Pencil Portraits from photos of Pets & People
graphite pencils on Frabriano paper
“The traditional and classic medium which gives impression of detail and contrast”
Like all my artwork, the pencil drawings of people and pet portraits in pencil I create are traditionally hand drawn. The drawings are created with graphite pencils on high quality acid-free paper, called Fabriano. See my gallery with pencil portraits from previous commissions along with comments from clients and photos of the portraits which were framed before shipped.
Find out more about how to commission your pencil portrait in my Order Information section. Click on each thumbnail to see the portrait information with a large sized picture, detail and reference photo view.
My Pencil Drawing Techniques
I use both hard, light and soft, dark graphite pencils to create the perfect balance between detail and contrast in my pet portraits and pencil drawings. My favourite graphite pencils are Staedtler, but I use other pencil brands too. My technique is drawing from dark to light to find right shadows and from light to dark to find just the right hues. The pencil drawings I create are realistic, highly detailed and enables me to create a vivid portrait, a perfect balance between darks and lights which is required for a ideal peace of art.
The paper I use for my pencil portraits is the watercolor paper Fabriano, from Italy. The paper have been produced for over seven centuries and is of highest quality. Old masters like Michelangelo and Raphael drew on this paper, if it was good enough for them... well, then it's good enough for me. This paper also supports my many layers of pencil strokes without tearing, that's of course another reason why I use this paper.
About Pencil Drawings of People and Pets
Pencil drawings are very delicate and dynamic, with a touch of classic and timeless feeling. Everything can be drawn with a pencil because it's a very versatile medium. I can paint soft, light, dark and sharp, capture every aspect of the subjects characteristics and entirety. I can draw everything from artworks with full backgrounds, portraits with no background or montage portraits. Montage drawings captures cherished moments of your pets or someone else's life with a main drawing, along with several smaller drawings around it. There are really no limits to the pencil drawings! The only thing they lack is color. But that's really not a problem, sometimes color can get in the way and it's not even needed for an expressive peace of art. If you prefer a traditional and dramatic drawing, then this medium is for you.
Your Photos / Pencil Portraits from Photos
As you probably already know, I always work from one main photograph for composition and use rest of your provided photos for details which I'm perhaps unable to see on the main photograph. It's important that you send big and sharp photos for me to see detail and texture. As I only have you and the photo to guide me, the photo is the most important part of the entire portrait process. Read about photos in the Photo Tips section to find out more.
Work In Progress
Follow your portrait by each step in my Work In Progress blog! I scan the portrait between each stage in the drawing progress and upload the picture there. I usually also write down a little something, many times about the portrait I'm drawing or something else that's in my mind at the time. You will not only be able to follow the development, but also make comments which I just love to get. You will just love to follow your portrait over there, trust me on this one! I have been documenting the progress of my work for many years and it has proven to be the most popular part of my website for both clients and other visitors.
Framing Your Pencil Portrait
A graphite pencil drawing must be mounted / matted and then framed under glass. A paper is fragile and will only stay in best condition when framed with acid-free mounts and other materials. When properly framed, a pencil portrait lasts for generations to come. When I complete a drawing, I always spay the paper surface with a fixative to prevent smudging and to preserve the graphite that's on the paper. There is no problem to send it your way unframed though, it's already mounted / matted and ready to be framed.
