Firstly, Should I Get a Hand-Painted or Digital Portrait of My Pet? | Ordering custom pet portraits can be a big decision for multiple reasons. This is a piece of artwork that will immortalize your pet and you may have it hanging up in your home for years to come. One choice in particular that you will need to make is whether to get a hand-painted or digital portrait. We will be discussing the pros and cons of each option below.
The Hand-Painting Process
An artist who is hand-crafting a portrait will start by sketching a loose outline onto a canvas or other painting surface. They will sketch out the general proportions and add depth to help them visualize the final result. Depending on the artist and style that you chose, their drawing utensil could either be a soft pencil, charcoal, or narrow paintbrushes.
When you place an order for a pet portrait, you will submit a photograph online. The artist will use this photograph as a reference, usually taping it to their canvas to ensure they capture the likeness. If you have requested alterations to the photograph, painting them into a uniform or costume, for example, the artist will use their creative talents to bring this vision to life.
The Digital Art Process
A digital artist will also start the process by creating a sketch. They will use a stylus to draw on a tablet or other digital painting surface. If the artist is working from a photograph, they can use this as a tracing guide to ensure that no details get missed. | Should I Get a Hand-Painted or Digital Portrait of My Pet?
Advantages of Hand-Painted Portraits
Owning a hand-painted portrait of your pet would be a great talking point for your friends, family members, and other visitors. There are advantages to buying this style of artwork, such as:
- Texture – you will be able to feel the different textures of the portrait, making it a more interesting piece.
- Longer-lasting – when an artist uses acrylics to create a portrait, it will last longer than digital artwork if exposed to the same conditions. These pieces are resistant to UV rays, so you will be able to hang them up in a sunny room without having to worry about them fading.
Disadvantages of Hand-Painted Portraits
With all the benefits of owning a hand-painted portrait of your pet, there are downsides as well:
- Potential imperfections – artists who create hand-painted work run the risk of making mistakes that they cannot get rid of. There is always the potential of slight imperfections in the finished product.
- Price – making something by hand is more difficult, time-consuming, and requires more materials than producing the same product digitally. All of these factors lead to an increased price tag.
Advantages of Digital Portraits
Digital art has come a very long way in recent years. Artists can create incredible works of art on a screen. There are many advantages to investing in a digital portrait, such as:
- Easy corrections – if the artist makes a mistake, they can reverse it by using an erase or undo button. This means that there will be no unsightly smudges on the final product.
- Quicker – for most companies, creating digital portraits can happen fairly quickly, assuming that they do not have a backlog of orders. This will lead to you receiving your portrait faster than you would have if it was hand-painted.
Disadvantages of Digital Portraits
For some, the disadvantages of digital artwork outweigh the positives. Some disadvantages may include:
- Less customization – digital artwork will often appear to have very uniform lines and be a replica of the reference photograph. There is less leeway in the area of personalization. With a hand-painted artist, they are more at liberty to add some personalized touches, such as slightly blurring or mixing colors.
- Mass production – digital art companies can produce a great deal of work at a lower cost than traditional artists. Many such companies will take advantage of this, and accept as many orders as they can to optimize their profit. This may mean that your artwork is not receiving the care and attention that it deserves, or it might be more difficult for you to reach out to customer service with any concerns.
Which to Choose?
At the end of the day, it is entirely up to you about which type of artwork to purchase. Either way, you will have a beautiful representation of your pet, for you and your family to admire.
