Dog Portraits

I just LOVE dogs! Whatever size, shape or breed, they are all beautiful souls.

I see a dogs personality through their eyes , that ‘look’ that you as an owner knows only too well. This expression is’ to me’ the most important part of a portrait to capture accurately.

When looking for the best choice of medium for your dogs portrait ….I have found that the following usually applies;
If your dog has a dark coat then Oils give excellent depth of colour creating really dramatic results. Breeds like spaniels, labradors & terriers with both rough and smooth fur benefit from this medium. Some examples shown on this page are The Scottish Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chocolate Labrador & also a Bracco Italiano.

Gouache ( Watercolour medium which has a higher opacity ) also gives great results, applied as layers the opacity of the portrait is not as intense but this layered look can generate amazing detail, ideal for long fur, whiskers and healthy wet noses! Perfect for new designer breeds such as the, labradoodle, Goldendoodle, Cockapoo, Cavapoo etc. Gouche Portraits would also suit pedigree breeds such as the Afghan hound, Bearded Collie, Lhasa Apso or The Irish Wolfhound now that would be a fabulous dog to paint!

Graphite pencil is such a versatile medium and will suit any breed of dog. I can produce a vast tonal range through blending along with precise mark making to give a high level of detail to your portrait. Examples shown here are: Bulldog, Border Collie, Springer Spaniel, Schnauzer, Pointer, Chihuahua and Border Terrier. If you like the look of a pencil drawing but prefer to see some colour, I also use Polychromos which can provide both a lovely soft appearance with a high level of detail.