Workshop Wednesday

Each week I run a blog series titled Workshop Wednesday. Each Wednesday features either a tutorial by yours truly or another talented artist or artisan, or a snapshot of an artist's creative process. Today's Workshop Wednesday features tips for taking great pet photos" by Allover Art. ;)

When a customer is commissioning a pet portrait pendant or an oil paint pet portrait he or she often asks what photos I need to work from. To help you take better photos of your pets, whether you wish to have a portrait painted based on a photo or you just want a nice photo of your pet for your own use, I've created the "Top Ten Tips for Taking Great Pet Photos".

1) Have a friend or family member, someone that your pet is comfortable with, help you take the photo. It may help to have someone hold your pet in place or to hold a treat or favorite toy over your head while you take the photo.
2) Get as close as possible to your pet. The more detail you capture the better your picture will be.
3) Make sure that your camera is on the highest quality setting.
4) Only use the flash if absolutely necessary. Just like some people have "red eye" in photos, some pets' eyes will "glow".
5) Pay attention to the lighting around your pet. Avoid taking photos in low light so that you don't have to use the flash.
6) Use a favorite toy, treat, or friend to help your pet look in the direction you want.
7) Take photos from many different angles. Sometimes extreme angles can create more interesting photos. Try shooting from above, below, and all sides of your pet.
8) If your pet is a dog, take him or her out for some exercise before taking the photo. This could get rid of extra energy making him or her more likely to listen to you. Also, sometimes when a dog is panting the corners of his or her mouth turn up creating a "smile".
9) Be sure that your pet is in a comfortable environment. Your pet will be on edge and not show it's true personality if it is unhappy or unsure of its surroundings.
10) Finally, take lots and lots of photos! The more photos you have, the more you have to choose from, therefore allowing for the creation of a pet portrait that really captures the spark of your pet's personality.

Enjoy the photo shoot!

New Pet Portrait Pendant

Meet Puddles; an adorable photogenic cat who has now been immortalized in a pendant.

Puddles has been recreated in this original miniature painting which was done with high quality acrylic paints on a wooden tile. The painting was then sealed on every surface, and then received a high-gloss resin finish which gives it a very polished look. The finished effect is similar to that of a heavy glass pendant, but it is actually very lightweight. The pendant features a medium silver-plated aanraku bail securely fastened to the back, and comes with an 18 inch (45.72 cm) beige Chinese silk cord with a lobster claw clasp.

I LOVE doing these pet portrait pendants! Being an animal-lover and owner of two rescue dogs myself, it brings me great joy to create something of such meaning for another.

If you're interested in commissioning your own pet portrait pendant, you can find them here. Have a wonderful day.

Drool-Worthy Handmade Pet Items On Etsy

Etsy has put together a collection of handmade pet-related goodness, and is asking YOU to vote for YOUR favorite! I have been fortunate enough to be included in this "drool-worthy" collection, and would appreciate your vote. The top items will snag a spot in the Etsy gift guides.

My Custom Realistic Portrait Of Your Pet. Hand-Painted Art Pendant Necklace. is the item from my shop that Etsy has chosen to include in this collection. Each original miniature portrait is created with high quality acrylic paints on a wooden tile. The painting is then sealed on every surface, and then receives a high-gloss resin finish which gives it a very polished look. The finished effect is similar to that of a heavy glass pendant, but it is actually very lightweight. The pendant features a medium silver-plated aanraku bail securely fastened to the back, and comes with a black waxed cotton cord with a lobster claw clasp.

So please, vote for me here ----> VOTE!

I would really appreciate it. Have a wonderful day! :)

A Step-By-Step Journey Through The Creation Of A Pet Portrait

I have just completed another commissioned oil paint pet portrait on canvas, and this one I can share with you! In anticipation of sharing what is now one of my favorite portraits, I took photographs of the work in progress from beginning to end so that I could share with you what I do from the moment a client contacts me to the delivery of the painting.

Step One: I am given a photograph, either digital or print, to work from. It is important to keep in mind that the better the photo, the better the portrait. (For tips on taking great pet photos, click here.) The client and I discuss how he or she wants the portrait to look, and I get started. Here's the original photo I had to work from for this portrait.

Step Two: Next I sketch out the portrait on gallery-wrapped canvas with staple-free edges. I usually begin painting the background and lay down a wash of colors for the subjects.
Step Three: I typically leave the faces of my subjects for last, so the next thing I did was paint in the darks and midtones on the bodies, and some of the darks on the faces.
Step Four: Next I worked on the face of the Great Dane on the right, and then continued to add the highlights to the face and the body. In this photo the subject on the right is complete, except for some minor tweaking I always do at the very end. What a good-lookin' dog! ;)
Step Five: Next I worked on the Great Dane on the left. Here he is with all the midtones and darks, and maybe a smidge of highlights on the face. He looks like a zombie dog without all the highlights.
Step Six: Finally, I finish with the highlights on the Great Dane on the left, on both his face and his body. At this point I usually stand back away from the canvas and look at the entire portrait, and then come back and tweak a highlight here and add a shadow there. Then, this is the finished product!
After that, the next step is hopefully meeting a happy client, and giving said ecstatic client his or her portrait. ;) I hope you enjoyed the step-by-step process!

Featured Etsy Seller - Christy's Critters

It's time for another fabulous Etsy seller interview! Meet Christy of Christy's Critters, a fellow pet portrait artist, but in a different medium than my own. ;)

Who are you?

My name is Christina (Christy). My Etsy shop is Christy's Critters (cbarjcrafts).

Where are you located?

I live in a city called Statesville, just north of Charlotte, North Carolina.

What do you do/create?

I work in clay most of the time, creating custom sculptures of people's pets and some of my own original ideas. I also enjoy painting in acrylics, when I have time, which isn't very often anymore.

When did you start creating; how did you start doing what you do?

Like most people who create art, I've been doing something or another most of my life (I'm 30). The clay bug hit me back in 2001, just after the September 11th attacks, when I wanted to do something patriotic and my Mom gave me some polymer clay and an idea she had for a lapel pin. From there it went to making beads, then simple 'critters', and eventually evolved into the animals I make today. I really enjoy sculpting animals due to the 'instant gratification of dimension', which is something I really struggle with on paper and canvas at times.

Where do you create/work?

My FANTASTICALLY FABULOUS and generous Mom has allowed me to turn my old room at her house into an 'art studio' of sorts. It's really made all the difference to have the space to myself and not have to worry about cleaning up everytime I leave. I share my studio space with my ferret. So I guess it's kind of a dual purpose room.

What is your most popular item that you create?

Most popular item? Probably custom ornaments at Christmas.

What do you do when you are not creating/working?

I look after my flock of chickens and ducks, go bird watching, love on my dogs, take photography walks, and read. Oh and surf all the great Etsy shops of course!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I think if I were to share anything else it would be: Never give up on your creative inclinations, you never know where they may lead you! I am a firm believer that everyone is an artist of some sort- you don't have to paint beautiful pictures or sculpt works that would put Michelangelo to shame. If you doubt your artistic abilities, just go hang out with a bunch of 1st graders and see how much enthusiasm they put into their work. It may not be as refined as some aesthetic sensibilities require, but they are most definitely enjoying themselves which is the most important part of creating.


You can also read more about what Christy is up to on her blog. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop! She has so many fun and beautifully created pieces of animal art.

NEW - Fine Art Resin Pendants!

I have broadened my horizons! For several years I have spent all my artistic time creating original oil paintings and pet portraits on canvas, up until a few weeks ago. I am extremely detail oriented in my work, and looooove working on a small scale. I really take great joy in depiciting every single hair in my pet portraits. After seeing the rise in popularity of the Scrabble tile pendant, I decided to put my own twist on it. For those who don't know, the process for creating a Scrabble tile pendant usually consists of an artist or artisan cutting out a piece of paper with a unique design on it, gluing it on a Scrabble tile, putting a resin finish on it, and attaching a bail. Here's an example of a Scrabble tile pendant by fellow NCTriangle Team member scatterbox.

So I decided to create one-of-a-kind fine art resin pendants for Allover Art. For my proccess I take a 1 1/4 inch square wooden tile, and create a unique and original acrylic painting on the front. I paint the back of the tile black and initial it. Once the miniature painting dries, I seal the pendant with a gloss varnish. Once the varnish dries I put a high-gloss resin coating over the painting. Once the resin cures I securely attach a large silver-plated Aanraku bail to the painting, creating a fine art pendant! These pendants are a perfect eye-catching size with saturated colors that will surely get you many compliments. I will be selling these for $15 with either a black or white 18-inch Chinese silk cord to create one-of-a-kind wearble art. I have created about 15 different pendants at the moment and will be listing them in my Etsy shop this week as well as creating a page dedicated to them on my website.


I will also be taking custom orders for your very own special fine art pendant. Keeping in line with my love for pets, I can create a custom fine art pendant with the silouhette of your pet's breed. I already have a Scottie, and several non-specific dog silouettes. I also have several cat silouhettes already painted that are waiting for the resin coating. I also have several Halloween-themes pendants. Each pendant comes gift-wrapped with tissue paper in a tiny box with ribbon. Be sure to check out my Etsy shop every few days as I continue to list different pendants.

My next craft fair/art show will be Hollyfest on Saturday, October 25th from 10am-4pm at Womble Park in Holly Springs. In addition my usual original oil paintings I will have a large number of these pendants on display. I will also have many fine art prints and a few canvas reproductions of some of my original works, as well as different fine art print note card and envelope sets.

It looks like it will be a really fun event! They will have numerous arts and craft vendors, different food vendors, a hay maze, and so much more! I am really looking forward to this event and being outside on such a pleasant fall day. I hope to see you out there. :)

The Top Ten Tips for Taking Great Pet Photos

Although it may seem early, there are many of you that are thinking about gifts for loved ones for the holidays. I'm starting to get more requests for pet portraits, and clients frequently ask what elements should be in the photos they lend me of their pets. To help you take better photos of your pets, I've created the "Top Ten Tips for Taking Great Pet Photos".

1) Have a friend or family member, someone that your pet is comfortable with, help you take the photo. It may help to have someone hold your pet in place or to hold a treat or favorite toy over your head while you take the photo.
2) Get as close as possible to your pet. The more detail you capture the better your picture will be.
3) Make sure that your camera is on the highest quality setting.
4) Only use the flash if absolutely necessary. Just like some people have "red eye" in photos, some pets' eyes will "glow".
5) Pay attention to the lighting around your pet. Avoid taking photos in low light so that you don't have to use the flash.
6) Use a favorite toy, treat, or friend to help your pet look in the direction you want.
7) Take photos from many different angles. Sometimes extreme angles can create more interesting photos. Try shooting from above, below, and all sides of your pet.
8) If your pet is a dog, take him or her out for some exercise before taking the photo. This could get rid of extra energy making him or her more likely to listen to you. Also, sometimes when a dog is panting the corners of his or her mouth turn up creating a "smile".
9) Be sure that your pet is in a comfortable environment. Your pet will be on edge and not show it's true personality if it is unhappy or unsure of its surroundings.
10) Finally, take lots and lots of photos! The more photos you have, the more you have to choose from, therefore allowing for the creation of a pet portrait that really captures the spark of your pet's personality.

Happy picture-taking!