Muttley

Muttley © Peter Gander

Like buses, no paintings of dogs for years, then three come along at once ;) This one I did for Liz, a Christmas gift as it were, from my wife Fiona. Mutley’s a cross between a Lakeland Terrier and a Jack Russell, he’s down from Suffolk to stay for the night with us, so Stanley (our dog) will have company. They have already fought a few times, but now I think Stan understands that though this dog may be smaller, he is older, so he rules, even in Stan’s own house. That’s how the dog thing works. Anyway, from an artistic viewpoint, I worked from a photo but was very happy with the way that the sunlight effect came across with this uncompromising medium (watercolour). A very dry brush loaded subtly with Payne’s Grey dragged across the textured tooth of the paper assured a lovey texture, perfect for a rough-haired dog such as Muttley. You can see the texture of the paper in the upper green area where the (Winsor & Newton) paint pigment sinks into the pitted parts of the paper, becoming darker in those areas. The effect is lovely, a case of the painting partially at least, ‘painting itself’!

Stanley, Bishopstone Beach, Kent

Stanley, Bishopstone Beach, Kent © Peter Gander

Still on the subject of canines, a recent watercolour of our one year old Parson Russell Terrier, Stanley, wet from splashing through a low tide at nearby Bishopstone cliffs. (Parson Russell Terriers are similar to the Jack Russell, but with longer legs). I painted this as a creative Christmas present to my wife Fiona, very pleased that it’s a good likeness too, down to his ginger eyebrows. He is normally a scruffy-looking dog at the best of times as he’s a rough-haired variety, but the waterlogged coat only adds to that ragged charm. I used masking fluid at the edges of his body to acheive the spiky fur effect on a darker background. Watercolour on Langton Torchon 300gsm paper.

Border Collie Bobby drawing

Bobby © Peter Gander

Pencil drawing of a friend’s border collie ‘Bobby’. 5B graphite pencil on off-white cartridge paper.