John and Louie is my latest commissioned portrait, hand-drawn in coloured pencil. As with all of my coloured pencil artworks, I drew this with Polychromos pencils (and one black Prismacolor) on Stonehenge fine art paper.
The love between one man and his dog
When I first saw John’s reference photos for this portrait, I was struck by how they both radiate joy. You can almost feel the love they share, and their beautiful relationship sings on the page.
I have a deep love of animals, and any opportunity to celebrate the special relationship and bond we share with our pets is very welcome. So be able to do so through my art with portraits like this is a true delight.
Coloured pencil portrait
John and I chose coloured pencils for this portrait as we felt it would best capture the textures. Before enquiring about a commission, John had explored my gallery and particularly liked Sita’s portrait.
Different mediums, ie pastel or coloured pencil, have their own individual qualities which can lend themselves to certain images. I draw with pencil on a lightly textured fine art cotton paper. The grain or tooth of the page lends itself to many layers of colour, whilst retaining some richness to the marks.
Pastel in contrast can also be layered, but the pigment becomes creamy on the page, so any texture is rendered by hand rather than being created by the surface it lays upon.
Capturing the subject’s character on the page
This portrait is a study of one man and his dog, and is all about the life they share and the happiness they bring one another.
John has had Louie since a puppy, and he is now the grand old age of 17. Louie still loves a long stroll, albeit at a far slower pace than in his younger years. He will sniff every scent, keeping up to date with all the local goings on in his Surrey country lanes, and enjoys the gentle companionship. Then it is back home for a nap by John’s side, ever loyal to his human and best friend.
Portrait commissions are always welcomed from both UK based and international clients. On my Commissions page there is an overview of the process, and for a more in depth look at commissioning a fine art portrait, please read this guide.
For any questions you may have, or advice you may need, you can contact me here or call or WhatsApp on 07967 416072
