Custom Pet Portraits
In this article we look at some of the custom pet portraits painted by Lorraine Gray. It’s clear that most of us have a very deep connection to our pets. They lead much shorter lives than we do and we never really forget them and their personalities. A hand painted custom pet portrait is a popular way for many people to remember and honour our pets.
Custom Pet Portraits UK
Lorraine Gray is based in Berkshire. Her pet portraits website is mainly targeted to the UK audience which makes up most of her commissions. She does however receive overseas commissions from time to time, particularly from America. Her speciality is pet portraits in pastels, though she does also work in oils. With experience built up over many years she has settled on the paper and materials which she feels gives her pet portraits a truly lifelike quality. The depiction of fur and the pet’s eyes are often the things people comment on the most.
Lorraine produces the pet portraits from photos that are provided by the client. These photos can be physical prints or digital photos sent by email. Often the portrait is purchased as a gift. Pet portraits can make wonderful Christmas or birthday gifts. If the gift giver is unsure which pose to pick or has a very limited selection of photos to use they often buy a gift certificate from Lorraine. This then allows the pet owner to have a greater input into the final pet painting.
The finished pet portrait can be supplied either framed or unframed. Framing is a very important part of the process. Frame colours, widths and materials can be incredibly varied. The frame not only impacts on the portrait itself but also the decor and furnishings of the room where the portrait will be hung.
Dog Portraits
The vast majority of Lorraine’s commissions are dog portraits. The pet owner is encouraged to send a photo that best represents the personality of the dog. Sometimes this is a full body image and sometimes just a head shot. Other photos can be sent, for instance close ups to help Lorraine with the eyes, fur colour and other details.
The quality of the photos sent can have a huge impact on the final pet portrait. It’s worth taking the time to learn about how to take photos of our pets. Once our pets pass away the photos are often the most tangible reminders we have of them.
The dog portrait below is a good example of the quality of the work produced.
Cat Portraits
Cat portraits are also quite a popular request. Lorraine has seen an increase recently in the number of cat portrait commissions and pet portrait commissions generally. A combination of very keen pricing and an improvement in search engine ranking has resulted in a spike in orders. When compared to some competitors her quality and prices stand up incredibly well.
I’ve known Lorraine for a couple of years now. Being a keen photographer myself I’ve always commented that the photos of her work didn’t really do her art justice. If I lived closer to Lorraine I would offer to photograph all her work. In recent months however she has changed her camera phone and is making extra effort to photograph her work properly. This will in turn no doubt help sales even more and improve the impression customers get when they visit her website.
The image below is a more recent example of one of her cat portrait commissions. It’s a good representation of the way she is able to represent animal fur and I particularly like the eyes in this image as well.
Horse Portraits
Though not as popular as dog or cat portraits, Lorraine does receive horse portrait commissions. Being such large animals, horse portraits that show the entire horse tend to work better if they are painted in one of the larger sizes that Lorraine offers. Many customers though tend to order a head study. Head studies are also popular with those who want to feature more than one horse in the same portrait. The image below is an example of a horse portrait Lorraine has previously painted.
If you like the quality of these portraits you might want to visit her website to see more examples or follow her on social media. There are lots of pet portrait painters available to suit every type of buyer and budget. Some specialise in pets in uniforms and others in simple pencil portraits. If you are looking for realism and a lifelike custom pet portrait I think Lorraine should be on your shortlist for consideration.
