Pixel and Colin‘s portrait was commissioned by his wife, Lisa, who was looking for an extra special birthday present. Pixel is a Viszla x German Shorthaired Pointer so is a joyful and affectionate bundle of energy. She brings an enormous enthusiasm to everything that she does, and is deeply bonded with her humans.
They are very much dog people, and as they adore their pets, a pencil portrait was the perfect gift that would create a lasting testament to their love.
Drawing one man and his dog
Pixel is a high energy dog. She has such a lust for life so is forever exploring, retrieving a ball or enthusiastically looking for cuddles.
Lisa was able to provide me with a wonderful selection of photographs. This gave me a great insight into these two’s playful relationship. After some initial sketches to develop the composition, and guidance around what Lisa was envisioning, the basis of Pixel and Colin’s portrait was created.
Pencil was always the medium of choice. It has a timeless quality which will always suit the decor of their home, and keeps the focus on the details.
This portrait is A3 size, or for those outside of the UK 30 x 42 cm / 12 x 17 inches. I loved working on a bigger scale as it gave me a beautiful canvas to really explore them both on the page.
Pixel – a dog making a difference
Alongside being a delightful family pet, Pixel loves to work. She is training with Cornwall Search Dogs learning scent trailing to help locate missing dogs in the wilds of West Cornwall. Vital work that saves lives and reunites people and their lost pets. As a breed that is all about the scents, Pixel absolutely loves using her skills and being out doing what she does best.
Dogs and their people
Pixel and Colin are part of a growing collection of people with their pets that I have drawn. The first was this commissioned portrait of Matthew and Rusty, the cute and curly Cockapoo. This is a colourful capture of what Matthew’s wife describes as their bromance; Matthew is definitely Rusty’s favourite person in the family.
In a different style, I drew this sketch of Bruno and Corey on brown paper using coloured pencils. The gentle giant Bruno changed Corey’s life by patiently teaching him that dogs can be not just your friend, but your best buddy.
And most recently I drew Kate and Peeper. Like Pixel and Colin, this is a pencil portrait and a monochrome study of love. These two were always found together, with Peeper being Kate’s faithful sidekick in all of life’s adventures.
Commission a portrait to celebrate your love of a pet
If you have not commissioned a portrait from me before then 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.
I am always happy to discuss any ideas you may have and answer any questions. You can message me through my contact page, or call, text or WhatsApp on 07967 416072.
