Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers)
Do you mainly do dogs?
Although I tend to specialize in dogs, I’m happy to do a portrait of any pet: cats, rabbits, horses... whatever. (I can do human portraits too but you’d need to contact me for that). In fact, below my Dog Portraits page you will see a page devoted to Cats & Other Animals. And coming soon is one for People & Their Pets.
Do you only work in New York City?
No, I live in New York City, but I will ship to anywhere in the continental U.S. I work from photographs, and through the miracle of the Internet and US mail, I can receive your photos from anywhere too.
Do you only work on paper? What about canvas?
I am now doing oil paintings on canvas as well. My paintings of humans and animals together, for instance, will be done in oil on canvas.
What do you need, in order to do a portrait?
I need a few good photographs. Whatever photograph you send will determine the resulting image. So choose a pose and expression that you want immortalized. Consider especially where the eyes are focused. I can crop a photo and focus on the head (preferred) or I can do a full-body rendering. I prefer to have several related photographs to choose from, in similar positions, including a closeup of the head. And if parts of the animal are cut off in the photo (like only one ear shows), make sure you send me other photos that show the missing parts clearly.
What makes a good photo?
1. The photograph should show the head and face of the animal well.
2. They should show the animal in a pleasing pose that you are happy with.
3. Photos taken in natural light are much better than those taken by flash, especially to avoid "flashbulb eye," as the color and expression of the eyes is most important.
Is the background important?
I prefer to do a general background without specific location or details (unless required). So the background is not that important.
Digital photo or a physical print?
I prefer digital, but either one is fine so long as I can see the details well. If it's a physical print, I will return it to you unharmed with the painting.
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