I’ve drawn and painted since I could hold a crayon, so I decided in high school to mold the hobby I did most of the time into my career. I originally wanted to only do wildlife art, but my love for pets made me want to blend my passions into pet portrait and caricature art. I try to keep a sense of whimsy while applying the realistic touch of a wildlife artist to create unique, one of a kind pet caricatures and portraits.I am currently residing in the US, but I have lived in Norway for a couple of years. I have also travelled to France, the UK and Australia- where I got to meet one of my favourite animals: a cheetah named Nova. I horseback ride frequently and have worked at pet stores caring for a multitude of animals from cockatoos to tarantulas. I even owned an albino pet hedgehog named Brambleburr!
The majority of my art is produced digitally, using painting applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter. I prefer the medium due to it’s quick nature (no drying time!), versatility and ease of cleanup. Digital art also allows your caricature to be printed easily on many items like prints, canvases, bags, mugs, shirts and more!
The process compared to real media is the same: I start with a blank canvas and paint with pixels rather than traditional painting mediums. I only use photos to visually reference your pet. I do not "paint over" photos or manipulate them into the painting- and trust me, the computer does not do most of the work! Sometimes I stream my art live, so you can see the process first hand. Go to my Youtube link to see more.
If you’d like to see more of my artwork, check out my fantasy illustrations at Char Reed Illustration!
