Never Make Assumptions

It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask

Never make assumptions on what your clients want. A few years ago, I was commissioned to do a portrait of a dog named Harry.

Even though was a simple enough task, I almost made a critical error. I almost forgot my number one rule…never assume what your client wants. Chances are fifty-fifty that what you want and what the client wants are one in the same. Fifty-fifty just isn’t good enough odds for me. Not if I picked the wrong fifty and got stuck making major corrections. So, over the years I adopted the ‘never make assumptions’ rule. Even so, I almost forgot it.

Let me explain…

Harry’s a rescue and has become an integral part of his human family. Every day he waits in one particular chair for his man human to come home. This was the picture I was given…

Harry waiting for his human. (Photo credit: Harry’s human)

The client sent the image to my cell phone. Keep in mind that cell phone cameras from 2016 were less than ideal. The image was small and the resolution wasn’t that great.. When I printed it out large enough for me to keep on my drawing board for reference, I noticed that Harry is squinting one eye.

Instinctively, I would have ‘corrected’ the eye and opened it up so that it would better match the other eye.

My natural process, because I’m right-handed, is to work from the upper left corner down to the lower right corner. So I had some time to contemplate that squinty eye.

Should I correct it or shouldn’t I?

A co-worker who was looking over my shoulder thought that I should keep it the way it was in the photo. I was leaning more towards correcting it. Then I began doubting myself. I decided to contact the client and ask what she wanted.

Thank goodness I did!

Harry’s progress and finished photos. (Art credit: Myra Naito)

She wanted to keep the squinty eye. I was informed that that look happened to be a signature look for Harry.

Far be it from me to correct a signature look!

Admittedly, it does give Harry some character. My assumption would have deleted that signature look and with it, Harry’s character.

So, disaster averted and lesson learned…never make assumptions!

Update: Harry has since crossed the rainbow bridge and I’m willing to bet he’s waiting for his human on the other side with that same squinty eye. RIP Harry!

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