Turning furry friends into 'Silly Pet Portraits'

"Everyone loves their pets," said Cyd Ruork, a Granville junior.

And everyone loves pictures of their pets. But the graphics design class at WSWHE BOCES is putting a different twist on those companion pics.

"You can see that I used these half-tone dots in there to emphasize like the shadows and stuff and to sort of bring a pop art feel to it," Ruork said.

The class fundraiser was inspired by Hercule Van Wolfwinkle, a pet portrait artist. Here’s how 'Silly Pet Portraits' work – anyone can submit a photo of their pet and then the owner will receive a hand-drawn or printed portrait. The students have artistic freedom.

They can do whatever style they want," Ruork said. "They can do either personal style. They can experiment. You don’t actually find out what your style is going to be until you get the picture, so it’s a really fun surprise.

The money raised will go towards the class sweatshirt, which was designed by senior Aidan Pierre. The financial side of this project has opened the students’ eyes.

The 'Silly Pet Portraits' are a side project for the graphics design students. During class, they work on designing websites, logos and most recently redesigning album covers.