The Chevron Dog

Most recently, I have been inspired by those cute little chevron prints. You know the zigzag patterns with fun colors and a silhouette of a popular dog breed.  I was wanting a fun hook for my dog's leashes, so I thought: "Hey, I will make a Chevron Dog painting of my dog, Java, add a couple of hooks and there I go!"

For those who know me...usually when I want something, I want it yesterday. So, I broke out a 12 x 12 canvas board and got busy!

First step: Draw my chevron pattern.

Second step: Select my paint colors and paint!

Final steps: Sketch my silhouette and fill it in. For super clean lines, I used a sharpie to outline all of it.  Spray with polyurethane, then brush on a thick coat and it's done! This literally took me a couple of hours. The only thing left to do, is purchase some little cup hooks and screw them into the bottom for hanging the leashes on.





So, my girlfriend saw this and said: "Oh, I would love one of those of my Manny!".  Hmmm...Christmas idea??? PERFECT!  I wanted to spend more time on hers and really personalize it to her tastes and colors.  I remembered that I took a picture of Manny months ago in their living room.  He is a funny little Boston Terrier with lots of personality.  Here is the pic.

I drew out my chevron pattern, then sketched Manny.  This is really what took the longest.  I do not draw people because it truly does take an extensive amount of time to capture personality...same goes with pets (except their bodies are easier). It's all about the eyes, really.  Painted him in with black, then shaded him with various shades of gray.

Then, I painted the chevron pattern, using colors that coordinated with my friend's home.

I also wanted her painting to have more depth, so I added some shading to the colors and of course, added Manny's shadow so that he wasn't floating! :)

Then, I sprayed it and brushed on a heavy coat of polyurethane to seal and protect the painting. This one took me a few days vs. a couple of hours in one sitting.

She loved it! Even said "I knew you were an artist, but didn't know you could do something like this!" Ha!

You can see the difference, here.  Just depends on what you like and personal preference. 

Cost for a 12 x 12 custom realistic "pet portrait", I would charge $75-$150 depending on the amount of detail (just for reference, "Manny" would cost $75).

Cost for a 12 x 12 silhouette, I would charge $50