I like to select a portrait background based on my subject's pose and coloring, and I welcome your suggestions on choosing something appropriate and memorable for your pet. In most cases, I paint the animal first and paint the background in at the end, so you don't have to pick the background right when you order.
For most animal portraits, I recommend very simple backgrounds, such as grass, water, sky or pure color. I prefer a background that will compliment the color of the animal's coat and give the painting a clean, finished appearance. Plain color backgrounds are best for smaller paintings, head-shot portraits, and any painting where you want all the focus to be on your pet.
Here are some examples of plain color backgrounds:
Simple landscape or object backgrounds set your pet into a scene, but feature very little detail so that the star of the portrait is still front and center.
Here are some simple backgrounds:
Detailed backgrounds, such as specific landscape scenes, can make the painting more personal but take some of the focus away from your pet. For detailed backgrounds, you should submit additional photos of the background you would like. The pet doesn't need to be in the background photo, although it does make things much easier. Here are some portraits with detailed backgrounds:
If you have a special background in mind, you can describe it in your order, or send a separate photo. Here are some examples of very detailed backgrounds that require additional charge:
