Photos
Each Pet Depiction is a one-of-a-kind hand carved portrait. My carved portraits start with your photos. As a pet lover, you probably have a favorite photo that captures your pet\'s personality. For ultimate realism, upload up to three photographs to give me better reference. Please view the Photo Tips section for best results. This is a portrait of your pet. The better the photo, the better the end result. I not only do dog portraits, but I also do cat portraits and horse portraits
Pattern
Your photo is converted into a pattern, which is etched into the basswood. This provides a reference point for me to work from. Careful attention to detail goes into creating the pattern so the result is a custom carved plaque that looks just like your pet. As I carve, the reference lines are removed and I go back many times to redraw them to ensure that the features are in the right place. Once you carve away wood, you can not put it back!
Carving
Your pet\'s features are hand carved around the pattern, adding both depth and dimension. After the detailed shape is carved out, textures are added to give the fur a realistic look. I spend hours carving each portrait so that I capture the unique look of every pet. I want you to see and feel the personality of your pet. The finished carving is then hand sanded and prepped for painting.
Painting
Using advanced color matching skills, your pet\'s face is brought to life in vivid colors using artist grade paints to guarantee a lifelike depiction which will remain beautiful for years to come. Many hours go into the painting process. Often individual hairs are painted one at a time so that every detail of your beloved pet is captured. These are unique dog portraits; the result is more than a portrait, it is a lifelike depiction of your pet. Though them majority of my work is dog portraits, I also do cats, horses as well as any other animal.
