Niki Firmin has long been one of my favorite artists. She is a master at bringing the personality of the animals she draws to life, making you expect their tongues to come out, or them to turn their head and blink at you, get up and wag their tails.
She has a project where she honors K9 Heroes and then puts the drawings together into beautiful calendars. You can find her on X @nikifirmin, and if you are interested in having her do a portrait for you,, or purchasing a calendar, you can reach her at niki_firmin@hotmail.co.uk.
I can’t say enough about these animal portraits. The eyes, however, take my breath away. I keep expecting the animals to turn and look at me, lick their lips….
Peter does these using soft pastels on archival quality paper. You can reach him on Blue Sky at the address above. He is also active on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
I think this artwork is absolutely amazing. There are no words to describe the light and shadows and the depth of the work. I’ll just sit here and drool.
I think Peter Hogarth’s pet portraits are breathtaking. I expect the sweet animals to blink their eyes, turn their heads, yawn, or move. I can’t say enough.
In my efforts to improve my drawing, I’m drawn to how much shadows add to a picture. I love the depth, the concentration on where the light is falling to GET the shadows, the angle of the sun determining the LENGTH of the shadows and more. I have no clue if I’ll ever be able to do this, but I will try to add some shadows to things as I go.
I love shadows. They add so much to life, and to art. I’m gathering some pictures I’ve found that I’m going to try to draw at some point. I thought I would share some with you.
“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.” ― Jun’ichirō Tanizaki
“Fancies are like shadows…you can’t cage them, they’re such wayward, dancing things.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea
“All shadows whisper of the sun. ” ― Emanuel Carnevali
“Look at the shadows, they look like real people; and look at the people, they look like real shadows!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
I have no idea of whether I can do this or not, but I will really enjoy trying.
I found the art of Catherine Rayner on Substack. @catherinerayner
Her artwork is unique and grabs you immediately, forcing you to smile, say “Awwww!” or write a comment.
Dougie
She has a website where you can shop for signed books, babywear, art and prints, original artwork, plus get commission information.
Ella
She explains how she does what she does, but of course, you can’t actually ‘catch’ the magic of it no matter how much you might want to. She gives a tour of her studio and you can even meet her cat!
Elodie
I love the way each of her creations has a name and you can almost expect them to turn their heads or sniff you for food.
Natalie
You’ll love seeing all the listings on her website. Caution: you might become addicted.
Peggy
Catherine Rayner is booked up through June on commissions , but if you’re willing to wait, feel free to contact her. (Information on what to do and what to expect is at the link above. 😁
I love it that talented people can answer the call, ‘draw a dog,’ and come up with drawings that simply melt the heart. Different styles, different media, all heartwarming and jaw-dropping.
I can’t say enough about Megan’s work. She is an animal and pet portrait artist from the UK. Every time she posts a new piece, an older piece, or a collection, it becomes my new favorite until she posts again. 😁
Megan Elizabeth – Artist – @MeganArtUK on X
Megan Elizabeth – Artist – @MeganArtUK on X. This is an example of a finished portrait of “Bean.”
Megan Elizabeth – Artist – @MeganArtUK on X
See more of her work on X. Support her if you are able below.
These drawings are by Phyllis Harris. I can’t say enough about her work. Her picture book, CLAUDE, is officially available for pre-order at these links:
“I’m a self taught artist, with a particular interest in wildlife art, and canine portraits. Pastel pencils and soft pastels being my favourite mediums to use.”
I can’t say enough about Paul Miller’s art. You can see more on X – @Paulmillerart
I discovered the art of Angie Wallace via X. Her contact on X is @AngieWFineArt
She does pencil portraits of pets and horses, but also does wildlife, and offers these in the form of commissioned portraits, prints, greeting cards and gifts.