Animal lovers rejoice! There are terrific options for having a portrait of your beloved pet created to proudly display in your home. From do-it-yourself to professional paintings, there’s a portrait option for every budget. Let pet portraits bring the warmth of love and companionship to your home decor. Let me show you how.
• Paintings
For centuries, pet lovers have had traditional portraits made of their furry family members in professional oil paintings. Today, you can still have an oil or acrylic painting done of your pet. The price, unfortunately, can be quite steep – ranging from $100 to $1,000 – depending on the reputation and skill of the artist, as well as the size of the painting.
However, you can have a hand-painted portrait created of your pet for a reasonable price if locate an art student or aspiring artist. Many of these artists are willing to paint portraits to supplement their incomes and their prices can be very reasonable. Check your local community college or art center for leads to artists you can contact to ask about creating a painting for you.
After you locate an artist to paint the portrait, you’ll also have to decide how you’ll want to display it in your home. Paintings on flat canvas or other materials usually need to be mounted before you can display them in your home. Make sure you figure the cost of framing, matting or protective glass into your budget before purchasing.
One final option for a painted portrait is to have your painting done on a gallery-wrapped canvas, which continues the image all the way around a deep canvas frame. Although these canvasses are a little more expensive, they eliminate the need for a frame. In the long run, they can actually be less expensive than mat, glass or frame options.
• Photos
If a painting isn’t in your budget, consider a photo portrait. You can have a professional shoot a picture of your pet, or you can take photos of your own until you get one that would be suited to set out on display.
The advent of digital imaging has made many options available for taking and printing your own pictures. Search the Internet for free software to crop your pictures, enhance the quality or change the size. Then all you have to do is shop your local discount store for a budget-friendly frame to complete the portrait.
You can also turn your photo into a large poster, traditional canvas or gallery-wrapped canvas portrait. Camera stores and online print-on-demand services now offer the ability to convert your photos into professional-looking pieces that rival expert photos and painted pieces.
No matter your style, there are a number of options for having a beautiful portrait created of your beloved pet.