Painted Portrait of a Maltese Yorkshire Terrier mix (Morkie) using soft pastels

A few months ago, I was contacted to created a portrait to be given as a Christmas gift. Many photos were sent and it wasn't hard to pinpoint which one would bring out the best of Charley the Morkie...turns out she is a natural poser in front of the camera! 

I wanted to show the progression of a portrait, along with the original photo, so folks can view the steps involved in creating a custom portrait. You can see the original reference image was perfect except for the distracting backdrop which was omitted on the actual portrait.

Cropped client photo.

Outline sketch of the dog using white pencil.

After the eyes are done I begin the fur details.

More beautiful fur is added and her ears are finished.

Beginning the body fur...using pastel pencils for fine details.

Adding more and more fur and refining texture.

Once the dark backdrop has been added the dog seems to pop!

Dalmatian custom pet portrait commission (pastel painting)

I was asked to create a memorial portrait of my client's beloved Dexter as a special present for their. daughter.  I am told she had a special bond with him and they would love to surprise her with a professional portrait of him. Dexter had a goofy and lovable personality which prompted the family to get a second Dalmatian; both are very special!

Sometimes, when a dog has passed on, it can be a challenge to find good quality photos to work from. As professional artists, it is our job to render our subjects as accurately as possible so on occasion, we must use additional reference images to guide us with the details. In this instance, the photo that was to be used for the pose was not very good for several reasons. Firstly, the dog was photographed using a flash which leads to the white fur being over exposed and also resulting in glowing eyes. Important detail is lost and the subject looks flat because of lack of shadows. The second issue with the reference photo is that it is not in focus, so again, important detail is lost. Lastly, the photo was taken too far away so one has to crop the image to show only the head/shoulders which increases digital pixelation and further reducing detail. I really prefer suitable photos as it makes my job so much easier but alas, not all is lost, and here's the proof!

The client is very happy with the results of their portrait!

"Dexter"

Dalmatian Portrait

8"x10"

Soft Pastels

Commission (sold)

Bengal cat painting in progress video

Here is a short video I created that demonstrates the process of creating a charming cat portrait. I am using soft pastel pencils and Nupastels on velvety suede panel. Enjoy and thanks for watching!

Pet portraits in pencil of dogs

Black and white pencil portraits are usually created using either graphite or charcoal. Sometimes, I use both types of pencils to render a drawing, in order to achieve the deepest of blacks. Since traditional pencil drawings do not involve using any white pencil, the white marks or areas are actually the white of the paper showing through.
These sweet pooches were commissioned as a Christmas gift for my client's spouse. Sadly, Joe has passed but I was fortunate to meet miss Bree when the client received their portraits.

 

 "Joe"

English Setter

pencil drawing

5x7

commission

 

 

"Bree"

German Shepherd

pencil drawing

5x7

commission

Dog pet portrait commission from photo

I was commissioned to paint a portrait of a beautiful dog named "Jimi", whom sadly passed away of cancer at the tender age of 12.  The portrait was to be given to the client's spouse as a Christmas gift to commemorate the life of their cherished pet.

There are countless poses to choose from when creating a portrait and the client in this case chose a traditional head/shoulder pose where Jimi stands so handsome and proud !

Jimi

dog portrait

pastel

11x14

Commission

Christmas pet portrait commission of Pit Bull Terrier dog

With my solo show just around the corner, I have been quite busy in the studio creating new works and neglecting to update my blogs and website...I will try to post paintings more often as I have many to share with you!!
So today, I thought I'd share a secret commission that I completed last year for a client. It was given as a Christmas present for their spouse.  The dog portrait was done using pastels on suede panel and it took many hours of layering to get the details just right. Isn't she a real sweetie??

"Duchess"

Pit Bull Terrier

pastel

11x14

COMMISSION

Shetland Sheepdog Portrait in pastel...continued and not forgotten!

My gosh what a busy year! Seems I am now only starting to catch up with work in the studio and office.
Now that the weather has cooled I am forced to spend more time indoors which means I head to the studio as much as I can.

I've been extremely fortunate to have very patient clients waiting for me to complete this superb pose of their beloved dog!!  (Thank you SO MUCH for understanding). 

So here is a bit more on the portrait of "Oz"...

Pit Bull Terrier Portrait (graphite drawing)

I haven't had the chance to post all of my Christmas commissions so thought I'd share this dog portrait I created using graphite pencil. 

I had a handful of photos to use but the original reference photo I had to work with measured only about 3 inches and did not have optimal resolution. To make matters more challenging, the client wanted a large portrait measuring 11x14! 

Creating a white animal on a white background may not be immediately apparent but can be achieved by carefully observing and exaggerating the subtle tonal values (highlights and shadows). One must be careful not to darken the values too much or the subject will end up looking darker than actually would be.

For more examples of my work, visit www.colettetheriault.com 
  

Buster

Pit Bull Terrier 

graphite pencils

11"x14"

commission

Limited Edition Prints Anyone?

Well, it has been a busy week getting a whole bunch of limited edition giclée prints ready and framed for display at a local frame shop. The store should be well stocked and ready for pre-Christmas sales.

Prints and cards are also available for purchase through my website here: http://www.colettetheriault.com/prints.php  If you are interested in a print of a particular piece of art, simply drop me an email and I will advise you of the total cost and if it is available.

Since I print on-demand, practically any of my pieces can be turned into prints because it is easier on the pocket book (I don't have to order 100's of identical prints at once for any particular artwork).

  Who said artists' job is to only paint and draw??

I took some studio time today to add the background to the Golden Retriever painting so here she is so far:

Add caption

Cairn Terrier Dog Portrait in Pencil

Although I currently have over half a dozen commissions left to do, this dog drawing is the last of which needs to be shipped out before Christmas. With the pressure of commission deadlines being lifted from my shoulders a bit, I can now start thinking of my own Christmas shopping and errands left to do! 

"Hunter"

Cairn Terrier

8"x10"

Graphite

Horse Portrait Commission in progress

Being Halloween, I guess I could be painting the headless horseman and his horse but I must get caught up on my commissions so....

I am working on a larger horse portrait and finding it a bit challenging to work with not-so-good shots, but unfortunately, that's all I have.

I decided to use medium gray velour board for this piece because one can effortlessly achieve a soft look with pastels.

Pug Portrait Painting in Pastel

While it is not often that I can complete a portrait in one day and be satisfied with it, I am hoping that the client approves this one so that I can move on to my next project of another "furry" nature....details to come soon!

"Mic" ~pug
pastel on suede
7" x 5"

American Bulldog Pencil Portrait in Graphite (enhanced)

While I await client approval, I wanted to share with you this dog portrait's new "look" with the darker background. I really feel this is what was missing to make the dog stand out from the page, whereas before, he seemed to blend too much with the background. You can probably notice on this update the subtle hint of color (used colored pencils) of the eyes, eye patch and muzzle.

"Pearl"~American Bulldog
graphite pencil /charcoal and cp on Fabriano paper
10"x10"

To view the progression of this portrait visit my website at
http://www.colettetheriault.com/descriptions/workinprogess/American_Bulldog_wip.php

Pencil Portrait Step 7: the chest

Well, this is it! The fur has been completed on the neck and chest area. It was amazing to draw those tiny hairs and to follow the direction of the hair growth, especially at the central "cow lick". 

I have decided that the background should be darker still and so off the the easel I go!

Pet Portrait Step 5: the mouth and chin

You can't see the detail very well  on this update but there actually is some hint of pink color on the muzzle, around the right eye and inside the ears. The eyes and marking around the left eye also have some brown tints. I call this type of portrait "enhanced graphite" due to the additional hints of colored pencil application.

Pet Portrait Step 4: the wrinkles and an ear

While it may not seem like the portrait has advanced significantly since my last post, I did put quite a bit of time on what I have done so far. My method consists of indenting fine hairs with my pencil, burnishing, erasing and then applying additional layers of graphite on top of the previous.
I continue (not always in that particular order) until the desired tonal value and level of detail is achieved. This may also require me to go back to previously finished areas to adjust the overall tone of the portrait.

I do find the process more time consuming on a white dog due to the fact that the images I work with are almost always of low contrast and the subtleties in the lighter tones or values are more difficult to adjust.

Change of pace

It seems my eagle portrait will have to take the back seat for a while due to an unexpected commission; probably just as well because I was getting very frustrated with it today and it almost was shredded and dumped in the garbage bin.

On a brighter note, I added the finishing touches and scanned the Appaloosa portrait since it was approved by the client. I share with you the final version of the horse in pastel.

"Bally"~Appaloosa Horse Portrait
pastel on suede
18"x14"

To view the progression of this painting please visit my website here:

http://www.colettetheriault.com/descriptions/workinprogess/Appaloosa_wip.php

In my next post will feature the beginings of another dog portrait; this time using graphite pencils enhanced with color. I love the pose the client chose and I sense it will be a reall "winner" portrait due to her cute looks! Stay tunned!!

Tri-colored Shetland Sheepdog Painting in Pastel

In today's sitting I manged to sit long enough to complete the sheltie portrait. I still need to scan a high resolution copy for my files, as well as spray a light layer of fixative. I usually fix the pastel if it needs to be shipped out and, especially if there are muptiple layers of color. I find that white tends to be the worst pastel for dusting off.

"Cody" ~ Tri-colored Shetland Sheepdog Portrait
pastel on velour
11" x 14"

To view the progression of this portrait please visit my website here:

http://www.colettetheriault.com/descriptions/workinprogess/Sheltie_wip.php

Update on Sheltie portrait

I love drawing the markings, colors and fluffy long fur of shelties; their good looks make them handsome subjects for portraits.  This one is referred to as a tri-colored Shetland sheepdog because of his black, sable and white coat (white chest not yet visible).

On the next stage, I hope to have the mouth completed.

Two sleeping buddies

Yesterday I was able to complete the portrait of the two dogs resting on the sofa. I have included a close up to show the details of their cute faces.

Pastel on suede

18" x 14"