(Photo by Zen Chung)
(By Sally Writes)
Drawing is one of the most popular hobbies in America – according to a study done by the Association for Creative Industries, 41% of adults spend their free time drawing. There are so many different ways of drawing: it’s not just about pencil and paper. You can try digital illustration, or even using paint pens on a range of surfaces. Drawing your dog is a wonderful way to capture their image and pay tribute to them. With a bit of lateral thinking, you can create a work of art that you will be proud to frame and put on your wall.
Using scratchboard
If you have a little white West-Highland Terrier, how do you possibly draw their white fur on white paper? The answer is to use black scratchboard to draw them on. Scratchboard is a panel coated in clay with a layer of Indian ink over the top. You simply scrape away the ink to create your drawing using a special scraper or a scalpel. Scratchboard lends itself extremely well to drawing pets because you can capture the movement of the fur easily and add in white highlights. The best place to start when you are learning to depict a dog is with a simple silhouette. There are many online tutorials that can show you the basic outline, depending on the breed of your dog. You can then start filling in the fur in more detail.
Charcoal pencils
Using charcoal pencils on some good quality paper is a good way to draw your dog, especially if you want to use rich, dark blacks. You can get far more definition in the thickness of your lines than you would with ordinary charcoal sticks, and you will also get a lot more control over your marks. Charcoal pencils are particularly good for doing close-up portraits of your dog. You can use thicker pencils to define the fur, and add in some stippling detail to that wet-doggy nose. Charcoal pencils are also good for adding the detail of movement, with swift, swooshing lines that fade out at the end.
Paint pens
It has been extremely popular over the last few years to use acrylic paint pens to create illustrations on rocks and stones. This is also an excellent way of creating a 3D drawing of your dog that is wonderfully shiny. There are several different types of paint pens, however, that are good for creating pet portraits. Watercolor pens are really good for blending color, especially if your dog has fur of several different shades. The pens can also be used to create pictures with plenty of movement, such as of your dog playing in the park, or enjoying some time on the beach. The pens have a similar effect to using watercolor paints and a brush, but they are far easier to control.
Drawing your dog is an excellent way of practicing your art skills and having fun too. You can create a wonderful picture of your canine companion that you will want to treasure forever.
