How a Dogs By Diane Pencil Portrait is Created

Click here to return to main page
Please excuse the poor quality drawing images due to low end camera and lighting.

Portraits "typically" take 20 - 35 hours to complete from first pencil stroke to last,
 and this is generally over a 10 - 42 day time span.
anniestpatwm
 annie1
First I choose a high resolution, sharp focus photograph of a pose flattering to the dog
 Next I draw out the whole outline fairly accurately and add the shade/color areas outlines. Then I draw in the eye fairly correctly followed by shading in a section of the portrait at a time.
annie2
 annie3
Next I start adding fur detail to the areas I just shaded in.
 More shading of another section
annie4
 annie5
More fur detail and blending of the fur lines so they are soft instead of stark. Fine tune the nose and mouth outlines for accuracy.
 Add the nose leather and start shading the muzzle and adding fur detail.
annie6
 annie7
Work on lip, chin and jowl detail, more shading and fur detail and blending.
 Still more shading and fur detail and blending. Followed by over all tweaking, de smudging of the paper, signing and spraying with fixative.