Author: Tamsin

This is my commissioned portrait of Matthew and his Cockapoo Rusty, created with pastel on Pastelmat. And yes, that shirt was every bit as difficult to draw as it looks!

What a handsome pair Matthew and Rusty are. Rusty is a Cockapoo with many foibles and curious characteristics. He lives with Matthew, his family, and numerous other dogs and animals. Rusty and Matthew have an especially close bond and an understanding of one another that is really special. This is what inspired Matthew’s wife to commission this portrait, which was gifted for Matthew’s birthday.

People and their pets

Although I have drawn a great many people and pets over the years, this was the first time that I have put them together on one page. It has sparked a new range of portraits which I am developing of people with their animals.

There will be some very detailed works like Matthew and Rusty, and some in a looser style. I enjoy the challenges that arise from portraits with multiple subjects, and developing new ways of working with pencil too. Between commissions, I am working on a drawing of a boy with his favourite dog. But as it is a surprise for Christmas I can’t say any more till the New Year.

Commissioning a personal portrait

If you have not commissioned a portrait from me before, you may like an idea of what is involved before taking the next step. So for the curious amongst you I have written a guide to commissions which outlines all you need to know.

Rusty is the second Cockapoo that I have had the pleasure of painting in pastel. The first was another commissioned pastel portrait of a beautiful boy called Mikey.

And then there were Lucca and Coco, two doggy friends who I sketched in charcoal as a part of my Fundraising Success for Help 4 Houndsfundraising project for the dog rescue Help 4 Hounds.

My original Fox pastel portrait has sold, and now it is in it’s new home.

What a wonderful surprise it was to open my email and discover that this pastel painting, from back in 2016, had sold to a collector in Brighton. As someone who loves nature and animals, I really enjoy drawing portraits of British wildlife, as well as animals from further afield.

Fox was discovered by it’s collector through my artist profile on the excellent website Art Gallery SW. An online gallery for artists working in a wide range of disciplines. I have numerous framed originals and limited edition prints available to purchase both through Art Gallery SW or direct from me.

Painting with pastels

Fox was one of my earlier pastel pieces, painted in soft pastel on velour paper. If you aren’t familiar with it, velour paper is a page flocked with tiny fibres, much like Fuzzy Felt boards (do you remember them? I loved Fuzzy Felts as a child). It feels soft to the touch similar to the hair on a peach. The fibres grip the pigment of the pastel which means you can’t smudge the pastel like you would on traditional pastel paper, but rather you blend the colours by layering instead.

Velour paper for pastel

Velour paper was a revolution to me when I first used it. It allowed me to play to my strengths as I love to draw by layering. It was so different to pastels on textured paper which I had tried, then quickly abandoned through frustration, in art lessons in school.

Now I have progressed to Pastelmat as my support of choice, but still enjoy working on velour paper for sketches. And I really value the softness it brings to the picture which you can see in Fox here.

Treat yourself to new art

I have a wide selection of artworks for all budgets available to buy online through Art Gallery SW. There you can browse my work as well as that of a great variety of artists working in a range of disciplines across the South of England.

I am always happy to discuss a commission idea you may have, or provide a list of currently available original portraits or limited edition prints. You can view all my pencil and coloured pencil drawings and my pastel paintings in my gallery. Simply click on any images that catch your eye and you will see if the original, prints or greetings cards are available to buy.

About a year ago I started sketching dogs in charcoal. Sketching isn’t something that I have focussed much on over the years. I have tended to start with the intention to draw quickly, then gotten lost in the details and developing a piece more precisely.

Drawing with charcoal

As I am so familiar with pencils in the form of graphite, coloured pencils and pastel pencils, using a stick of charcoal feels very different indeed. I opted for charcoal sticks rather than charcoal in a pencil form as I wanted to work with a new tool and expand my skill set. A piece of charcoal is a really versatile thing, and as it is an organic item each piece is individual. I enjoy the immediacy of the colour, that I can hone a sharp point, that it erases and smudges easily, and that I can snap it to make different lengths which affects how I hold it and in turn draw with it.

Developing a new artistic style

Learning to sketch with charcoal took a lot of trial and error. A great many pictures ended up in the compost bin. I found that setting myself a time limit helped, at first an hour, then 30 minutes. This time restriction meant that I could not linger too long or get too fussy. My mantra when sketching with charcoal is ‘economy of line’. I find it helps to keep reminding myself to do as much as possible with as few marks as I can.

There is something about the immediacy of sketching in this way that keeps an energy and life in the artwork. And once I found a way of sketching that felt like mine, I practiced a lot, drawing many different breeds of dogs with different coats and characteristics so that I felt confident in my ability to reliably produce a likeness.

There is a vast difference betweeen the carefully selected images that I may choose to work from, and the photographs that can come from the general public. So to be sure that I would ready to accept commissions for my sketches, I asked my followers on Facebook to share photos of their dogs that I could practice with. I had an amazing response and received a wonderful array of images to reference, which built both my skill and my confidence. You can see some of these practice pieces in my previous post Charcoal Dog Sketches for Charity

Supporting Help 4 Hounds

My goal was to develop a new drawing style so that I could offer small, affordable, original artworks and raise money for Help 4 Hounds rescue, who helped to bring the most wonderful dog, Bruno, into my life.

Since then I have sketched a wonderful array of much loved dogs, and thanks to these dog’s people, I have been able to donate £300 to Help 4 Hounds. I am so grateful to each of you who have supported this venture, it continues to be so much fun, and really makes a difference to dogs and people’s lives.

Help 4 Hounds are a small non-profit organisation run by a dedicated group of animal lovers here in the South West. They have connections with other dog rescues across the UK, and a network of fosterers who do the incredible work of housing and caring for vulnerable dogs.

Help 4 Hounds cover the veterinary care costs of the dogs they take in, including vaccinations, neutering, spaying and more involved medical interventions when required. Home checks are always carried out for potential adopters, and they take great care to match people with dogs according to the needs and experiences of all.

As you can imagine this becomes very expensive. In recent years there are a record number of dogs needing new home through no fault of their own, so this work is so important and needs all the support it can get.

Commission a Sketch

If you would like an A5 sketch of a dog you know, I would love to draw them. These sketches are £45, inc P&P (UK) with £20 from each portrait going to Help 4 Hounds to support their rescuing, fostering and rehoming of dogs in need.

Help 4 Hounds have a Facebook page where you can find information about all the dogs who are currently looking for fostering or adoption. Or if you prefer you can email them on [email protected] or call/text 07516 279583

With my latest horse drawing, Poised, I hope to demonstrate what can be achieved when drawing with coloured pencils.

The right tools for the job

When you think of coloured pencil, it may bring back memories of colouring in as a child. I distinctly remember trying to blend a yellow and a red pencil to colour in a fox when I was young, it was not at all successful! I quickly became frustrated with the way the colours almost repelled one another, and lay sperately on the page with no ability to blend. What I didn’t learn till well into adulthood, is that coloured pencil can be a very versatile medium, and professional results are absoutely possible with it. I discovered the most crucial element in terms of the tools is the pencils themselves. Simply put, you get what you pay for. There are numerous brands on the market, and each artist has their favourites, mine being Polychromos by Faber Castell.

Drawing Poised step by step

The stages of the artwork’s progression that you see here show the layering of many colours. I enjoy a slow approach to drawing, having learned over the years to temper my desire to get on with the details straight away. When I am studying a subject to draw them, I try to peel back the layers in my mind’s eye, almost like stripping back layers of paint from a wall to discover what went before. This approach helps me understand how the form of the subject is definbed by the tones and the hues, and allows me to develop a deeper understanding of the portrait that I am creating.

You can see close ups of the details in Poised in my blog post Poised – Dressage horse coloured pencil portrait

Poised is a study of both the relationship between horse and rider in dressage, and of the horse itself. Working together in unison to create something beautiful, the strength and poise is remarkable to watch. Portraiture for me is about the feelings evoked in an artwork, and the emotional connection we as the viewer have with the subject.

Equestrian portraits

Growing up in Cornwall, I have always been close to horses. Not in a riding and hands on way, as much as watching them over hedges or petting them at field gates. I have an early memory of a huge brown horse that lived on a farm at the end of my road, I would climb up the gate to stroke his velvet ears whilst my Mum popped to the corner shop, I always felt as if he was looking after me. I love to sketch horses when walking in the countryside, and to draw studies like Poised when back in my studio.

The first full colour equestrian portrait I drew with coloured pencil was Dancer. This commissioned portrait of a very handsome and independent horse taught me so much, and still hangs in the home of Dancer’s family, whilst he is happily spending his retirement from show jumping with his best friend, in a Cornish field in a village not far from me.

Coloured pencil portraiture

Of the three mediums I work in, pencil, coloured pencil and pastel, coloured pencil is the most technically challenging. It requires a very patient approach, and an ability to study the image and identify the foundation colours upon which everything will be built. This creates great depth in the drawing, and blends many colours to create the richness and complexity you see here in Poised.

In these close up images you can see the interplay of colours, and the texture of the drawing, which brings life to the image and make you feel as if you could reach out and stroke that soft, warm muzzle.

I share the stages of creating Poised in Poised – drawing a horse in coloured pencil.

I believe we each have a responsibility to look after our shared environment to the best of our abilities. This conviction has a big impact on my business appproach, as sustainability has long been at the heart of how I live. I apply my principles to how I create my artwork, how I package and deliver my pieces, and the businesses that I trade with.

Materials with minimal waste

I like a simple approach to life, focussing on the small things, which makes pencil and pastel drawing a very good fit. I started drawing with a tin of pencils that I had been gifted, and soon realised that of these 12 I actually used very few. So now my pencil case contains just four pencils, with which I draw all of my graphite work. These pencils are mechanical so I use refills when the pencil lead wears down, and have only replaced one of these refill packs once in the last 20 years.

Recycled and compostable packaging

When wrapping an artwork to be delivered to either a client or an exhibition, I always use repurposed packaging. This takes the form of reusing bubble wrap and cardboard from deliveries I have received, and I will seal the packaging with paper tape which is both compostable and recyclable.

Plastic free portraiture

My greetings cards are plastic free, and the cellophane that wraps and protects my unframed portraits is biodegradable and home compostable.

Supporting independent art businesses

As a business owner myself, I appreciate the importance of supporting our independents, and when possible local traders also.

My fine art prints, framing, and printing of promotional materials are always provided by fellow small Cornish businesses. Not only does this support my local economy, but the service is personal and the quality unsurpassed.

This website and my branding was created and is hosted by a Cornish design company with a conscience, leading the way in having an ethical digital presence.

I highly recommend Stable Art, St Austell Printing Company, Ridgeline Studio, Cult Pens and Jackson’s Art Supplies to my fellow creatives and those who are keen to make conscious decisions with their shopping and supply chains.

Vegan art

As a vegan myself, I use art materials which are vegan friendly. When not in my art studio, I love to be in my garden tending to my flowers, fruit and vegetables. My good fortune in having a space where I can grow food brings me great pleasure. It nourishes me in many ways, and has enabled me to connect with my local community as I share seeds, plants, tips and conversation with passers by.

By focussing on sustainability in my every day life I have enriched my days in so many ways. I am excited to be able to share some of the ways of lower impact living with others too.

Ivy is beautiful little Pug whom I had the good fortune to be commissioned to draw. Here you can see the six stages of my portrait of Ivy in pastel.

After discussion with the client, I chose pastel for Ivy’s portrait. Pastel suits animal art very well as it takes on a creaminess on the page which replicates the softness of the fur, whilst also allowing for a lot of precision. Detail is essential to my work’s realism, and to capturing aa true likeness of the subject.

Bringing Ivy to life on the page

In these work in progress images, you can see in the earliest stages how patchy the pastel is on the page. This is because the paper has a texture. The high points hold the pigment first as the pastel is moved across the page. I initially block in the main shapes, determining the composition, and shade with both blocks of pastel and pastel pencils.

As an artwork develops I will refine both the colours and shapes in the drawing, and my techniques for applying the pastel. By working from the broadest strokes to the smallest marks, I can build from stroing foundations to the finishing touches most efficiently. Inevitably in any artwork I make numerous changes as I go along, as the longer you look the more you see. Observation is a skill I have honed over many years. Hours of study is the very best way to truly see, and in turn replicate and represent on the drawing board.

Let me introduce you to Ivy, in her commissioned pastel portrait.

Ivy is my first Pug portrait. I always find that you think you know what someone looks like till you start drawing, and then you realise how much you had assumed. There is a big difference between a drawing of a pug, and a drawing of Ivy the pug. Portraiture is all about observation, really getting to know the individual quirks of your subject.

A special birthday gift

Ivy is the beloved friend of a young woman whom she is extremely bonded with. This portrait was commissioned as a gift from a mother to her daughter for her 21st birthday. Ivy’s owner is truly passionate and extremely knowledgeable about animals. This portrait was the perfect present for her, and will be treasured for many years to come.

Ivy is a small dog who is bursting with personality. She loves to tuck herself into this cubby hole, and can often be found watching the world go by from her little den. She may have a serious expression but don’t be fooled, Ivy is a little powerhouse of fun!

Drawing a Pug in pastel

Pastel is a gorgeous medium to work in, and one I will often consider for pet portraits. As the layers build on the page it takes on a creaminess more similar to oil paint, rather than what we may think of from the dusty chalkiness of pastel. This process is aided by the paper I use, Pastelmat, which allows me to apply lots of colours blended for a foundation, then details on the top of this.

I share the progress of Ivy’s portrait in Drawing a Pug portrait in pastel so you can see how it developed from a rough sketch to the finished artwork.

The way a portrait makes you feel is every bit as important as how it looks. This is key to a successful commission, capturing the personalities of my subjects and evoking emotions in my drawings.

Lula (left) and Bonnie are two very different dogs, and you see that in their portraits – Lula is majestic and Bonnie is gregarious. When I was approached by my client he referenced an earlier portrait I drew, Koda, as that was his inspiration for his commission. He wanted the portraits of Lula and Bonnie to feel like Koda’s, with that same attention to detail and almost sculptural feel to every curl.

We spent a long time discussing his dogs, their natures and quirks, and viewing photographs of them both. Many of the images he shared were family snapshots of Lula and Bonnie just living their best lives. Not pictures I could work from directly as an artist, but character references which allowed me to feel as if I knew them. This process was so helpful in informing my work, and as a collaboration between myself and the family, we knew that the decisions made were well informed and considered. The portraits were to be gifted to the client’s wife, and they took on extra significance as Lula had recently passed away and Bonnie was undergoing treatment for a serious health condition. Our dogs are our family, and their importance cannot be understated.

The words of Lula and Bonnie’s human beautifully convey what this most thoughtful gift means to her:

‘A HUGE thank you for the most beautiful portraits that you did of Lula and Bonnie…They really are wonderful and particularly with Lula you have captured so much of her personality and what made her such a beautiful, constant and faithful friend…the one of Bonnie too definitely captures her mischievous and cheeky side and what makes Bonnie Bonnie!!. What an incredible skill you have and how precious these are to us all. As soon as they are framed they will take pride of place on my study wall and will always be such a special reminder of how precious our two pups have been.

It is a special kind of joy when I discover that a portrait I created just because I loved it, has sold to someone who also feels the same way. Bonny Miss Bonnie is one such piece, and she has headed off to live with an animal lover on the south coast of England. I am sure she will enjoy her new home by the sea.

I am a member of an online group where photographers share their pictures for artists to use as inspiration for their work. This sort of community is, for me, one of the best parts of the internet. These connections that are created between strangers bring such pleasure to artists and photographers alike. We are united through creativity, sharing how differently we each see the world through our individual interpretations of the same images.

Miss Bonnie, the star of my pastel portrait, is a character who I have been enjoying vicariously for years. Her owner has been sharing photos of Miss Bonnie living her best life, smiling all the way, and she always makes my heart sing. This pose in particular was irresistable for me, I love the way she appears from the side of the page and the enthusiasm and energy she brings.

When I was invited by Artists and Illustrators to be featured in their magazine, it was Bonny Miss Bonnie who caught the editor’s eye and became the cover star. Seeing her smiling back at me from the shelves in my local newsagents was a wonderful moment. I shared it with Miss Bonnie’s owner, who was so delighted that she rushed out and bought a copy of A&I to be framed and hung on her wall at home.

Connections such as these are welcome reminders for me that the small acts can have far reaching consequences, one photo and one drawing can make countless people’s days brighter, and who doesn’t want more beaming smiles in their days?