A little on my art process...
I start with a photograph as reference. Initially, I follow the photograph pretty closely when it comes to defining the positive and negative space around a dog's face and body. After the initial image is drawn, there is a lot of intuitive work that goes into working towards the finished product. Sometimes I need to add to the initial silhouette, and other times I need to take parts of the image away. The goal is to create a silhouette that still captures the overall "feeling" of an individual dog - because a silhouette loses a lot of specifics that tend to convey personality, it's my job as the artist to figure out how to get that personality back into the silhouette.
HOW IT WORKS:
I ask that you please provide 4-5 photographs as reference. A variety of angles is helpful! Profiles almost always work, but depending on the dog, 3/4 views or straight on angles may also work. Sometimes I get started with a photo I think will work well and find it won't produce a good silhouette, so I need to start over with a different photo. If you have one image you absolutely want me to use, I will take a crack at it... but please be prepared for me to let you know it just isn't working out! If I'm not feeling successful with any of the photos we started with, I may e-mail you and ask for a few more to try and find just the right photo that will work well.
Please note: if you have a photobucket/flicker account or another web directory that contains all the photos of your dog, feel free to send the link to me if you think it will help - but please do select 4-5 photos you like the most for me to start from first!
Custom silhouettes are currently $25 for 8x10 and I request payment in full upfront. I can print silhouettes larger (11x17) for $30. Please see the refunds and exchanges policy for more information.
REFUNDS & EXCHANGES:
I have been doing illustration and design work for many years, and as such I recognize that sometimes an impasse is reached between artist and buyer. If after several attempts we agree that I am unable to produce an image you are happy with or we cannot find a photo that works well in silhouette or for a LICKtenstein portrait, I will refund 50% of your purchase price. I do retain 50% to cover the costs of the work I have already done while trying to create a successful image for you.