A better photo helps make a better portrait
Providing it's clear to see the whole face and it's not too light or dark, your photo will probably be good enough for me to work from. It sounds obvious, but be sure to use a photo that is a good likeness of the subject. I probably won't meet who I'm painting, so I'll only have the one image to go from, and if the photo is not typical of how they look, then the painting wont be either!
Here are a few tips on the type of photo to choose - or to take yourself.
Get the whole face in shot - not too big, not too small
Good!
No Good
No Good
Make sure you can see ALL the subject's face. If it's of a cat or dog for example, be sure to get the tops of the ears in too if you can. (In fact be sure to get the tops of the ears in even if it's a photo of your grandad!) A good trick for most animals is to make a noise to get their ears to stand up. This works well for cats and particularly horses, who then appear more alert. (It's not so effective with goldfish)
With pets, do you want the whole animal or just the head
Whole animal portrait:
Good!
Whole animal portrait:
No good
Head only:
Good!
With smaller animals such as cats, rabbits and small dogs, you may want a pet portrait of the whole animal. In this case, just be sure that I can see all of them in the shot. Don't hold your pet up to photographed. For a more intimate, regal looking painting, you may elect to have a pet portrait of just the head/face, in which case, that's all I need to work from in a photo.
Make sure the lighting is good
Good!
No Good
No Good
A soft light is best with no harsh shadows. I need to be able to discern subtle changes in tone to be able to paint a convincing portrait - and get a good likeness. Avoid powerful, high contrast lighting (unless you specifically want that effect). Photos taken outdoors are often a good idea, providing the sun hasn't caused the face to be silhouetted.
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Any doubts, just ask... hello@carlrussellart.com or 01525 383707