Here I will share with you how I drew Bruno, an American Bulldog’s portrait, using soft pastel. I work in a realistic style in my portraiture, capturing all the little individual details that make our precious pets exactly who they are.
Pastel for a Pet Portrait
Increasingly over the years, pastel has become my medium of choice for drawing pet portraits in colour. There is a softness to the way the pigment lays on the page which is reminiscent of their smooth coat. And a richness that develops with the layering of the pastel which brings a depth to the painting.
I like to evoke the tactile nature of my subject, creating a portait that you feel you could reach out and stroke. An illusion of sorts, where the folds of skin or their velvet ears could be warm to the touch, and we want to bury our faces in their fur.
Pastel may not be associated with fine details for many, but I enjoy challenging myself and how I can work with it to create a portrait that is both artistic and lifelike. Making a drawing that is honest yet still a fine art representation, not a replacement for a photograph.
Drawing a portrait from photographs
Before work began, I spent a long time considering the best way to capture who Bruno is. As I know this handsome hound very well, it was difficult to decide on one pose, as what single moment can represent a whole life? I will, I am sure, draw Bruno many more times just for my own pleasure. So this first portrait, commissioned by his owner, captures his handsome self in a stately moment, and also reminds me of the day the reference image was taken.
This pose is from a series of photographs that my sister took of Bruno when we were out together. They were sittiing in the sun in a local pub garden by the sea, and I was ordering the drinks. Bruno was watching the world and it’s dogs go by, and eagerly awaiting my return. Shortly after we enjoyed playing together on the beach here on the South coast of Cornwall. It was a beautiful afternoon.
Drawing the portrait step by step
Stage one
In the first stage of this portrait, you can see my sketch on the page. There are rough marks made with pastel pencils as I block in the main shapes, deciding on the crop and composition, and looking for an overall balance. I am working here on Pastelmat paper, and chose a dark blue to compliment the reddish browns and the white of Bruno’s markings.
Stage two
As I move into the next stage I am still keeping my focus on the foundations – the overall tones and highlights rather than the smaller details. After the initial stage I do all my drawing following the direction of the anatomy, hair etc, as this sculpts the subject on the page.
Stage three
By stage three I am taking my attention increasingly to Bruno’s structure. How his muscles lay beneath his skin, the breadth of his skull and those folds of skin under his jaw. These elements are defined by light and shadow, and this is where he really starts to look more like himself.
Stage four
And the last stage of the process is all about refining. This is where I have to be most careful to not disturb the work that has gone before, rather to add to it with ever smaller details. It requires very precise observation, a steady hand and a great attention to detail.
The transition of white hair to brown across the side of Bruno’s muzzle tells us more about the shape of his skull, the arch of his eyelid shows us exactly the direction he is looking in. The tiny hairs that make up the dark spots must all lay perfectly across muscle and skin to emphasis his anatomy. And the elipse of the tag on his collar brings a subtle yet crucial detail to the realism of his portrait.
It’s all in the details
So many tiny details exist which you may never be aware of as a casual observer, providing that as the artist I have drawn them correctly. However mistakes will be felt, even if not immediately seen. My job is to be accurate and faithful to reality, whilst bringing a quiet attention to the page, which creates the magic of a true likeness in a portrait.
You can join me on the journey of another commissioned dog portrait in Ivy, in my post Drawing a Pug portrait in pastel.
And if you would like to see how I work in coloured pencil, here is the creation of my most recent horse portrait, Poised.
