A very handsome young dog, Pip was a joy to paint.  This was a surprise birthday present and the quality of the photograph made painting Pip very staightforward.

 

 

 

A gorgeous dog, a real pleasure to paint.  Showing that, with the right photograph, taken in good light and at a good angle, the painting will be stunning.

 

 

 

The eyes are so important - they really bring the portrait to life - as this close up shows. 

 

 

 

A commission for a birthday present, I did this painting in a small size (10" x 8") as the recipient lived on a boat and didn't want anything too overpowering. 

 

   

 

 

This dog was owned by Cherokee's owners, who supplied first rate photographs.  The collection of photographs supplied for Nanook showed that in real life he was slightly whiter than the photographs showed.  By sending drafts by e-mail, I was able to lighten the painting to ensure that I captured Nanook perfectly.

 

When I was first asked to paint three black labradors, I wondered how I would get each one to look different.  As the painting shows, the dogs were all very different and I loved the way the character of each one seemed to come alive in the final painting.  I was asked to take some of the grey off of Crosby's face and emphasise the blue tones of their coats.  I was happy to oblige and the close ups show this in detail.

  

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millie

 

This was commissioned for Christmas 2006.  The photographs supplied were scanned copies so were not the best quality - but this didn't matter as I was able to capture the look anyway.