Pet Portrait Commissions, Wildlife Studies andComposite Creature Creations . . . . . . plus
Looking for a special present, or maybe a treat for yourself ... look no further.
I will create for you a unique portrait for you to treasure. Working from your photographs and created in either Pastel or Graphite Pencil.
About Me
I am Nottingham based, self taught artist. While art was a favourite subject at school, it didn't really inspire me. I only took up art as a hobby years after leaving education. Having grown up on tv from Vet School to David Attenborough, the animal world was the obvious muse. Once I started, I just kept going. Useful advice, tips and support from fellow artists, helped me to develop and experiment with my creations, the medium to use and ffind my own style. While the majority of my work has been pet based, I have expanded my work to include wildlife and mixed composition work, More recently wanting to challenge myself there is an expanding collection of Sharpie artwork.
Welcome to my website
Sketching began and I needed a colour option. Trying various things including watercolour for a while, I discovered Pastel, via Tinted Charcoal. There is a depth and warmth I've not found with other mediums and pastel has a wonderful blending tonal quality. With the use of coloured paper, the images pop and shine through. The other option I use is Graphite. It's amazing what can be created using what is basically one colour and the whole range of pencil to pure graphite.
From Photo to Portrait
As a pet owner, I understand the importance of capturing not just the image, but the character and personality of your friend. When choosing your photographs, try to ffind one as clear as possible. Natural daylight is always best. This is particularly important when it comes to dark animals. I have black dogs myself and ffind that without the natural light, there's the risk of getting just shine and red-eye.
What if the photo you want is your favourite, but no real ffine detail can be seen, not to worry. Send this as your choice and include additional shots. That way I can see the detail needed and more importantly, show the real character of your pet.
If you're taking photos from scratch, getting your pet to pose is often the ffirst hurdle. dogs often prove easier with this, as many are treat focused. Cats can prove trickier. I try to keep my camera handy, so I can snap a shot as I see it.
Group shots can be difficult. We've all seen those pictures on facebook, where there's just the one individual who is looking the wrong way. Split the group or take individual photos instead, next to the same marker (eg chair) and I can combine them in the same portrait.