Furry family member portraits have become a big part of my business. It’s kind of funny when a couple has a few children who have grown up and left the house and then decide to get a dog portrait. To be fair, animals are incredibly photogenic. And often, there is only one of them vs several children, so the decision is much easier. 

I probably first drew animals in more detail around the same time I got serious about drawing portraits. I want to say 11 or 12ish? I have a terrible memory for dates. It was the early nineties and a portrait trend was to have your photo with an object just sort of floating beside your head that represented a hobby or interest. So, naturally, I did the same with my drawings. For example, in one self-portrait, I included a floating guitar beside my head, despite never having touched a guitar. I also drew horse heads that would fade out beside mine. I also didn’t really like horses. Too big. And I’m allergic to most animals, hence having a hamster as my go to pet.

Despite never having my own cat or dog for any length of time, I get the appeal and frequently search for hypoallergenic pets and weigh the pros and cons of having a pet in an apartment. It would be nice to photograph an animal lounging in the sun spots in my living room. Hamster portraits just don’t cut it. And I feel like when my youngest child grows out of his super cute phase (I give him two years tops) I’ll need a new muse. For now though, I’m happy to draw dog portraits and cat portraits for others. The luscious locks or multi shade curls are meditative to draw and I’m able to focus less on the likeness, which comes pretty easily with animals, and more on rendering the richness of the hair. Chalk pastel works so well for this since I’m able to get a lot of depth and adding highlights is a breeze.

Stay tuned for possible pet portraits of my own furry family members? Perhaps a teeny tiny hamster portrait for now.