As stated on my commissions page – the best reference photos are often taken outside in a shaded area with natural light, at the same height as your pet, with the subject looking directly at/close to the camera, and sat/stood still. Try to get up close, but keep the subject totally in frame.
When emailing any potential reference images to me, please ensure you send them at “actual size”, this ensures the quality of all those important details.
A good judge of a useable reference image is if you can zoom in on an eye and see the highlights/reflections, if the image blurs/pixelates, it most likely will not be useable.
Screenshots and Instagram photos, as well as edited images are often unsuitable.
Feel free to send as many images as you like, I’m here to help and advise and make sure the final portrait is the best it can be – and that starts with your pictures!
QUICK RECAP
- TAKE PHOTO OUTSIDE IN DAYLIGHT BUT A SHADED AREA
- TAKEN AT THE SAME HEIGHT AS YOUR PET
- GET UP CLOSE
- WHEN YOU ZOOM IN, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE INDIVIDUAL HAIRS/REFLECTIONS IN THE EYES
Below is a picture I took on my iPhone 6s+ to use as a reference for my drawing of the gorgeous Jasper!
