This is an example of one of the many dog portraits I have done over the years.
I have lost track of the many different breeds that I have illustrated on my drawing board, but I think the breed that must win for numbers alone (above all others) are spaniels. I think I have done more spaniels than any other breed of dog. Sometimes I seem to do the same breed in clumps and have three Border Collies in a row, followed by a Jack Russell or a Yorkshire Terrier…
I took my own reference material (photographs mainly) for this illustration, as it is much easier to draw a dog – or any pet – once you have met him/her. Taking photographs from different angles (to choose the most suitable image later), is a good way of capturing the personality of the dog and knowing that the images you have taken will be suitable for the finished illustration.
Toby’s owner wrote to me to say that he was delighted with the portrait and that the picture has been viewed by his many friends around the world. Toby is a young Border Collie, re-homed with the diligence and care of Dogs Trust, www.dogstrust.org.uk, who made sure that the new home Toby was going to was both safe and suitable. I hope that the finished illustration shows both the intelligent and affectionate nature of Toby’s character.
Quinlyn Nixon Art 