Soul Portraits - not just for women, but for families too! (including your furkids: horses, dogs, cats, birds!)

Back in December I posted a photo on Instagram of an illustration I had recently finished and I received a message back from Pip who lives in France.  She was having a totally new kitchen in her french farmhouse and really wanted something of all of her family.    

So I initially thought it was 4 of them. Her children and herself and husband.

Before long, it was Humphrey and Maude, their two Bassett hounds, Ethel the miniature Daschund, Ralph (not quite sure if he is a Bassett cross) and there was Mary.  Mary is the beautiful grey dappled horse.  Oh and have I forgotten to tell you about Ruby the Greenwing Macaw.  

So here I was faced with 4 adults and their furry family - 10 in total.  I later found out that this was just a mere 5% of their family as they have so many animals that I wouldn't have been able to fit them on the paper! 

Sketch Number One with dogs needing changes!

I got straight into it and did an initial sketch which I sent to her.  I knew it needed tweaking and that's why I always send sketches first to iron out anything.  She gave me access to her Facebook photos and there were just reams and reams of them. 


It made me realise that I actually wanted to go and take photos of them all, including all of the animals...... because it's the little markings that are important. I'm not a portrait artist who does things exactly.  You guessed that right?!?! 


When you get my piece, it's my interpretation of you.  In a whimsical and soulful way.  

I realised that after sending this to her that the doggies weren't looking that great!!! They were indeed more squatter and had legs and feet that were crooked!  So I re-sketched and looked at the composition again.   This was better.  I always like to know what clothes you want to be dressed in, so made all the changes that were asked.

Sketch number two with changes made!

I have to be honest, I have never drawn a horse before so was a little anxious about this.  But Mary had such a presence in her photos that I loved drawing her. Obviously I wasn't going to draw all of her but the face is start. 

She's a hovering horse!

I wondered if I could replicate the dogs and their little ways.  Using promarkers helps to add tone and depth but I needed something more.  So bring out the prisma colour pencils.  They were used to add detail and enhance the animal's features.  Then add in all my lovely pens and ink. 

I am really delighted with how this turned out and was excited to pack it off and send to them in France.  As I use a bleed proof paper, which is very thin, I was able to replace Humphrey and Maude at the centre, rather than at the end in the original sketch.  Having cut them out, I then backed this on to another piece of paper to give strength and enable them to mount and frame it.

This proves my point

Soul Portraits are not just for women, they're for all your family including furkids.

Till next week!

Much love
Jules xxx

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