Commissioned Pet Portrait

Bittersweet

For those of you who know me, you know commissioned pet portraits are my thing. I draw all kinds of animal portraits, but primarily cats and dogs. Sadly, most of the portraits I’m asked to draw are of fur babies that have already passed on. So, I am touched and honored that people would entrust the commemoration of their beloved furry one to my hands.

Mimi is finally complete. (Photo/Art Credit: Myra Naito)

I finished Mimi, the Shih Tzu just this past week.

I believe she’s still with us and not passed on. But I’m a little embarrassed to admit to how long it took me. But she did take me an extraordinarily long time and I’m grateful for her owner’s patience. If I’m going to make excuses here, I did have an extremely stressful 2019, complete with pronounced benign essential tremor (heightened due to the stress) and a move out of state. Still, I do try to stay on schedule.

In every commissioned pet portrait, I try to capture every last detail. (Photo/Art Credit: Myra Naito)

With each portrait that I do, the person commissioning me provides several close-up photographs to work from. In each case, I have those photos blown way up on my computer screen. I’m looking at individual whiskers and tufts of fur. I’m seeing the details in eye reflections. Yes, I was once able to see the owner taking the photo in the reflection of the cat’s eyes. And yes, I draw it as I see it. And as tiny as that detail was, the owner noticed it and was both thrilled and blown away. You see, she had just lost her kitty and was touched that she was captured in the portrait as well, fittingly in her furry one’s eyes.

So, being that up and personal with each pet, I become a bit attached. I’m both happy to see a portrait come to completion and sad when I have to send it home, as I did with Mimi yesterday. Each portrait is carefully placed between two pieces of cardboard to prevent damage and sent off with a silent prayer that it arrives in one piece. You’d be surprised at some of the packages I’ve received!

How commissioned pet portraits work

If you’re interested in a pet portrait, in seeing my gallery of work and/or in how to take pet portraits for me to work from, please feel free to do so.