The photo that broke my heart (and what I did about it)
When my dog Suki passed away, I was absolutely devastated.
Suki had been an part of our family for years and her death was out of the blue.
I desperately wanted to draw a portrait of her - something I could keep forever.
But when I went looking through my photos, I realised with a sinking heart that I didn't have as many good ones as I thought.
There was one photo I kept coming back to. It captured her perfectly - her expression, her beautiful silky black fur, everything that made her her. But there were issues with it too. A part of her was obscured. The lighting wasn't ideal.
I wasn't going to let that stop me.
This is where I turned to AI to help fill in some of the gaps - to sharpen areas that were soft and bring in a little more detail where the photo was letting me down.
Suki’s less-than-perfect photo and using AI to create the perfect reference.
With the exception of losing a little of the life in her eye, it worked beautifully. The gaps were filled in and I was able to use a hybrid of Suki's photo and the AI image.
AI is a brilliant tool for enhancing a reference photo. But you have to be very careful - particularly with the eyes.
The eyes are the soul of a pet portrait. They're the thing that makes someone look at your finished piece and feel something. And AI, as clever as it is, doesn't always get eyes right. It can smooth them out, make them generic, strip away the very thing that made it your pet.
So use it as a helper, not a replacement. Let it sharpen the fur, clarify a shape, bring in some light. But trust your own observation - and your love for the subject - when it comes to those eyes.
My other tip? Take as many photos of your pet while you can!
The best reference photo is always one taken in good natural light, at your pet's level, with those eyes in clear focus. So next time you have your camera out, keep that in mind!
And if you only have imperfect photos to work from - like I did with Suki - know that a little AI assistance, used carefully, can help you create something truly special.
Suki’s finished portrait.
