Let me show you how I approached drawing Vivian, a pet Pomeranian’s portrait in coloured pencil.
This was a commissioned portrait, and my first Pomeranian and indeed the first time I have drawn a dog with such long hair. I share more about this commission in my sketchbook post Vivian – Commissioned coloured pencil pet portrait
Coloured pencil for a fine art portrait
Coloured pencil is very popular amongst those who draw, but not well known as a fine art medium by the general public. It can be associated with childhood as we remember colouring in, whereas painting is more often brought to mind for professional artists. However I have been working in coloured pencil for many years now, and love it for its vibrancy, versatility and precision.
I always use professional grade materials for my portraiture, and I favour Polychromos coloured pencils by Faber Castell. I draw on a 100% cotton fine art paper called Stonehenge, made by Legion paper. You can see the textures that can be created and the details that are available in these close up images of Vivian’s portrait.
Drawing a portrait from photographs
There were particular challenges with Vivian’s portrait, as the reference images available to me were not ideal. The photos were lovely snapshots showing her personality, but were not taken close enough to the dog to capture any real detail. I will always work the best I can with the images that I am sent, as I appreciate that for numerous reasons a perfect photo simply may not be available. At times like this collaborating with the client is crucial. They have an image in their mind of what they would like me to create, and together we can help make that a reality.
Vivian’s portrait – stages one to three
I feel that with this portrait I was being rather tentative for a long time. Coloured pencil is not easy to erase once on the page, so I am mindful of not drawing too much too soon. I work by blocking in the rough shapes initially in light tones. Once these are in place I gradually layer more pencil as I become sure of the placement of shadows and highlights.
In these early layers I was also working out which colours to blend. I rarely do much in the way of preparatory colour work, as I prefer to explore on the portrait itself.
Vivian comes to life in stages four to six
By stage four I am more confident in my rendering of her features, so I begin building the darker shades. This is always a turning poing in any artwork, as the dark values bring depth and the opportunity for increased contrast.
You may notice on stage five that the warmer colours look paler now. I have not lightened them, rather this is the result of more darks across the portrait affecting how we see the colours on the page. It is something that as an artist I am always very mindful of. The more you draw, the more each colour and tone alters our perception of the rest. This is in part why I never feel that one area is completed till I am almost wholly finished, as everything relies on everything else for context.
Trusting the process
It took me some time to get into my stride when drawing Vivian. This is not to say I did not enjoy it, quite the opposite. She was a delight of a subject to draw. Just that the textures and details were challlenging, and I was doubting myself for quite some time. However I have been drawing for long enough to know that not every portrait gives up it’s secrets easily. I trust the process and my experience as an artist. Sooner or later it always comes good.
More pet dog portraits shown step by step
If you enjoyed this post, you might like to see the development of two other dog portraits. We have Ivy who is a Pug, so short haired, and Dexter, a Parsons Jack Russell, with a rougher mid-length coat.
Here is my sketchbook blog post about drawing Ivy’s portrait in pastel, and the stages of Dexter’s pastel pet portrait can be seen here.
All you need to know about commissioning a portrait from me
If you are curious to know more about how you can commission an original fine art portrait, take a look at my commissions page, and my guide to commissioning a portrait. Or just get in touch and I will gladly discuss your ideas and options with you.
