I painted a portrait of this very cute pug dog called Toby a few weeks ago. He is sporting a very trendy bandana and really connecting with the viewer with his gorgeous brown eyes.
I worked with larger brushes for the background to create an out of focus backgdrop to Toby’s head. He is the main focus of the painting and the detail on his head was worked in smaller brushes.
His owner, my client Aine, commissioned his painting as a keepsake. Toby is her beloved pet and she provided me with two photos of him, one outdoor and one indoor with a bandana. She opted for the indoor image. The splash of colour works really well to brighten the painting and to bring some interest into the portrait.
I worked at a small size of 25 x 20 cm in acrylics on stretched canvas. I varnished the finished painting with two coats of satin UV varnish. This protects the surface from dust and keeps the colours alive for a long time.
Aine was delighted with the finished painting of Toby and emailed me when she received the scanned image for approval and then when she received the painting:
Hi Ivana! I’m so pleased with how Toby’s portrait turned out and the attention to detail wow! Thank you so much for painting him…. Painting arrived safe, I just love it. Thank you so much.
Aine on receiving the scan and the canvas in post, Dublin, Ireland
