I recently finished a painting and am getting ready to start a new one. I have a great idea for the painting and most of the props I need to work from. The pet owner is having me paint a picture of her Lhaso Apso with its favorite toy, but of course in a non-traditional setting. She recently sent me the photos of her dog and I realized I did not explain to her the desirable qualities a good reference photo needs. I pride myself on making the animals in the paintings as close to the real thing as possible, because of this it is really important to have a good photo. The photos that the lady sent me were mainly taken inside, from an ariel view. When I paint my pet portraits the view of the animal is almost always at eye level. Therefore when taking a photo of ones pet it is great to get down at their level when snapping a picture. If you are not a professional photographer which most people aren’t the best way to get a good picture is to take it outside. The colors and tone quality of the photo are much better than photos taken inside. Lastly it is good to have many different poses of your pet. You want to get a good shot of their face and a good shot of their body especially one that shows the pose the pet is going to be painted in. The pictures of the Lhaso were mostly taken while the dog was lying down in a blanket. The folds of the blanket hid most of the dog’s body making it hard to get a good idea of the true subject. The key is, the better the photos the closer the painting will resemble the pet.
Good Photos for Pet Portraits
April 30, 2008 at 1:53 am (Pet Portraits)
Tags: california, good photos, how to paint a pet portrait, los angeles, pet artist, pet portrait artist, Pet Portraits
Inspiration for a Pet Portrait
April 11, 2008 at 8:21 am (Pet Portraits, Traditional Art)
Tags: california, composition, human figure, inspiration, los angeles, oil painting, pet portrait artist, Pet Portraits
The other day I was driving down the street and saw a billboard for a show that had a dark image of an arm coming out of the earth covered in ropey vines. Then the best idea for a pet portrait came into my head. When I started painting, my work primarily consisted of people, which is really easy to find inspiration for settings since many artist paint people and the boundaries have been stretched pretty far to represent the human figure. When I first started painting pet portraits I was a little wary that my individual style might get lost. As time goes by I realize that anything you can do to the human figure you can do to an animal painting. By learning to think this way the paintings have become even more unique since you don’t usually see the household pet in a surreal setting, creating an amusing and interesting composition. So in the future don’t be surprised if you see a pet portrait that might reminds you of that dark image I saw driving down the road.
-Nikky Hughes
Pet Portrait Artist
Los Angeles
For more info, visit my full site at http://www.nikkyhughes.com
Goodbye to “Art”
April 1, 2008 at 9:48 pm (Pet Portraits)
Tags: animal portraits, art in the hills, bird, cat portraits, dog, horse, Nikky Hughes, oil painting, pet art, Pet Portraits
I recently wrote about painting a portrait of my cat Art and his ailing health. Well last week the inevitable happened. We made the decision to put him to sleep. I had spoken with the vet and others who had to euthanize their pet about when do you know it’s time. Most said you would know, boy were they right. You love your pet and when they get sick you worry that they are suffering, but you also don’t want to prematurely end their life if it is still fulfilling to them, but when Art got to the point where he was physically having trouble getting up to eat or potty, I new the time had come. It is definitely one of the saddest things I have had to do. This was the first pet that I had gone through this with as an adult. We had pets when I was little but my mom had always hidden all the sad details about a pets passing making it easier for my young mind to handle.
Now that he is gone, sometimes my mind forgets and I think I see him out of the corner of my eye or I automatically look to his corner where he liked to lay thinking he will be there. I guess these things will lessen with time, but it is nice in the mean time to remember his presence. He was with us for eleven great years and know he will be a part of my heart forever.
Custom Dog Portrait in Oils
March 7, 2008 at 12:34 am (Pet Portraits, Surreal Portraits)
Tags: animal artist, custom animal art, custom art, custom pet painting, dog portrait, Nikky Hughes, Pet Portraits
When painting animal portraits I also take into account the personality of the person the painting is for. The painting of the pug on the lily pad has very little to do with the dog’s likes and dislikes and much more to do with the taste of the owner. The owner loved gardens and had recently been to Hawaii and had a great picture of a water lily garden. I worked on incorporating the picture of the lily pads into a painting including her dog so she had her beloved pet with a background she enjoyed aesthetically.
Commissioned Pet Portraits
March 7, 2008 at 12:23 am (Pet Portraits)
Tags: animal artist, custom animal art, custom art, custom pet painting, dog portrait, Nikky Hughes, Pet Portraits
When I am commissioned to do a pet portrait I gather information about the pet, their likes, dislikes, personality. I also take into account the breed of dog or cat that is being done. For example when I did the painting of the German Shepard the owner wanted a simple painting of his dog outside. Together we decided to paint the dog in profile which fits the nobility of the German Shepard perfectly. Since the background was simpler a sunset sky which has a little more color complemented the painting adding just a little drama, while still letting the dog stand out and be the main focus of the portrait.
Capturing an Animal’s Spirits Through Oil Paint
March 7, 2008 at 12:20 am (Pet Portraits)
Tags: animal artist, cat portraits, custom art, custom pet portraits, dog portraits, Nikky Hughes, Pet Portraits, professional painting
Ask anyone about their pet and they will tell you a story about their unique characteristics using human qualities. That is why I love capturing an animal’s spirits through oil paint. Each custom pet portrait is so different and each one has a hidden life that we have assigned to them fitting their personality. My job is to take those special qualities and turn them into a unique and intriguing painting unlike any you will find, satisfying your heart and your mind.
Art in the Hills : Custom Pet Portrait
March 3, 2008 at 4:57 am (Pet Portraits)
Tags: animal art, animal paintings, cat art, cat paintings, cat portraits, custom art, custom pet portraits, custom portraits, dog artist, Pet Portraits
When I was twenty-three I adopted my first pet as an adult. When I moved into my own place I knew that I needed a furry little creature to keep me company, so I went to my local shelter. There were tons of cats needing homes, how could I decide which pet would be right for me? I started looking through the different rooms of cats, and noticed I had a little shadow following me. I was petting a brown tabby thinking maybe this is the one, but a little brown and white face kept nuzzling my leg and would not leave my side. His name was Heart, he was so sweet it was easy to see how he got his name. So I guess he picked me, there was no way I could leave without taking him with me. He was a big muscular alley cat, so I decided to drop the “HE” in his name and call him Art.
About a year ago I painted a portrait of Art walking through the mountains in a stream. I picked that setting for him because he has always been such an easy going cat, did not mind if you held or picked him up, liked pretty much everyone. It seemed like the perfect peaceful setting for him.
Art is now fifteen years old and is aging fast, and I am not quite sure how long he will be with me. I am glad I was able to paint a pet portrait of him where he is still vibrant and youthful, but also serene which I hope he will be able to experience coming toward the final stage of his life. The portrait will be a constant reminder of all the different aspects of his personality, and all the joy he brought to my life.
