<p>I don't know any formal artistic composition rules but how I would handle it is by mocking it up with either Adobe Photoshop or Gimp Photo Editing Software.  (Gimp is free).  Put the background in one layer and the dog in another, then scale and move each until it looks good to you.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/TrBmz.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/TrBmz.jpg" alt="Dog On Background in Gimp"></a></p>

<p>Then, just for fun... I apply an oil or watercolor filter to see what the finished product will look like.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Qkiz0.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Qkiz0.jpg" alt="Dog on Background in Gimp Oilified"></a></p>

<p>Then I hire someone with talent because without a computer to do all the hard parts...  I suck at painting!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T15:25:21.863Z
Wow that is so beautiful!!!!! I paint with oil pastels :-) I wish I can double-vote up your answer!
Artie Ladie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T16:24:56.250Z
You are welcome, but I really wasn't recommending a particular layout or scale.  Just describing a method for playing with such factors to find what works for you.  I really do recommend that everyone in artistic creation download gimp and spend a few hours learning how to work with layers.  I have found no better composition tool anywhere.
Henry Taylor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T14:52:38.983Z
2018-08-30T14:52:38.983Z
Henry Taylor
<p>Wish to paint the following dog  on <strong>11" by 14"</strong> paper</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/fRDpY.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fRDpY.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Also wish to use the following background </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kMmkj.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kMmkj.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>What size should dog be? </p>

<p>Specifically I wish the cluster of houses are in the background, to the Left (I can even zoom into the houses), and dog is in the foreground, to the right.</p>

<p>Please help me with this.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T08:36:00.017Z
I don't think this is answerable without knowing *where* in the picture you wish the dog to be (in the '3D' space of the second picture) at the very least.
walrus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T13:17:53.953Z
@walrus I'd like the entire dog to be in the very front, on the right hand side. As if the Dog is at the place and we are taking a photograph. The cluster of houses should be in the back, on the left. Dog can be same size, and scenic photo can be zoomed in.
Artie Ladie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T13:35:55.180Z
Yes, but to know how large to make the dog, you need to know how far away it is in the 3D space represented by the background picture (imagining that you're taking a picture of the background with the dog in), and how large (in real life) the dog is.
walrus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T15:27:35.713Z
Hello @walrus Well, henry-taylor nailed it in his answer. And he even flipped the dog. It looks prettier than I imagined!
Artie Ladie
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-30T15:38:53.870Z
I had assumed that you were asking how to place the dog *in* the other picture, and thus asking how to calculate how big the dog should be *in-situ*, rather than just asking for opinions (which IMHO is off-topic).
walrus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-09T13:09:01.683Z
I'm voting to close this question as it is mostly opinion based.
Vincent.W.
<linear-perspective>
Wish to paint dog in scenic background. What size should dog be?
Artie Ladie
# Wish to paint dog in scenic background. What size should dog be?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-30)

Wish to paint the following dog on **11" by 14"** paper

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/fRDpY.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/fRDpY.png)

Also wish to use the following background

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kMmkj.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kMmkj.jpg)

What size should dog be?

Specifically I wish the cluster of houses are in the background, to the Left (I can even zoom into the houses), and dog is in the foreground, to the right.

Please help me with this.

**Tags:** linear-perspective

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don't think this is answerable without knowing *where* in the picture you wish the dog to be (in the '3D' space of the second picture) at the very least.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I'd like the entire dog to be in the very front, on the right hand side. As if the Dog is at the place and we are taking a photograph. The cluster of houses should be in the back, on the left. Dog can be same size, and scenic photo can be zoomed in.  
> **username_1**: Yes, but to know how large to make the dog, you need to know how far away it is in the 3D space represented by the background picture (imagining that you're taking a picture of the background with the dog in), and how large (in real life) the dog is.  
> **username_0**: Hello @username_1 Well, henry-taylor nailed it in his answer. And he even flipped the dog. It looks prettier than I imagined!  
> **username_1**: I had assumed that you were asking how to place the dog *in* the other picture, and thus asking how to calculate how big the dog should be *in-situ*, rather than just asking for opinions (which IMHO is off-topic).  
> **username_2**: I'm voting to close this question as it is mostly opinion based.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-08-30. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I don't know any formal artistic composition rules but how I would handle it is by mocking it up with either Adobe Photoshop or Gimp Photo Editing Software. (Gimp is free). Put the background in one layer and the dog in another, then scale and move each until it looks good to you.
[![Dog On Background in Gimp](https://i.sstatic.net/TrBmz.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/TrBmz.jpg)

Then, just for fun... I apply an oil or watercolor filter to see what the finished product will look like.
[![Dog on Background in Gimp Oilified](https://i.sstatic.net/Qkiz0.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Qkiz0.jpg)

Then I hire someone with talent because without a computer to do all the hard parts... I suck at painting!

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Wow that is so beautiful!!!!! I paint with oil pastels :-) I wish I can double-vote up your answer!  
> **username_3**: You are welcome, but I really wasn't recommending a particular layout or scale.  Just describing a method for playing with such factors to find what works for you.  I really do recommend that everyone in artistic creation download gimp and spend a few hours learning how to work with layers.  I have found no better composition tool anywhere.  

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