How do I place an order for a pet portrait?

Simply browse the available portrait options on the Pet Portraits page, select the style you want (e.g. acrylic or watercolour), choose any size or customisation options, then click “Add to cart” and complete checkout. After purchase, you can upload a good-quality photo of your pet so the artist captures their likeness.

Do you accept photos from customers or do you need to meet the pet in person?

We work from high-quality photos supplied by you — there’s no need to meet your pet in person. Just upload a clear, well-lit image via our Photo Uploading page so we can reference it when painting.

How long will it take to receive my portrait once I order?

Typically, our hand-painted portraits are completed within a few days after you submit the photo — though turnaround can vary depending on demand. We’ll notify you when your portrait is ready and shipped.

Do you ship pet portraits throughout Melbourne and Australia?

Yes — we ship across Melbourne and to other areas across Australia. Shipping costs (if any) and delivery times will be shown at checkout.

How to Choose the Perfect Photo for a Custom Dog Portrait

04 December 2025Pet Portraits

Whether you’re commissioning a custom dog portrait for the first time — or you’ve done it before — the photo you choose (or take) can make all the difference. A great reference photo often means the difference between a “meh” painting and a portrait that truly captures your dog’s personality, fur texture, and soulful eyes. Here’s how to pick or take a photo that gives your portrait artist exactly what they need.

Why a Good Reference Photo Matters

Details & clarity: For a portrait to look realistic — especially with fur, whiskers, eyes, and subtle color variations — your artist needs a photo with good resolution, clear lighting, and accurate color information. If the photo is blurry, overly dark, or low resolution, details get lost.
Accurate proportions & perspective: Photos taken from odd angles — e.g. from above — may distort your dog’s features when translated into a painting.
Capturing personality: A still, posed “sit-stay” shot might be fine, but a slightly more natural pose — or an expressive moment — helps the portrait reflect your dog’s character.

Because of these reasons, many pet-portrait artists say choosing a good reference photo is the single most important step before even beginning a painting.

What Makes a Perfect Reference Photo

Here are the key criteria to look for when selecting (or taking) a photo for a custom pet portrait:

Good (natural) lighting

Use natural daylight — outdoors or near a large window. Avoid harsh artificial lighting or direct flash, which can wash out fur details or distort colors.
Light that allows for gentle shadows and highlights helps bring out fur texture, depth, and dimension.

Eyes in sharp focus, with both ears/face visible

Eyes are often the “soul” of a portrait — they need to be clear, sharp, well-lit, and expressive.
Ideally both ears and both sides of the face should be visible (unless you plan a side-profile or stylized portrait).

Proper angle & perspective — get down to your dog’s level

Photograph at your dog’s eye level, not from above. This avoids distortion and gives natural, flattering proportions.
If your dog is small or won’t hold still on the ground, consider placing them on a stable higher surface (bench, low table) to achieve eye-level while standing.

Close enough — good framing & composition

The pet should roughly fill the frame (or at least a significant portion), so there’s enough detail for fur, eyes, nose, whiskers, texture.
Avoid overly distant photos where you’ll need to crop heavily — cropping can sometimes reduce resolution and detail needed for painting.

Simple or unobtrusive background

A plain or neutral background helps the artist focus on your pet rather than background distractions.
If the background is too busy, colors blend, or details get lost — which complicates the painting process.

High-resolution / original image file

Whenever possible, use the original image file (straight from the camera/phone), not downloaded, compressed, or saved repeatedly (which reduces quality).
Avoid heavily edited, filtered, or overly stylized photos if you want a realistic portrait; filtered images distort colors and can obscure true fur shades.

Expression & personality — not just a static pose

A slightly “alive” expression — alert ears, gentle tilt of the head, clear eyes — adds personality to a portrait.
Don’t be afraid to take multiple photos — treat or toy in hand can get attention; multiple angles increase the chance of capturing a “keeper.”

How to Take the Ideal Photo for a Dog Portrait — Step-by-Step

If you’re planning to take a fresh photo specifically for your portrait, here’s a quick step-by-step:

Wait for a bright but soft daylight — ideally morning or late afternoon, or use window light indoors.
Position yourself at your dog’s eye level (crouch, lie down, or use a raised surface for small dogs).
Have your dog face toward the light (or have light from the side) — avoid harsh back-lighting or deep shadows.
Focus carefully on the eyes and the face. Make sure the photo is sharp.
Get relatively close, so the face (and ideally chest/upper body) fills a substantial portion of the frame — but not so close as to distort features.
Use a plain or neutral background (garden, wall, simple floor/rug), or otherwise ensure the background doesn’t clash or draw attention away from the pet.
Take multiple photos — from slightly different angles, with different expressions; use treats or toys if needed to get your dog’s attention.
After photoshoot, choose the highest resolution original (not compressed or saved via social media) to send to your portrait artist.

What to Avoid — Common Mistakes That Hurt Portrait Quality

Mistake	Why It’s a Problem
Using a blurry, low-resolution or compressed image	Artist lacks detail (fur texture, eye clarity, color shades) — final portrait can look flat or “muddy.”
Taking photo from above (looking down)	Distorts body proportions, head may appear too large or body unnaturally small.
Shooting in artificial light or with flash	Colors can look unnatural, highlights/shadows exaggerated, fur detail lost.
Cropping too tightly or cutting off ears/tail/important features	Artist loses flexibility — background or parts might need to be imagined or estimated.
Over-editing filters / heavy color manipulation	Distorts true colors, fur shades, and can produce unrealistic results in final art.

Why This Matters for Pawsomeyou Portrait Clients

At Pawsomeyou, we strive to deliver pet portraits that don’t just look “nice” — but truly resemble your dog, with personality, spirit, and realism. A high-quality reference photo gives us the clarity necessary to:

Capture subtle fur tones and texture
Show the sparkle and expression in the eyes
Preserve the correct anatomy, proportions, and charm of your dog
Give you a portrait that feels like your dog, not a generic dog

If you ever have doubts about a photo you want to send — feel free to send us a few options. Sometimes combining details from multiple photos (e.g. ears from one, eyes from another) helps us craft the perfect final piece.

Conclusion

Choosing or taking the right photo is one of the most important steps toward a beautiful, lifelike pet portrait. With a bit of care — good light, proper angle, simple background, and attention to detail — you can provide a reference that brings out your dog’s best features and personality.

If you have any doubts about your photos, or want help deciding which one works best — just reach out! At Pawsomeyou, we’re happy to help you select the perfect photo for painting your pup’s portrait.

Here’s to creating beautiful, lasting memories of your furry friend! 🐶🎨