Saturday, January 16, 2016

Do you want a painting of your pet? For FREE!

I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse..  So I've never seen The Godfather (Gasp!), but Dear Husband quotes a line similar to this.  Okay, back to my offer...  I will paint your pet for FREE!  That is, if your pet's photo is the one that I have chosen from all photos submitted.  When finished, I will send it to you.  My normal rate for a pet portrait is $500, but you would only have to cover shipping.  It sounds too good to be true...  when do you ever get something for free?
So, why am I doing this?  Wall space, procrastination, and maybe karma.  I will be running out of wall space soon and I have procrastinated on visiting galleries in my new home state (3 years worth of procrastination!).  I also just thought it would be a nice thing to do.

You can see a couple of my paintings with pets by clicking on "pet portraits" under "posts by topic" on the right.

 If you are interested, email 2-3 photos to CathyFitzsimmonsArt@gmail.com.  They should be good quality (I will want to print an 8 x 10 or so to work from), but I can't use professional photos unless you are the professional photographer or you have permission from the photographer.  For best results, follow the tips below...  the first 2 tips are extremely important.  Also, tell me about your pet - their name, age, breed (mixed is just fine!), and a bit about their personality would be nice.

I can't wait to see your furry, feathery, or scaly friends!  Forward this post to friends via email, facebook, twitter, etc. so that they can have a chance to get their pet painted, too!  Or better yet, snap some great pictures of their pet and surprise them with a fabulous gift!

Here are a few tips for taking a good pet photo:

1)  Use natural light - and no, your flash is not natural.  Photograph them outside in the morning or evening...  next to a window also works well.

2)  Get down on their level.  We usually see pets from above, but you get a much better picture if you take photos at your pet's eye level.

3)  Consider your pet's comfort.  Photograph them where they are relaxed and comfortable.

4)  Focus on their eyes.  They are the windows to their soul after all.  That doesn't mean that your pet has to be looking directly at the camera.

5)  Get in close, if you can.  If getting close to your pet will distract them from whatever adorable thing they are doing, then zoom in with your camera.

6)  Consider your pet's personality.  If you have a rambunctious pet, send me a photo where they look alert.  A painting of them yawning just wouldn't capture their nature.

What not to worry about?  The background.  I can make that pile of laundry in the background disappear.  Too bad that's only in the painting!


No comments:

Post a Comment