So you want a custom pet portrait. You’ve come to the right place! Whether you are wanting a painting of your best buddy, a portrait to give as a gift, or even two pups on one page, there are loads of reasons to want to commemorate your favorite animal. At this point, you are probably thinking… where do I begin? Let’s get chatting.

REFERENCE PHOTOS: The first thing you’ll need when you are deciding to commission a pet portrait is a really great reference photo. There are three key factors that come into place when it comes to a reference photo. It all comes down to good lighting, clear features, and the pose.

For the style of pet portraits that I primarily focus on, it’s important that your pet is either looking directly at the camera, or a profile. If the angle is too high up or too low, it can be distorted which hinders my ability to get the likability of your pet.

The best thing you can do to ensure that your pet is painted as realistically as possible, is for me to see the fur and the features in natural or bright light. A dark or fuzzy photo does not work when it comes to this style of portrait.

When choosing a reference photo of your dog it’s important that I can see the ears, eyes, nose, mouth or tongue… any feature that makes your dog unique. A truly great reference photo showcases all of your dogs features which in turn, means I can showcase them as well. If you’re not sure what a good reference photo is, send a few over to melanie@lemonsandink.com and we can have a chat about which would work best.

TIMELINE: The next thing we’ll need to discuss is timeline. I am typically booked a few months in advance. If you are looking to gift your portrait and time is of the essence please let me know. I will only take on your portrait if I am able to accommodate the timeline.

SIZING: Once we have established the photo and timeline it’ll be time to pick the size of your painting and make your purchase here. You can choose between 5x7, 8x10, 9x12, 10x14 or multiple dogs on one page.

PRICING: Click here for a list of sizing and pricing.

Feel free to reach out with any more questions and I can’t wait to paint your pet!