Pomeranian Pet Portrait

Here is a pet portrait I have recently completed for a customer for a Birthday gift. It was a repeat order from a customer I did a pet portrait for last year, so I was really pleased they liked the first one enough to order a second one. It is 8" x 10" in graphite pencil.

Here is Pepi, a Pomeranian....

Completed Cat Pet Portrait

Here is a pet portrait of a cat named Sala. It is a graphite pet portrait and is 5" x 7"

Westie update

I have been working today on the graphite Westie portrait. This is due to completed this week:

Pepsi and Ice finished

I finished Pepsi and Ice's pet portrait yesterday, but was unable to get decent pics due to lack of daylight! Here they are:

A close up of Ice, a white German Shepherd:

And a close up of Pepsi, a standard black and tan German Shepherd:

Cat pet portrait completed

I have finally finished Vada's pet portrait. It is 12" x 16" and is in graphite pencil. Here it is:

Ruth and Rosco's portrait complete

Here is the completed portrait of Black Labrador, Rosco and his owner. It is a 12" x 16" portrait in graphite pencil.

Ruth and Rosco update

I have spent the last few days working on the portrait of Ruth and Rosco. I have started with Ruth as getting her features and expression right is the hardest part of the portrait. I have done her eyes and smile several times but think i've got it right now! Here is the update from today:

Pet Portrait update

Here is an update on Vada's pet portrait. I have now finished her, I just need to complete the pile of logs she is led on and then her portrait will be completed.

Vada

Here is the latest update on the pet portrait of Vada, a beautiful black cat. Her portrait is in graphite, which is one of the best mediums for portraits of all black pets.

Black cat pet portrait

Here is an update on one of my current commissions - a beautiful black cat called Vada. Her portrait is 12" x 16" in graphite.

Golden Retriever in Graphite

Here is my latest completed commision - a Golden Retriever in graphite pencil, size 8" x 10".

Early start

I was very cross with myself yesterday as I lazed in bed till 11.10, so I was determined to be up at a decent time this morning. My alarm went off at 7.15 and I was up and walking the dogs by half past. At 8.20 I was sat down drawing. I have been working on two pet portraits today, both are surprise presents so i can't show them on here. Both are in graphite which makes a nice change after the coloured pencil ones i've had recently.

I've found a new method of working with long white fur today. One of the commissions is of a westie and the photos are excellent so I have so much detail to portray. It's taking so long, but I think it will be worth it in the end. Anyway, in the paler, highlighted bits with slightly less detail I have been laying down a pale layer of graphite all over, then using my electric eraser to pick out the highlights then filling in the shadows afterwards. I suppose it's a variation of drawing with negative spaces. It's reasonably quick and is working out quite effective.

Filing and Gallery updates

This morning I had a tidy up. I had loads of order forms, reference photos and proof of postage receipts lying around, so I got everything organised today. All my completed commissions filed with copies of invoice, order form, reference photos and proof of postage. All my reference photos I have on my 'to do' list which are purely for my portfolio and not as commissions have been filed away and any original artwork I had has been filed too, not left lying around in my art pads. I also found two graphite drawings that I started last year, just for fun, which I am planning on getting finished, one is a Newfoundland, the other a Bengal cat. I am going to do those alongside the two coloured pencil portraits I have as commissions, as I tend to get frustrated with the speed of coloured pencil so it's good to work on a graphite portrait at the same time as they grow a bit quicker! I think I can also use them for the Pet Portrait Diploma course which is useful.

This afternoon, still in tidy up mode, I added three new Pet Portraits to my galleries - Rosie, Winney and the 3 Springer Spaniels. Here are the two galleries if you want a look:

Graphite Dogs Gallery
Coloured Pencil Dogs Gallery

Arab horse portrait finished

Today I finished the graphite portrait of the beautiful Arab horse, Jazz. Here it is:

Arab Horse in graphite

I have been doing some more of the Arab Horse portrait today. I'm really enjoying it - most of my commissions are Dog portraits, so to draw a Horse is a nice change. It's nearly completed now - hopefully I should have it finished tommorow. Here is the current Pet Portrait:

Graphite Horse Portrait

I have been working this weekend on an Arab horse Portrait, which is one that needs to be finished quickly for a Birthday present. It's 12" x 16" and is in graphite pencil. Here are some photographs from the work in progress so far.

Pet Portraits in progress

Today I have been working on three different Pet Portraits. I have added the first layer of 'underpainting' on the coloured pencil portrait of Rosie, the Greyhound. Here it so far:

I have also started two new Pet Portraits, one is a horse portrait, that I only received a few days ago and needs to be completed by 14th May! I'm not sure yet if I can put that one on here though, as it's for a Birthday.

The other one is an 8" x 10" graphite portrait of a beautiful little Westie, called Jack. Here is the initial sketch:

Springer Pet Portrait complete!

I finally finished the graphite Pet Portrait of the three Springer Spaniels today. The customer wanted me to put the dog's names on it, which is something i've not done before, but I copied a swirly font off of the PC and I think it looks pretty good. Here it is:

Spaniel ears in progress

Well today my camera battery died so I am unable to show you an up to date photograph of the Spaniel's portrait, so I have some step by steps of the spaniel ears that I took earlier in the week. First of all I roughly draw out the shadow areas in a 2B mechanical Pencil:

I then go over this is a darker pencil, because this Springer is one of the black and white ones I used a 7B in this case:

And finally I fill in the gaps, creating highlight areas by blending the darker shadows at the top and bottom of the paler areas and leaving the middles the lightest. This then creates the shape of the waves:

I can't believe it's the 19th of April already! Where is the year going? The week just whizzes by and I get to Friday and think, well I haven't even done half of what I wanted to achieve this week! This week has been a fun one. I should have finished the Springer Pet Portrait by the end of it and i've had loads of fun with the new rats. The babies are now in the big cage with Treacle and Charlotte and they are all sleeping together, all snuggled in the igloo. Tinkerbell is becoming a little confident mischief maker, she is often charging around with Treacle. I think Treacle is pleased she has new friends to play with. Quite often if I let them out in the afternoon Charlotte will go back to bed, and Treacled had no-one to play with, but this afternoon she was happily pea-fishing with Tinkerbell and Doughnut while Charlotte went back to sleep. Having four is great - double the trouble, but double the fun too!

Springer Spaniel update

Another small update on the graphite Springer Spaniels. I started on the third dog Molly today. As her ears overlap Clyde's slighly i'm going to draw her first so I don't end up in a muddle with the ears. Here it is so far:

Springer spaniels Pet Portrait update

I have done a little more today on my graphite portrait of the three Springer Spaniels. I have completed Smokey's right ear:

I have also been working recently on my website re-design. I have finally overcome 3 problems I was having with a couple of layout issues and a script error on my Gallery and I'm really pleased with it. I just need to amend a few more pages and the shop section and the new-look www.lauraspetportraits.co.uk will be ready to go live! I'm really excited about it and as usual I really enjoyed the designing and learning new techniques.

Springer Spaniel Portrait update

Well I go for days without updating my blog, then add two posts in one day! After painting my pastel wolf earlier I did some more work on my current Pet Portrait - the Springer Spaniels in graphite pencil. There's not a huge difference since the last update, but i'm pleased with it so far:

Springer Spaniels portrait update

Today I have started on the detail on my current graphite pencil portrait of 3 Springer Spaniels. I do one small area to completion at a time, then move onto another area, and I have started on the black and white Springer, Smokey. I think Spaniel's ears are one of their most distinctive features, but also the one I find hardest to draw. The small part of Smokey's ear I completed today took me an hour! Here is the portrait so far:


And here is a close-up:

Springer Spaniels Portrait

Today I started on a new commission - 3 Springer Spaniels. I'm looking forward to doing this one as I have a real fondness for Springers - I do have two of my own! It's also going to be nice doing a graphite portrait after working with the coloured pencils for so long. As much as I enjoy working with colour and the effects achieved with coloured pencils, graphite is and probably always will be, my favourite medium.

Here is the first stage of the portrait. It's 12" x 16" on Italian Fabriano 5 hot press 140lb watercolour paper. The composition was suggested by the customer - he wanted to create a triangular shape with the male Springer in the centre slightly higher and the two girls either side.

Cocker Spaniel Pet Portrait

Well here it is as promised, my latest completed Pet Portrait. She is a Cocker Spaniel named Annie, and was commissioned as a birthday present by the lady that owns her's daughter. I had great fun drawing her. I did it a slightly different way round than normal, doing the black bits first, then filling in the blanks with the lighter tones. She has been drawn in graphite pencil, size 10" x 12". I'm quite pleased with the way she turned out and the customer was happy, which is what matters.