Learn about the westie portrait I created of Sparky the West Highland Terrier completed in oil paint.
As well as pastel pet portraits, I also offer oil painted pet portraits. I am here writing this blog post to tell you all about Sparky, the fantastically named Westie, who's portrait I recently painted in oils. I love dogs with beards, as an owner of a schnauzer and they are lovely to paint in oils as it really suits the medium.
Westie Portrait Oil Painting- Commissioning the portrait
Sparky's owner contacted me wanting a portrait to give as a gift for an upcoming special occasion. Sparky was getting on in age and she really wanted a special portrait as a way to celebrate his life and have something to remember him by when he was no longer around.
We discussed what I need from a photo, when using it to create an oil painted portrait. The photo needs to be clear, in good lighting and a good likeness of your pet. Remember, I don't know what your pet looks like, I am relying on your photos to be able to create a true likeness of your pet!
His owner provided me with a lovely full body photo of him, which fullfiled the brief exactly! We decided to go for a head and neck portrait in an 8x10 inch size in oils.
Once we have decided on photo, all that was left to decide was background colour. His owner liked a portrait I had showed her of my dog Monty, which has a grey background. She decided that was what she would like, so everything was set, I just had to paint him!
Westie Portrait Oil Painting- The Painting!
Sparky was a pleasure to paint. White dogs are not actually completely white, there are lots of other colours in there that we have to bring out. I had a lovely photo to work from, which makes my job much easier. I added in the grey background and made sure to send an update photo to Sparky's owner to check she liked it. Background colours can be changed if needs be!
Westie Portrait- The finished portrait
When Sparky's portrait was booked, I asked his owner if she would like the final portrait to be framed. I create my oil painted pet portraits on canvas panels. These can then be float framed on request. I do like to frame these portraits as it completes the look, and means all you have to do once you receive your pet portrait is hang it up! These classic float frames come in black, white or wood effect so there is a choice to suit any portrait.
If you're interested in booking your own westie portrait, please do get in touch and we can discuss your requirements!
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