Why Are Animal Portraits the Perfect Gift for Animal Lovers?
Amazing and fabulous, animals teach us countless values and can show us the true meaning of "respect" and "love."
For some of us, the bond we form with our animals goes far beyond words. For all these people, animal portraits make the perfect gift for any occasion (birthday, Christmas, etc.)! Here's why…
Drawn Animal Portraits: A Growing Trend
An animal portrait, whether of a wild or domestic animal, can be a photograph or a drawing. Here, we're focusing on the second option.
There are many types of animal portraits that can be:
- sketched in pencil;
- done in charcoal;
- painted on canvas (gouache, watercolor, oil...);
- drawn and colored digitally;
- etc.
Usually, these works are made from a photo, since an animal rarely agrees to pose for hours just for our drawing pleasure!
Today, professional artists offer their skills to create commissioned animal portraits. These animal portraits are unique, totally exclusive works, crafted by the artist to highlight the animal's personality.
7 Good Reasons to Give Animal Portraits to Animal Lovers
Animals are everywhere in our lives. They've entered our homes and our hearts, constantly bringing us happiness and joy. Cat, dog, horse, rabbit, birds… Animals have an important place in our homes, and are often considered full members of the family. Naturally, their owners love to honor them with photo portraits displayed among family pictures.
This is where animal portraits drawn by an artist really shine! They're a unique and original gift idea that's an obvious choice for anyone who loves animals.
An Animal Portrait Is a Truly Touching Gift
For someone who loves their pet unconditionally, an animal portrait is a priceless gift that touches their heart far more than flowers, jewelry, or any other overused idea.
Plus, the originality of the concept makes it a gift that creates surprise, easily outshining other presents.
An Animal Portrait Is an Eternal Gift
Animal portraits are gifts that last a lifetime and stay with their recipients forever.
Proudly displayed in a living room or bedroom, the portrait is a source of pride for its owner, who can't imagine parting with it—just like they can't imagine life without their animal.
A Drawn Portrait Perfectly Highlights the Animal's Personality
The whole point of an animal portrait is that it can be personalized to capture the unique and endearing character of the animal it represents.
Every animal has its own personality. Some are fast, spirited, or independent, while others are calm, docile, or especially affectionate… The diversity of animal behavior is endless, and a portrait is a great way to capture it.
A Drawn Portrait Is Customizable and Therefore Unique
If you want to have animal portraits made by a specialist, you can choose:
- the number of animals represented;
- the accessories included;
- the canvas size;
- the background appearance;
- the scene options;
- the artwork's graphic style;
- the artistic techniques used;
- etc.
With your recommendations, the portrait artist will create a unique work of art for you, just as unique as the subject is to its owner.
Animal Portraits Come in All Styles
Realistic, humorous, caricature, or cartoon… Animal portraits have no limits in terms of style!
Realistic Animal Portraits
Timeless, realism is a style whose popularity never fades. The artist aims to create a perfectly realistic portrait, as detailed and true to the subject as a photograph. Realism offers many customization options, playing with colors and scene to give the work a romantic, tender, nostalgic, contemporary, or dynamic feel… depending on the client's wishes.
Humorous Animal Portraits
You can also opt for a realistic style with a touch of humor.
It's not uncommon to dress the animal in a period costume, a dress, a uniform, or to give it a hat or boots — think of a royal pet portrait — for a truly funny portrait.
Caricature Animal Portraits
Caricature lets you accentuate the subject's physical features, exaggerating traits to show their personality. The subject can definitely be an animal!
Usually with a huge head on a tiny body, caricature is another way to add humor to animal portraits.
Cartoon Animal Portraits
Last but not least: cartoon style!
In an animal portrait, you don't have to stick to realism. A cartoon pet portrait can still capture the animal's personality—maybe even better! Here, stylistic choices are almost endless. From childhood comics to your favorite anime, to cartoons and American comics… Make your four-legged friend the hero of the stories you loved growing up. Cartoon is probably the best way to show all the humor that makes an animal so special!
A Portrait Lets You Immortalize the Animal
When we love an animal, the time we have with them is never enough. Our animals grow and age much too quickly for our liking!
Luckily, an animal portrait lets us immortalize our little companions in the prime of life.
Animal Portraits Bring Comfort When the Animal Is Gone
Loving an animal also means facing immense grief when they pass away. For many of us, that grief is as deep as losing a family member. Our animals live much shorter lives than we do, and the idea of going on without them is extremely painful.
We turn to their portraits—precious objects we cherish as much as the animal they represent, bringing us the comfort of an immortal memory.
Why Do We Love Animals So Much?
"Dogs have neither the divided personality, nor the cruelty of civilized man, nor his spirit of revenge against the restrictions society imposes on him." — Sigmund Freud
Our pets have a superpower: kindness! In the animal kingdom, gratuitous cruelty doesn't exist, except in some monkeys… So, when we think of our animals, it's always with tenderness. They have an innate ability to make us smile.
Those who love animals can't help but be moved and surprised every day by their personalities. They can sense our return before we even walk through the door. Empathetic, they can pick up on our emotions and even try to comfort us. They're very good at bringing us comfort and motivation… Many people even recognize their therapeutic talents.
In short, animal lovers can't stay indifferent to their joy, mischief, or pain… Sometimes, those who love animals are capable of unconditional love for them, while other humans seem unworthy of trust.
Loving an animal is one of life's greatest experiences!
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." — Anatole France
Conclusion
Animal portraits are perfect gifts for animal lovers—provided they're perfectly executed!
Your only requirement is to find an artist talented enough to do your project justice.
To that end, don't hesitate to post an ad on the Cartoonely platform. Your animal portrait project will be handled by a recognized artist, selected by us for their animal portrait skills.