I Can Paint Your Pet
(updated 5/2/24)
When we think of decorating the walls of our home, we may consider different ideas, but buying framed, mass produced art pieces is probably the most common, whether it be something from Macy’s or a giclee signed print from a limited edition of 2000. But what if you want something more unique, more personal? One choice is photographic wall art, which I have written about before, but another choice is a digital painting of your pet. I can paint your pets to create for a you a unique piece of art of those you love.
Some people think mixed media art paintings are simply filters applied to photographs. Certainly there are oil and watercolor filters that can be bought and applied, but the filters are not customized and the “brush” strokes often don’t match the subject or change color abruptly, and the product does not look like a real oil painting. Below is a lion image I had with the oil paint filter applied, as a whole and a close up.
The first problem you can easily see is that from a distance, the image still looks exactly like a photo, so what is the point of even using the filter? The same ugly fence is there and the same brown grass. These programs can’t fix composition or background problems.
The second problem which you can see in the close up is that the “strokes” applied by the filter make no sense and are nothing like what an artist would do. I used the photoshop oil paint filter to create this, and it is a top of the line program. If this is what we can expect a top program to create with a oil paint filter, you can image what the images are like in other applications. These images also will not print large or well. They are merely meant to be digital fun, not true art.
So what happens when I paint your pets? I create a hand painted image. I use digital brushes to paint the fur, the eyes, et cetera and every part of the background. I create a background that fits your color scheme or a place you love, etc. I can combine images together or create entirely new backgrounds.
The brush strokes are painted in the same way as an artist working with oil or acrylic paints would use them because I have painted in all those mediums. Brushes are selected or created to do what I want. I can blend colors, load new colors, or use a (virtual) dry brush. Different brush sizes and types can be chosen according to need. The colors are selected from digital pallets.
Like other artists, I am free to make the painting into anything I would like, just like an artist working with paints. The pet’s pose can be changed or left the same. I can leave distractions out and add new things in. I can create a new world if that is what is wanted, and it works with my style. The beauty of digital painting for the artist is that there is no clean up afterwards and no worry about where to store paint or even canvases while they dry. The colors of the painting can be customized to complement your decor or your favorite colors.
But what next? You don’t just want a digital image. You want a beautiful piece of art on your walls that is uniquely created for you. After I finish one of these digital painting, I sent it to a pro lab to be printed on high quality canvas. When it is returned to me, I seal it and then add handpainted touches with real paint and varnish. The final art piece has dimension just like an oil painting.
This is a painting I did of my poodle Maggie. It hangs in my studio, printed on canvas and then finished with hand applied paint and varnish.
I painted as a child and then started again as a young adult. The mess and the lack of space became a problem, and I let it go for years. Learning digital painting has given me the opportunity to paint again and to work around a busy schedule. I don’t need to plan for set up and clean up time, so I can paint for half an hour or an hour when I have time and get things done in segments. These paintings, when printed on canvas are difficult to tell apart from a real oil painting. They have beauty and sheen and durability. They are pieces of art that can be enjoyed now and in the future. Of course you can expect to pay more for a painting than for a photograph. Many more hours of work go into the production of these pieces of art.
Our pets are there for us every day. They are always happy to see us, and they never get mad. They give their whole lives to us and we want to remember what a wonderful gift that was and how much joy they brought into our lives. Each dog is unique with its own characteristics and variations in appearance. Why not create an art piece that allows you to celebrate this wonderful part of your life?
More on digital painting: https://www.breathingcolor.com/blog/traditional-vs-digital-painting/
