Gundog Training Forum

Love Sarah Cleggs style here's the link to her actual website... http://www.sarahclegg.co.uk

I'm really lucky having an artist sister whose done some lovely pastels of our lot, she is very talented but doesn't do it often enough...

Rascal

Edited to add:- Here's one she did of one our old dogs..I'm not canvassing her work at all BTW..I just wish I had a similar talent...
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WGD wrote:Sarah Clegg, google her. Fantastic painting from a photo, couldn't recommend her highly enough and not ridiculous money.

Is possibly one if the most talented people I know

I'm hoping to get one for OH of his lurchers

Whichever artist you like remember to start with the best photograph you can find, clear, in focus and with some shape to the dog. So many photos, particularly of black dogs, are one dimensional, you will get a one dimensional portrait too so be hypercritical of your snapshot before getting it painted!

I agree with Naj regarding what the artist sees compared with what we see, my Sister is good at pastel drawing and it always amuses me to see the pics of her own dogs, they are so much more like the dog! She draws an accurate representation of the photograph but, somehow, the character of the dog is more obvious in her own. I have no idea why but I guess she instinctively knows what to put in and what to leave out. Not describing this well but the soul of the dog appears when she does her own pets.

I have a friend who paints beautiful watercolours of clients dogs. Usually these are pet dog portraits. Some years ago she asked my opinion of an almost completed painting of a springer spaniel. It was excellent but she'd told me the dogs owner worked him as a gundog. The background in the portrait was grass and some beautifully painted flowers. I asked if the background would be suitable for a working dog, I thought the dogs owner probably saw his dog in his minds eye as more of "rough, tough" sort of dog.

It turned out I was right , she ended up starting all over again with a new painting. Specify the background if it isn't to be as seen in the photograph.

Wullie

I do commission work, here's a few of my examples.

Marvelous work Tarimoor.......

looks expensive, so I am afraid to ask

£180 for an A3 detailed portrait, whether pencil or pastel. Includes special delivery within the UK. It takes between 12-14 hours in total to complete something as detailed as the examples shown.

I have nothing but admiration for your talent, those are wonderful

They certainly are, I particularly like the one of the Chocolate Labrador, I guess this is your dog Tarimoor?

Thats a special talent tarimoor, I had a friend and a family member do these for me