The best photo is a clear daylight photo of your dog's face at their eye level, with true colours and no filters. Most importantly, it should show your dog exactly as you want them drawn, because I draw what I see.
With a tweak, you pick one of my drawings and I change it to look like your dog. With a bespoke drawing, I draw your dog from scratch. Either way, your photo is my guide to their markings, ear shape, colours, the little details that make them them. Whether it's for a custom pet portrait hoodie, sweatshirt or tee, a good photo makes a big difference.
Not just dogs
I draw cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, horses and all sorts of unusual pets too, and these tips work for all of them. You can even have your dog and cat side by side. I've written "dog" below, but swap in whoever is the star of your house.
Facing forward, at their level
My designs work best with your dog facing forward, looking straight at the camera, so they sit nicely in the drawing. Crouch down so the camera is level with their eyes. Photos taken from above make heads look bigger and legs look shorter, and I can't see their face and chest properly. Tilted heads are very cute but make it harder too, so pick one where their head is nice and straight.
Daylight is your best friend
Bright, natural light shows me their true colours, so take it outside or next to a window. Indoor lights at night turn everything orange, so a cream dog can look ginger and a black dog loses all its detail. Please don't use filters either, I need to see the colours as they really are.
Show me the important bits
If your dog has a white blaze on their chest, a wonky ear or two different coloured eyes, make sure I can see it. A side photo is really helpful if they have markings along their body or back.
Show me exactly what you want
I draw the dog I see in your photo, so the photo needs to show exactly what you want on your Syd. If you'd love your dog smiley with their tongue out, send a smiley photo. If you want their ears up, their fluffy winter coat or their favourite collar, make sure the photo shows it. If they're more of a serious, soulful type, that's lovely too. Just choose the photo that looks how you want them to look.
One great photo beats lots of okay ones
It's tempting to send me every photo on your phone, but dogs can look really different from one photo to the next depending on the light and the angle. When they don't match, I'm left guessing which one is the real them. Pick the one photo that looks most like your dog does in real life, and if you want to add a side photo for markings, make sure it's taken in the same light. You can upload your photo when you order, or send it to me afterwards.
Top tip, add notes to your order
Add notes to your order telling me about any quirks or special features I might miss that you want included. Things like "her left ear flops over" or "he has a grey chin now" really help, especially if the photo doesn't quite show it.
Photos that make it harder
- Blurry or dark photos
- Photos taken from far away
- Your dog asleep or curled up, so I can't see their shape
- Photos with heavy filters or edits
- Tilted heads
What if I only have an old photo?
That's fine, lots of people send me photos of dogs who are no longer with them. Send the clearest one you have and tell me about them in the notes. I'll do my very best and you'll see a preview before anything is printed.
Ready for your own custom pet portrait? Have a look at my custom pet portrait hoodies and custom pet portrait sweatshirts. Not sure whether a tweak or bespoke drawing is right for you? Have a read of every way to personalise your Syd&Co, or browse my drawing sheets.