My unique watercolour pet portraits

The professionally made portrait you will get from me can show the true spirit of your animal much better than a quick snapshot can. Check out the video on my ArtLearn Studio You Tube channel. I always take time to interpret your photographs artistically – after all, what would be the point in having a painting or drawing that’s an exact replica of your photograph? Only by careful study and combining references can I bring out the personality of your animal. This may involve adjusting a pose for the best composition, or painting some areas with higher contrast while toning down others, to create a feeling of depth and three-dimensions, that really make the finished painting ‘pop’ off the paper.

Here’s a quick overview of how I make them

Firstly, I set to work in the studio making a selection of the best photographs or studying the pose you prefer. It’s at this point I may wish to contact you for clarification of any detail or if I need more colour information. I may also suggest a different pose if I think it works better artistically, giving you a better end result.

The photographs are scanned digitally to alter contrast and to help me see as much detail as possible. A basic line drawing is then made emphasising the areas I wish to define and this is transferred to the painting or drawing surface attached to the board or easel. For a painting I will start by using large round wash brushes – size 6 or larger – to block in areas of colour or shadow with mainly Winsor & Newton brand watercolour paints, usually opting for the subtle texture of Saunders Waterford cold-pressed paper. As it progresses, I refer less to the photographs and focus more on developing it artistically, using finer brushes – size 3 and smaller – for detail such as fur and whiskers. The graphite pencil drawings are made at a smaller size but they still have a high level of detail being produced on fine-textured Bristol board using a range of 0.5mm clutch pencils. Finally I refer back to the photographs one last time to make sure I’ve created a portrait both you and I will be pleased with. Only the highest quality artists paints, papers, drawing surfaces and acid-free mounts are used which ensure your portrait will last for many years to come.

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