Dalmatian custom pet portrait commission (pastel painting)

I was asked to create a memorial portrait of my client's beloved Dexter as a special present for their. daughter.  I am told she had a special bond with him and they would love to surprise her with a professional portrait of him. Dexter had a goofy and lovable personality which prompted the family to get a second Dalmatian; both are very special!

Sometimes, when a dog has passed on, it can be a challenge to find good quality photos to work from. As professional artists, it is our job to render our subjects as accurately as possible so on occasion, we must use additional reference images to guide us with the details. In this instance, the photo that was to be used for the pose was not very good for several reasons. Firstly, the dog was photographed using a flash which leads to the white fur being over exposed and also resulting in glowing eyes. Important detail is lost and the subject looks flat because of lack of shadows. The second issue with the reference photo is that it is not in focus, so again, important detail is lost. Lastly, the photo was taken too far away so one has to crop the image to show only the head/shoulders which increases digital pixelation and further reducing detail. I really prefer suitable photos as it makes my job so much easier but alas, not all is lost, and here's the proof!

The client is very happy with the results of their portrait!

"Dexter"

Dalmatian Portrait

8"x10"

Soft Pastels

Commission (sold)