Me and My Dog Christmas Portrait

A dog and owner portrait in this style sets you and your dog together against plain white, both in red Santa hats, drawn in clean flat colour with your two names lettered above in simple capitals.

It is the only piece in this collection with a person in it. You and the dog are drawn in exactly the same graphic style, with no background and nothing else in the frame, so it reads as a single portrait rather than two pictures placed next to each other.

Choosing the photos for a dog and owner portrait

A dog and owner portrait needs two separate photographs — one of you, one of your dog. Photographing yourselves together is not necessary and usually makes both photos worse, because you end up compromising on the best picture of each.

For yours: head and shoulders, facing the camera, decent light, no sunglasses, and nothing sitting on your hairline, because the hat goes there. For your dog: at his eye level, light on the face, both eyes visible. The photo guide covers the pet half properly.

How your dog and owner portrait is made

Both photographs are generated in this style and then individually reviewed and refined by a person before printing. Your dog’s markings and eye colour are matched to his photo, and his muzzle and ear shape returned to him. Your own likeness is reviewed as well — hair, skin tone and face shape — and the two of you are sized and positioned to sit naturally together in one frame.

Both names are set from the fields at checkout, so send exact spellings in the order you want them to appear. A proof comes to you within one to three working days and nothing is printed until you approve it. Revisions are free and unlimited. People are considerably more particular about their own face than their dog’s, which is normal, and there is no limit on asking for changes.

Sizes, framing and finish

Framed, canvas or digital download. Framed prints are 200gsm matte paper in a real pine frame with shatterproof plexiglass, hanging kit included, ready to hang, four to six days after approval. Canvas is slim 2cm stretched cotton-polyester, five to six days. Black framing against the plain white ground is the standard choice here.

Sizes are 8×12, 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches. Two subjects share the frame, so 12×18 or larger is the sensible range. Free tracked shipping on every order. If you would rather it were just the dog, the pet-only styles are in the Christmas and Holidays collection.

Questions about this portrait

Can two people appear in a dog and owner portrait?
Ask in your order notes first. This composition is built for one person and one dog, and you will get an honest answer rather than a guess.

Is this a good gift for someone else?
It can be, but you need a good photo of their face, which is a great deal harder to obtain quietly than a photo of their dog. Old holiday photos and pictures borrowed from a family member are the usual solution. Many people order the pet-only styles instead for exactly this reason.

What if the likeness is not right?
Say so and it is corrected free, as many times as needed. Nothing prints without your approval.

In a dog and owner portrait, can I choose which side the dog sits on?
Yes. Mention it in your order notes and it will be set that way at proof stage. If the proof comes back the wrong way round, it is corrected free like any other revision.

A share of every month’s orders goes back to rescued animals.