Wigs is my first commission after officially starting up my Animal Portrait business in January 2024. She was an old dog that passed away last year and her people are really missing her. Many of my portraits are memorial illustrations. Often I do not have great photos for drawing reference. This time, the customer was a photography buff and I had a wonderful photo to work from – which made it so much more fun. I love illustrating black animals – so many rich layers. My illustrations are mainly free-hand so they are never an exact replica of the photo. They will be close and I always try to capture the spirit of the animal.

9″x12″ Faber Castell Coloured Pencils on Lightfast Strathmore Vellum