Posts Tagged: custom dog portrait
Custom Pet Portrait Progression: Grendel
I thought it might be interesting to put together a series of images to show the progression of my recent portrait of my Papillon, Grendel, so you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating a custom pet portrait.
This post is a little on the long side, but don’t worry–it’s mostly pictures!
This is the reference photo I as working from.
And here’s the initial drawing, all ready to go.
I started with Grendel’s tail and worked up his back toward his head, so I could work with the way the fur overlaps.
Then I worked on the white part of his face and filled in his eyes and nose.
I didn’t like how the darker area under his nose looked, so I lightened it up then moved on to the mouth.
Working on the ears. This little guy has a lot of ear!
Filling in the brown areas of his face. Now it’s really looking like Grendel!
He’s almost done. Now it’s time to start on the background.
Building up the background. I find green and blue make good background colors for many of my portraits. They provide a nice color contrast that allows the pet to show up well and look natural.
I didn’t like the unevenness in the background color between the left and right side, so I tweaked it. One of the great things about this medium is that you can always add another layer on top.
All done, and it looks fantastic!
Would you like a custom portrait of your own pet? You can check out the process here or email me at tamara@tamarajaeger.com with any questions!
Want to keep updated and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a totally FREE digital download of a tiger linocut print. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)
New Artwork: “Grendel” Custom Dog Portrait
I took advantage of having a bit of time in my schedule to make a custom portrait of my own dog! Generally, I spend my working on artwork for other people but I decided that I wanted a portrait for myself too!
This piece is actually considerably larger than the portraits I usually make—it’s 17”x14”—so it took quite a bit longer to complete! The nice thing about the larger size is that it makes it easier to get finer detail than in the smaller sizes.
I’m really pleased with how it turned out—it really captures the energy and enthusiasm that Grendel gives to everything!
Would you like a custom portrait of your own pet? You can check out the process here or email me at tamara@tamarajaeger.com with any questions!
Want to keep updated and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a totally FREE digital download of a tiger linocut print. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)
Custom Pet Portrait Progression: Hope
Several weeks ago, I wrote about my custom pet portrait of Hope, here. I thought it might be interesting to put together a series of images to show the progression of the piece, so you can get a feel for how a portrait evolves as I work on it.
This post is a little on the long side, but don’t worry–it’s mostly pictures!
I didn’t remember to take a photo of just the drawing before I started working on the collage. I guess I was too excited to get started!
I find that I don’t really start in the same spot for my collages. For Hope, I actually started with her Service Dog vest.
I then worked on her face and started on the chest.
It’s helpful to work on areas in the order of how the fur lies so that the pieces overlap in a way that looks more realistic and fur-like.
After I finished her chest, I went back and worked on her head.
Filling in the rest of the body.
Starting in on the background.
I find it helpful to take progress photos because it makes it easier to spot areas that don’t look quite right. I decided that didn’t like the darker blue flecks here so I covered them up.
Then I decided I didn’t like the contrast between the dark and light blue. Sometimes the background is the hardest part of the piece!
All done, and it looks fantastic!
And finally, here’s Hope posing with her portrait.
Would you like a custom portrait of your own pet? You can check out the process here or email me at tamara@tamarajaeger.com with any questions!
Want to keep updated and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a totally FREE digital download of a tiger linocut print. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)
Hope: Custom Dog Portrait
This is Hope, an Australian Shepherd, and she’s a very special dog. As you can see from the portrait, she’s a service dog and she makes her owner’s life so much easier every day. Hope was the one of the first service dogs trained specifically for cluster headaches!
Like other service animals, Hope also spends time “off duty,” but this portrait is intended to commemorate the selfless service she performs daily at her job.
Would you like a custom portrait of your own pet? They make a great pet memorial or gift! You can check out the process here or email me at tamara@tamarajaeger.com. I’m happy to answer any questions you have!
Want to keep updated and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a totally FREE digital download of a tiger linocut print. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)
“Ranger” Custom Dog Pet Portrait
Ranger was a mixed breed dog that was taken in as a stray by some of my neighbors many years ago. I only met Ranger a few years ago when I moved to my current house in Ohio. He was a really nice dog who put up with my over-the-top Grendel’s antics on an almost daily basis.
Grendel and Ranger used to go for walks together frequently and Grendel was always looking to see if Ranger was outside whenever we passed his house. Ranger eventually lost most of his sight but he would usually still go around the block if Grendel was there to help guide him.
Sadly, Ranger passed away earlier this year at roughly 17 years old, but I’m pleased that his owners not only had a chance to enjoy the portrait while he was alive, but also that they still have something special to remember him by.
Would you like a custom portrait of your own pet? They also make a great pet memorial or gift! You can check out the process here or email me at tamara@tamarajaeger.com. I’m happy to answer any questions you have!
Want to keep updated and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a totally FREE digital download of a tiger linocut print. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)
Grendel: Custom Papillon Dog Pet Portrait
This is a custom pet portrait I created of a Papillon dog. Grendel is actually my dog, but the portrait was for my sister, who was his breeder and hand-raised him as a puppy (Grendel’s mother was…not very maternal so he had to be bottle-fed).
This portrait was intended to go with a pair of pet portraits I previously made of my sister’s two Papillons, Emmie and Windi. The intent was to create a piece that visually went well with the other two portraits while still expressing Grendel’s unique personality. I enjoyed the challenge of creating a piece that felt harmonious when paired with two other pieces that were created several years earlier.
Would you like a custom portrait of your own pet? You can check out the process here or email me at tamara@tamarajaeger.com with any questions!
Want to keep updated and see more of what I’m working on? Sign up for my mailing list here and get a totally FREE digital download of a tiger linocut print. (I promise not to be spammy with my emails—I hate that too!)
New Artwork: “Hope” Custom Pet Portrait
This is Hope, my latest torn paper collage custom pet portrait. Hope is a very special dog. As you can see from the portrait, she’s a service dog and she makes her owner’s life so much easier every day. Like other service animals, Hope also spends time “off duty,” but this portrait is intended to commemorate the selfless service she performs daily at her job.
Would you like a custom portrait of your own pet? You can check out the process here or email me with any questions!