Portraiture has been a part of civilization since ancient times.  Egyptians painted likenesses of their pharaohs on walls, Romans made death masks for funerals, and Greeks constructed lifelike statues. 

During the Renaissance, painting attempted to depict things realistically with the use of perspective and lifelike proportions.  Since then the subject of portraiture has expanded from kings and nobleman to families, in formal and casual settings. 

But these remembrances don’t include only people.  Now they can include pets.  Better yet — feature them.

Lee Crowe always liked drawing animals.  “They have a natural smile.  I like that,” she said.  Before she got her master’s in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she was an animator who worked on such films as “The Little Mermaid” (“mostly King Triton and a little of Sebastian the crab”) and “Brother Bear” (“lots of big bears”). 

She began her formal schooling at LaGrange College.  “Those were my breakthrough drawings.  My own dog kept running around, so I kept drawing.”  As a professor of animation at the Art Institute of Atlanta now, she still sees the importance of learning how to draw a moving target. 

“I take my students to the zoo, and they get frustrated because the animals won’t pose,” she said.  “But I think that’s why my portraits are looser.”

Her venture into pet portraits began as wedding gifts for friends.  Then she did a few for charities for animals —  most recently for a basset hound rescue.  “It’s more fun than writing a check,” she explained. 

When working on a portrait, “it’s nice to meet them if I have the opportunity.”  Generally she begins with a photograph or two and works from that.  And if you have several pets who won’t all sit still together, she recommends sending individual snapshots, and she can draw them as a group.  The photos must be clear and in focus. 

Because of her animation background, she still prefers to draw in colored pencil.  “I feel like I can get detail.”  She also uses a method to prepare the drawing board that makes the colors more vibrant. 

Pets are so special that Crowe thinks “they have an assignment to take care of us.  They are like angels.”  The passing of her own cat inspired her to write a short story for a friend who had lost her pet.  The story was sent around and eventually it landed in front of some editors compiling inspirational stories.  Crowe believes they are “very big spirits in little bodies.  And they are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.”

Like Crowe, photographer Angela Hopper has loved animals since childhood.  When she was young and had to go with her family to someone’s house, she would seek out the animals and not talk to any people.  “Animals never questioned me.”  Before she started kindergarten, her mother volunteered at the local Audubon Society, and Hopper accompanied her.  She was very aware of wildlife, and there “was always some critter I was playing with.”  And she has been taking pictures just as long. 

“When I was little, my dad gave me a camera, and it started then.  By junior year of high school, I knew that was my artistic passion.”  Turned away by the expense of photography, she first pursued an illustration major, but after one photography class, her interest was rekindled.  “I wanted to focus on commercial photography, but I have so many animals, and they were good subjects for practice.”  Now Hopper works as a full-time photographer, and many of her clients are furry and walk on four legs.  

She offers a variety of sessions in her studio or at the pet’s home.  She will even meet clients at locations they perfer.  She does suggest that the animal be familiar with its surroundings before being expected to calm down for a photo shoot. 

“If they want a studio session,” she said, “bring them in for a tour so they can sniff around.  If the animal doesn’t have a good ‘sit’ or ‘stay‚’ I can help with that too.”  She also suggests that clients not make a photo shoot the first thing they do that day.  Take the pet for a walk or play in the yard before asking it to concentrate for a couple of hours. 

Hopper doesn’t limit herself to cats and dogs.  Nothing phases her.  No animal is too weird or out there.  Goldfish, snakes, birds, horses and llamas are all animals she is comfortable with.  “I get to know them, let them know me, sniff my camera and understand that I’m okay.”

Capturing the unique personality of the pet is what she does with each animal.  “Their looks change with their emotions, and that’s what I try to get.  It’s really important to have that memory.” 

Going beyond the individual portrait, Hopper is now offering a documentary session during which she will follow a pet around for a day — as it wakes up, eats, runs in the yard, plays with its toys, naps, and just generally is the pet you love.  The client chooses the images he/she likes best, and they are placed in a high-quality bound book.

Hopper believes that pets are a huge part of our lives, and they deserve to have a quality memory made of them.  “They are our companions.  They give so much to us, the least we can do is have a beautiful picture of them to put on the wall.” 

Steve Schuman began painting on women’s leather goods (that he made), walls, billboards and tables before landing on the canvas.  He cites Van Gogh and cubism as influences, and it shows.  Working in oils and some mixed media (sand, poetry, jewelry, sheet music), Schuman’s works are vibrant, exciting and lively, using the palettes of Braque and Matisse.  His interest in drawing animals began with his own cat. 

“I would sketch her over and over and over.  Then when I met my wife, I drew her dog, and now my kids’ pets.”

Schuman used to work strictly from life, sketching as quickly as possible before the subject moved too much or the light changed.  Now he relies on a good photograph to get the final details. 

“A camera is a good tool to freeze your model,” he said.  When choosing a photograph of an animal for him to use to paint from, Schuman recommends clients “look for the look of love.  Or getting into trouble.  Sometimes it is hard to get them to look right at you.  Of course, my cat just stares at me while I paint like I’m crazy.”  He also suggests finding a photo in which the animals are in their surroundings.  “Capture them when they are being who they are.” 

Schuman happily takes on commissioned works, especially of pets.  “They are the joys of life.  Each animal has a different story, and that’s what I love to tell.”

If you prefer something with a little Old World tradition to it, Nancy Emmerson specializes in oil portrait paintings.   She became interested in art in her early teens and began attending the Atlanta School of Art. 

“I didn’t finish because at the time I was living in a not-so-nice neighborhood, and my father told me if I quit he would take me to Europe.”  She went and didn’t return to painting for several years.  A friend raised dogs and asked her to do a portrait of her pet.  She did and rediscovered her latent talent.  “I found I was good at dogs.  And everyone loves their dog.” 

Usually she has a chance to meet the dogs, but ultimately she works from photographs.  From there she decides whether to do a full body or a head portrait.  “Sometimes I’m not too happy, but perhaps I’m too critical.  I’ve never had a client who didn’t like it.”

In addition to her commissioned works, she donates to pet charities’ fund-raisers and auctions.  Emmerson works out of her home so she doesn’t have a studio.  “I guess I’m too shy to take my things around.” 

Last year she had a client who wanted her dog painted in a costume, and it gave Emmerson the idea to paint other fictional dog portraits, such as a King Charles Spaniel dressed as King Charles.  “Sometimes I get kind of whimsical with things.”

The style of portrait says as much about a pet as does the image itself.   If you’re considering a having a pet portrait done, think about how you would like to remember your friend for the years to come. 

Each of these artists brings a unique twist to the art of portraiture and can help capture your pet’s quirky personality.

 
Resources

Lee Crowe: View her work and contact her at www.myfriendlycrow.com. Crowe is the proud “mother” of two rescued cats.

Angela Hopper: View her work and contact her at www.angelahopperphotography.com.  Her studio is located at 106 W. Gwinnett St., just across Whitaker Street from Forsyth Park.  Hopper’s menagerie consists of three dogs, three cats, two tortoises, an iguana and a rabbit.

Steve Schuman: View his work at www.stevenschuman.com or by calling 756-7753.  Schuman’s family includes five dogs and three cats.

Nancy Emmerson: Make an appointment by calling 224-1559.  Emmerson has a loving cat as her furry companion.