It was an OMG moment when I rolled the protective packaging off the canvas that had just arrived from London. Here was my sweetheart's furry face on a canvas that was... what was it? It didn't look like an oil painting or an acrylic, water color, or chalk... and it didn't look like a photo, for sure. But what technique made that fur and even the background texture of the rough linen-covered screen so real?
I was totally wowed by the 16 x 20 inch portrait of my Welsh Terrier. It is the work of Photo Canvas, a British custom print company which took my uploaded one-dimensional digital photo of my dog and turned it into wall art that nearly jumps right off the wall, it looks so real.
But it's not just the lightweight polyester cloth Photo Canvas used for the canvas, it's the printing technique - dye sublimation - which produces more diffused imagery as opposed to strict, sharp line imagery. The dye used and the polyester medium go hand in hand to produce rich colors that really stand out - as real!
And I love the way the canvas is mounted on a sustainably-obtained wood stretcher with the photo's continuous design carried all around the edges. You have the option of choosing a solid color for the edges or continuing the photograph around the back of the canvas.
Now, I just ordered a plain portrait, nothing requiring any special photographic technique, such as the likes of a Banksy Style canvas print...
Or a filmstrip montage...
Or even a Che Guevara Pop Art style, perfect for a pet portrait, don't you think?
I'm truly impressed with the work done by Photo Canvas and the speed at which the company turns your order around - a day or two at the max. I'm going to order another portrait of my cat - a panorama of her stretched out in a newspaper. You won't believe the size selection at Photo Canvas - even wall size!
Its sister company, Bags of Love, uses the same techniques as Photo Canvas to make all kinds of unique handbags and other personalized gifts. Why buy a purse with a dog on it when you can buy one with your own dog on it?
The holidays are right around the corner, you know....
sources: Forest Stewardship Council, Dye Sublimation and Specialty Imprinting
