Mixed Breed Dogs
Coloured Pencil Drawing

' MASUDA & KUDU '

​Portrait size:  11" x  17"
Completed: December 2023
In October 2023, my friend Jet asked me to create four coloured pencil portraits for her. One was a gift for her friend, another for her mother, and the other were portraits of Jet's Boxer dogs. I have known Jet for over thirty years, and she has asked me several times to create pencil portraits of her dogs. This particular portrait, featuring her two rescue dogs, Kudu and Masuda, was a gift to her mum.
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When commissioning a portrait featuring multiple subjects, choosing an appropriate size that accommodates all the individuals in the frame is crucial. Including the intricate details is of utmost importance in producing a portrait that evokes a sense of authenticity and realism. 

Placing two dogs in the same portrait with coat colours at opposite ends of the colour spectrum poses a significant challenge for an artist. Achieving tonal balance within the finished portrait is imperative. One practical approach to balance the tonality is providing photographs of each subject against a neutral background that is neither too dark nor too light.
The process of layering with coloured pencils on a mixed breed dog called Kudu
Building up the detail on a coloured pencil drawing.
Additionally, here are four time-lapse videos showing how the process comes together from this coloured pencil drawing of Kudu and Masuda. Each video shows over an hour of work, providing a fascinating insight into the process of creating detailed pencil portraits. Some portraits are rather complex, but watching the videos can be a great way to learn about my techniques.
Coloured pencil drawing of two small, mixed breed dogs called Kudu and Masuda
Completed pencil drawing of Kudu and Masuda
Below are the portraits of the three coloured pencil drawings of Boxer dogs that I completed during the same period. For additional details about each drawing, please click on the images to visit their respective web pages.
Fawn Boxer dog custom-made coloured pencil drawing
Fungus | Fawn Boxer dog
White Boxer dog custom-made coloured pencil drawing
Carrot | White Boxer dog
Boxer dog custom-made coloured pencil drawing
Watson | Brindle Boxer dog


​Commission a bespoke portrait


​Commission a bespoke portrait

If you're looking for a custom portrait of your rescue dog, or any other pet, perhaps as a unique gift for someone special or to mark a memorable event, you can choose the medium that suits your taste, be it coloured pencils, acrylic paints, or oil pastels.  ​For more information, please visit my commissions page or email me at: ​[email protected] to share your ideas.
Other pages that may be of interest