In August 2021, I was commissioned to draw a dog portrait. The customer wanted a portrait 60 x 40 cm, but after seeing the photos she sent me of her dog, I chose a standing format to fit the portrait I envisioned. She left it to me to decide the technique.
The feature image of this post shows the final product, called “Dog portrait 40×60 cm of Destiny”. My goal was to create a lifelike portrait, while enhancing the joyful intensity in Destiny’s eyes and face.
I’ve built the portrait up by first ‘placing’ it on the page in pencil. For me to be able to see what I was doing, I ended up drawing the entire picture in pencil first, before adding colours. As I love the intensity of colour pencils, and the option it gives me for control, layers, and complexity, I chose to colour the portrait using only colour pencils. This also allowed me to ‘build’ the dog’s fur up one hair at a time, and thereby mould the shape of her face and body.
Title: Dog portrait 40×60 cm of Destiny
Medium: Pencil and colour pencil drawing
Size: 40 x 60 cm (15.7 x 23.6 inches)
Would you like to purchase a pet portrait?
Feel free to get in touch with me to discuss the assignment.