I painted a few whippet portraits in the past. You can search for some of them on this blog to see how they turned out.
This is another small sized painting I worked on just before Christmas. I am only getting to share most of my holiday commissions now as I didn’t want to spoil any surprises. There are always a good few portraits at this time of the year due to the festive season, so it takes a few weeks of posting to catch up.
About Indy the Whippet
Indy’s portrait was commissioned as a gift for my client Peter’s wife. Indy is their pet dog, a purebred whippet. Peter emailed me a few photos of his dog at different poses, but since their beloved whippet loves nothing more than to lie on the sofa, he decided to use this for the portrait. He is pictured not only relaxing, but relaxing on his back as you or I would.
Materials and Reference Photo
Peter’s wife had a favourite photo of Indy. It is of him lying upside down on the couch hugging a cushion. What a life! As he put it in of his emails:
It does rather capture his lounging abilities!!
Peter about the reference photo for his dog painting
My client was not fully sure what medium would work best for the portrait. I advised him on an acrylic painting so I can capture this gorgeous whippet in full colour. The subtle browns and creams of his fur work really well against the decor of the family home. I removed some details from the photo before painting, including the remote control and some of the kitchen in the background. I really wanted the portrait to concentrate on Indy and pose. His eyes are closed which meant it was a little more challenging capturing his likeness, but Peter, my client, was very pleased with the portrait.
Commission Process
I painted the portrait in stages starting with a sketch which I painted with a round number 4 brush. The brushes I use are the Richard Oliver brand made here in Ireland and are synthetic. Therefore they will not get destroyed by the quickly drying acrylics. I also make sure to wash my brushes well after every painting session. For paints I use professional grade Winsor and Newton acrylics in the Galleria and Artist’s Acrylic ranges. These quality materials make my work easier. I painted on Italian made Belle Arti stretched canvas with a fine grain.
The second step in the painting process involved me covering the entire canvas in paint. For this I used a 1/4″ small flat brush, again made by Richard Oliver. Once the surface was covered with colour, I moved back down to the small round brush. I painted in thin layers of paint to add detail until I was fully happy that I not only captured Indy’s likeness, but injected some of my style and passion into the painting.
I love the way the warm colour of Indy’s fur worked against the greys of the sofa covering and the browns of the cushion. The cerulean blue collar added a splash of colour to the scene.
Finishing and Posting the Portrait on Canvas
I scanned the finished painting on my scanner here in my art studio. My client did not require framing, so I could plan for posting the portrait as soon as Peter was happy with it. It is always a tense moment, when I am waiting to hear from my clients after I email over the finished scans. My customers rarely require amendments, but if they do, I am always happy to adjust my portraits.
Peter was very happy with the portrait of Indy. I seemed to have created something he wanted from the start:
Hi Ivana! That looks great. Exactly how I was hoping it would turn out.
Peter emailed me when he received a scanned image of the painting
Before I posted the painting, I applied two coats of matt varnish. The varnish has to be fully dry before I prepare the parcel, but it does add a lovely satin surface to the canvas. It also preserves the vitality of the colour hues and keeps the dust away. I posted the parcel with AnPost as usual and my client emailed me when he received it a couple of days later:
Hi Ivana! That arrived today safe & sound. Looks fantastic and I’m sure my wife will love it.
Peter when he received the painting of Indy in the post before Christmas, Dublin 2025
I often take photos of portraits together to see the variety of work I create. I really feel every image deserves to be reinterpreted, especially the older vintage ones as they pose more challenge and creativity.
Don’t forget, I am accepting commissions now, so if you have an idea for your own portrait, email me your photos at info@trueimage.ie
You can also just fill out my contact form below or subscribe to this blog…. I am currently painting a portrait of a really lovely lady called Martha. Updates are coming soon…
