What is a Caricature? A caricature is a drawing or painting that uses comedic exaggeration and humor while maintaining a likeness of the subject. It is not a traditional realistic portrait. Each illustration is drawn exactly the way we intended. When you purchase a custom caricature from Laughing Dawg Studio, you are purchasing your pet as seen through the eyes of our artist.
What kind of photographs should I submit? We recommend that you provide us with a variety of pictures from different angles. We prefer at least a couple photos of your pet at the pet’s eye level and others from various angles so that we can get the details right. Some of the things we look for are the markings, general color, ear shape, head shape, ear shape and carriage, tail length, muzzle length, etc. Basically what you are doing is sending us pictures of what your pet looks like, then I’m going to use that reference and draw a caricature of what I think your pet looks like. So if your pet always has carries their ears or tail a certain way, make sure that is in at least a couple of the photographs. Multiple pet shots are fine but really more than one or two are not required. I’d rather have good reference of each pet to work from than a bunch of photos that hide the details I am looking for. For multiple pets in one illustration we do recommend one shot of the pets together for purposes of size comparison.
How do I submit photographs of my pet? There are a few of ways to do this. When you order, we a file upload pet photos button in the order form. You can also e-mail Laughing Dawg Studio directly with the photographs as attachments. Finally, you can reply to your order confirmation e-mail with your photographs attached. If the files are too big for e-mail we do have other options to send larger files. We recommend wetransfer, filezilla, or dropbox as a last resort.
What should I consider for the description of my pet? We will try to capture your dogs personality based on your description. In order to do this please consider some of these questions:
Does the pet sit or lounge in a certain way? Are they a head tilter? Do they have a favorite toy? Do they do something you find absolutely cute or something that drives you nuts? What are the relationships between your pets?
Additionally, do you have a certain theme, role, sport, or hobby that you would like them drawn in or doing? The more fun you have with this, the more it feeds our creativity and more fun and personalized your artwork will become.
For multiple pets, how will you draw them? Your pets will be drawn in one drawing, unless you wish them to be in separate illustrations. There is no difference in the cost to draw your pets in one drawing versus two or three. We charge per pet or subject. (exceptions being additional shipping charges, if applicable, and matting and framing options)
What is a rendered background and why does it cost more? A rendered background is one that requires drawing or painting of landscape elements filling the page. It is an added cost due to the amount of time it take to draw trees, buildings, bushes, ponds, clouds and the line.
What about a simple background? A simple background is a gradient or flat color placed behind the caricatured subject. This is included in the price.
What is the turn around time? Generally, our turn around time is 1 to 4 weeks from when the order is placed. Orders are done on a first come, first serve basis. We take whatever time we need to produce your illustration to our standards and satisfaction. When your artwork has been completed, we will send you an invoice for the remaining balance (plus shipping) along with a preview image of the artwork. Keep in mind that certain of the year, especially before Christmas, it is a good idea to order at least a month before to make sure that your order will be processed, paid for, shipped, and received by you before the festivity.
Incomplete orders If a certain part of your order is missing, we will reach out to you with a reminder of whatever we need to process your order. We simply won’t skip your order, but if no response is given in a timely manner we have to move on to the next order. Once your order is complete, it will be added back into our production schedule.
What about revisions? Laughing Dawg Studio prides itself on it’s customer service. If you would like any changes made to your drawing, we include up to 2 revisions in the price. After two revisions an additional fee will be charged. Keep in mind that when you purchase a custom caricature from Laughing Dawg Studio, you are purchasing your pet as seen through the eyes of our artist.
What about a refund? Laughing Dawg Studio holds customer satisfaction as one of our highest priorities. We are always willing to go above and beyond for each and every commission. The $25-per-pet deposit is non-refundable. You will be sent a low resolution watermarked preview picture of your artwork before it’s shipped out. You have this opportunity to review the finished product before you pay the balance. Adjustments and redraws can be discussed at this time. We do not offer refunds on completed custom pet portraits that have been approved and paid in full. However, if your artwork arrives damaged, please contact us right away!
Can I reproduce or print copies of artwork? While you own the original artwork, the artist retains the copyright for each original creation. Because of this, you are not able to reproduce the artwork. You can, however, order additional prints and copies from us directly. If you were needing to reproduce your artwork for any reason, please feel free to contact us so we can accommodate your requests. Please read our Terms and Conditions for more info.
Can I share the artwork on facebook or instagram? Aboslutely! You are free to share your artwork via any social media. However, you may not use the image for profit or commercial use without written consent from the artist.
Please Contact Us with any questions you may have.