Sammy

 

1/12/26 Sammy (reference photo by Katelyn This)

This commissioned portrait of sweet Sammy was a gift for the buyer’s friend, who had recently had to put down the 18-year-old pup. I could see what a long, well-loved life he had had. RIP, Sammy.

Technical notes: It was the kind of reference photo I dreaded back when my approach was to be as realistic as possible. The image was a low-res thumbnail, the lighting was dark, and the whole face was a bit out of focus. I couldn’t even see much of the eyes, let alone a sparkling catchlight. Arrrggh!

I knew a brush pen would save me from having to render what I couldn’t see; I could simply capture the gesture and essence of Sammy’s sweetness. For the all-important eyes, I fudged, mostly from experience: I created catchlights where there were none, and I’ve drawn enough dogs’ eyes to fill in what the photo didn’t provide. I hope Sammy’s human will see her beloved somewhere in the portrait.