dog, or if the photo is shot at eye level down on the ground
    

11. with the dog).
    

12. 
    

13. -if you need to take the reference photo, take your dog out into the natural sunlight. Let the sun highlight    their eyes, and fur. And if you can’t get outside, take your dog to the nearest and largest window or glass door, and photograph them in the natural light. (using a flash is ok, but natural sunlight is better).
    

14. 
    

15. -Get them to perk their ears and put on a happy face by trying a few tricks: Have an extra person on hand to help. Take a favorite toy, or favorite treat with you, having them sit and wait for treat ( have helper crinkle treat bag in their hand).. Using a high pitched voice when saying some of their favorite words ( ex. cookie, bye bye, etc.).
    

16.     - If your dog is to hyper to sit still for the photo, take him for a long walk or fast run before shoot. Let    them drink afterwards and stop panting and then start shooting photos.
    

17. 
    

18. -if you don’t have existing photos and don’t want to shoot them yourself than ask the portrait artist you are contacting if they live in your area and if they provide photography. Or you can contact a professional photographer. But you will want to let the photographer know that you are planning on using one of the photos as a reference with your dog portrait artist. ( a copyright release may be needed, be sure to ask)
    

19. 
    

20. -if you have multiple dogs you wish to have them painted together in one portrait, some artist will be able to work from several photos of different pets to create one painting of multiple dogs. But the perspective of each photo will need to be the same. ( ex. eye level, or dogs looking up at the photographer). Unless a montage effect is preferred.
    

21. 
    

22. ...........................................
    

23. PRICING
    

24. -Most portrait artist prices are effected by
    

25.     -number of subjects in the painting
    

26.     -how much of the figure is rendered ( ex.head to shoulders, head to waist, full figure)
    

27.     -overall size of the painting
    

28.     -what type of background detail ( ex. no background, painterly, partial detail, full detail)
    

29.     -what medium is used to create the painting ( ex. charcoal, colored pencil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic
    

30.      paint, oil paint)
    

31.    
    

32.     ( all of these aspects help the artist determine how long it will take to render the painting or drawing of         
    

33.     the portrait. Which will determine final cost)
    

34. 
    

35. -Most portrait artist have clients pay a one half deposit of the total cost of the portrait, upon signing the contract. Typically the final payment will be due prior to shipment of the final portrait. Or at the time of pick up. Clients are typically responsible for shipping insurance, shipping and handling, and packaging costs, which would be in addition to the portrait’s cost.
    

36. 
    

37. - Be sure that the artist uses a portrait contract.
    

38.     -contract should state:
    

39.     -portrait specifics agreed upon ( see list under Pricing).
    

40.     -price, and payment dates.
    

41.     -completion date
    

42.     -any other costs - shipping, packaging, shipping insurance, tax, material fee, prints of original, framing
    

43.      or matting.
    

44.     -both parties names and contact information
    

45.     -description or number of the agreed upon photo reference
    

46.     -as well as any other details specific to that commission
    

47.     -a model release also typically accompanies  a portrait contract
    

48. 
    

49. -Do expect to pay more for an artist who has more credentials, a longer history, and most of all a superior quality of art. You get what you pay for applies in this situation
    

50. 
    

51. (be aware of the artist rules of cancelation of project by client, deposits, delays in completion, etc.)
    

52. .............................
    

53. 
    

54. ARTIST INFORMATION
    

55. -Be sure the artist
    

56.     -has a professional website for you to view samples of their art. (or a portfolio and or brochure)
    

57.         -their art should be consistent in it’s quality and style ( you should be able to tell the artist created
    

58.         each piece.
    

59.     -the artist should have professional information available to you ( past awards, shows, clients, press,
    

60.     education, professional affiliations and other professional experience)
    

61.     -All the artist contact information should be made available to you.
    

62.     -Does the artist accept checks, credit cards, or paypal
    

63.     -Look for an artist who has been in the portrait industry for a while. They will be best suited to offer you
    

64.       the most ideal & predictable experience possible. ( not all artist can paint a true likeness of a person or
    

65.       pet- you need to see previous examples of their portraits. Portraiture is a specialty).
    

66.     -the artist is accustomed to painting from just photos if necessary.
    

67.     -the artist has painted animals and humans before ( depending on your preference).
    

68.     -Does the artist frame the art ( it is not a typical service for artist to provide)
    

69.     -What shipping method does the artist use? What type of packaging and insurance does the artist
    

70.       ship the art with.
    

71.     -How far out is the artist booked with other commissions. ( and do they offer gift certificates)
    

72.     -Be certain your artist has the ability to communicate in an easy to understand and professional
    

73.     manner. This is a good predictor of what your overall experience will be. A professional portrait artist
    

74.     is not an artist who should be flaky or so artsy that you feel they are talking over your head in an
    

75.     artsy manner. They should be managing themselves and their businesses in a professional way. If they
    

76.     are not, it’s a red flag. And you should keep looking for another portrait artist. It’s worth the time
    

77.     investment.
    

78.  
    

79. .....................................
    

80. 
    

81. GENERAL TIPS
    

82. - Even if you don’t plan to have a portrait created in the near future, take lots of photos of your dog or other loved ones NOW. This way you always have photo reference of the different stages of their life, ready and waiting when the moment arrives where you decide to commission that portrait painting or drawing.
    

83. 
    

84. -Try to shoot in out door natural light. Either light coming  through a window, or outside. Dogs can be placed in the direct sunlight or in the shade.
    

85. 
    

86. -Do your research on the artist that best suits your needs.
    

87. 
    

88. -Consider where you would hang the portrait. How much room do you have available for the new art?
    

89. 
    

90. - Look at different mediums, to see what appeals to you most. And find artist who work in those media.
    

91. ( ex. charcoal, colored pencil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic paint, oil paint) And discuss pricing for the different media. Typically oil will be your largest investment, and Charcoal your smallest.
    

92. 
    

93. -Consider having the artist have a print made of the original to give to another family member who would appreciate the gift.
    

94. 
    

95. -Begin thinking about what style of portrait painting you are interested in, realistic, or pop. etc.
    

96. 
    

97. - If you have more than one dog ( or human) that you want a portrait painted of, consider doing one portrait at a time. Spreading the cost out over months or years.
    

98. 
    

99. -Contact your artist early. Try to contact the artist months in advance, as they are often booked months or a year in advance.
    

100. 
     

101. - If you choose an established and talented artist and also choose a more realistic painting style, know that the cost might be more than that of a beginner or a loose non realistic type of art. Realism tends to take longer to create.
     

102.             .........................................................................................................................................
     

103. 
     

104. If you have any questions after reading this article on Commissioning a Dog Portrait, please email me at info@tiffanybeane.com
     

105. 
     

106. And if you would like to discuss placing a commission with me, ( pet or person) please email me or cal me at 217-698-3500.
     

107. Tiffany
     

What to consider when commissioning a dog portrait