DixonArt

Pet portraits in high definition coloured pencil. I'm a coloured pencil artist specialising in pet portraits, bringing treasured pets to life on paper.

My journey from childhood doodler to professional artist has only been a recent transition; my rekindled passion ignited during the 2020 lockdown. Now, I create custom artworks that capture the essence and personality of each pet, bringing joy to their owners. My artistic path began in the 1970s when I was just 9 years old. A simple bird doodle caught my mother's eye, prompting her to gift me the

Reader's Digest Book of British Birds - a treasure that sparked my love for drawing wildlife. I'd sketch birds and quiz my father, delighting in his correct identifications. Despite his encouragement to add colour, I stubbornly stuck to my trusty HB pencil. As a teenager, art took a backseat, and life's demands pushed drawing to a distant memory. It wasn't until the 2020 lockdown that I rediscovered my passion for drawing. Daily walks became an inspiration for flower sketches, and a hand-drawn birthday card for my father's 80th birthday of a brown trout that moved him to tears - inspiring me to create art that moves or inspires other people. MY APPROACH

I believe in continuous learning and growth. After rekindling my passion, I sought out mentorship from Bonny Snowdon, an amazing coloured pencil artist and teacher. Joining her online art academy immersed me in an inspiring community of fellow artists, pushing me to refine my skills and explore new techniques. My work focuses on capturing the unique spirit of each animal I draw. I use high-quality coloured pencils and archival paper to ensure each piece is not only beautiful but also long-lasting. Every portrait is a labour of love, meticulously crafted to reflect the pet's personality and the owner's affection. WHAT DRIVES ME

The joy of creation and the emotional connection between pets and their owners fuel my passion. There's an indescribable satisfaction in presenting a finished portrait to a client and witnessing the love in their eyes as they see their pet captured on paper. This emotional response drives me to continually improve my craft and pour my heart into every piece I create. My work is more than just drawing - it's about preserving memories, celebrating the bond between humans and animals, and creating lasting tributes to our furry companions. Each commission is an opportunity to touch someone's heart and honour the special place pets hold in our lives.

15/05/2026

Sweet little Coco was a recent memorial commission and such a special piece to create. I absolutely loved bringing her to life on drafting film, especially capturing those beautiful ears and the rich variety of fur textures using my Tombow eraser and slice tool.

Her colouring was a stunning mix of warm and cool greys with the softest hints of brown, lilac and pink — the kind of detail I love carefully layering into every portrait. 💛

Creating bespoke pet portraits like this is always an honour, and I’m so grateful to help preserve these precious memories through art.

07/05/2026

Dewi was my very first commission, so no pressure at all… especially with the main brief being to capture those beautiful, brown, soulful eyes!

I always start with the eyes, and once I finished them, I felt I’d really connected with Dewi’s character. From there, I moved on to the nose, building it up slowly with lots of gentle layers and tiny circular strokes to create texture.

One of my favourite little details in this piece is the tiny droplet of water on Dewi’s whiskers — it’s the simple things that make me smile 🙂

To finish the piece, I worked on the wavy fur using a mix of pencils and my trusty Tombow eraser to bring out the texture

This drawing will always be special to me as the one that started my journey of commissioned drawings💛

25/02/2026

Who can resist a cute little kitten? 🐾💕

I found this adorable little European Shorthair kitten on a free photo site, and those big doe eyes completely stole my heart. He looked like he was quietly pondering the world… and I simply couldn’t resist picking up my coloured pencils!

As usual, I worked on drafting film and just had to start with those gorgeous eyes first. From there, I mapped out his sweet dark face markings, then added his tiny nose and soft little ears. For the ears, I layered gentle pinky-grey tones inside, added a darker grey outline, and used my Tombow Mono eraser to carefully lift colour and create those wispy longer hairs.

Next came those irresistible little paws, followed by the rest of his body. I made sure to add the shadows underneath to really ‘ground’ him and give him form. Finally, I drew in the whiskers and fine hairs with my slice tool — always such a satisfying finishing touch!

Such a sweet little face — I absolutely loved bringing him to life. 🖍️✨

18/02/2026

Daisy, the sweetest little Jack Russell Terrier and a much-loved member of my friend’s family, crossed over the rainbow bridge a couple of years ago. When I saw the post that she had passed, I knew straight away that she would be my next drawing project ❤️

I’d completed a few tutorials with the incredibly talented Bonny Snowdon, who is such a wonderful tutor and coach, but this time I decided it was time to let go of her hand and go it alone. It felt like a big step — especially knowing I’d be showing my work to someone other than my ever-supportive partner!

Armed with lots of coloured pencils, my trusty mono eraser and slice tool, I carefully recreated a beautiful photo of Daisy. The slice tool was invaluable for capturing her short fur and those subtle shifts in colour — gently scratching out individual hairs and layering in just the right shades to bring her to life. The Tombow mono eraser really came into its own when working on the blanket, lifting colour while creating soft texture at the same time.

And those eyes… they were an absolute joy to draw. The high-resolution photo showed the most gorgeous highlights and reflections, which made them sparkle on the page.

When I finished, I felt such happiness and pride. Starting was the hardest part — that blank page can feel so overwhelming — but once I made those first marks, the nerves slowly faded away. Completing this piece on my own felt like a huge personal milestone.

I had the drawing mounted and framed and gifted Daisy to my friend. She now hangs proudly on the wall at the bottom of the stairs, where she’s wished good morning every day — and that truly means the world to me 💛

04/02/2026

I was commissioned to draw Barney, a gorgeous Spaniel, as a birthday gift for my client’s daughter 🐶🎉

I was given a few photos to choose from and was instantly drawn to this one of Barney relaxing on a colourful blanket. I couldn’t resist that beautiful paw stretching over the edge of the sofa!

This piece was a bit of a challenge for me, as I hadn’t really drawn much of a background or foreground before. I wanted the blanket to look soft and slightly indented where Barney was lying, which was really fun to experiment with.

As usual, I worked on my go-to surface, drafting film, using light pressure with coloured pencils and slowly building up layers to create the fur’s texture. I enjoyed exploring different techniques for the various fur lengths and textures.

I used my Tombow Mono eraser not just for erasing, but to lift colour and shape the waves and texture in the fur. I also used my slice tool (a craft-knife style tool with a ceramic blade), which is essential for adding those fine flyaway hairs and highlights.

I thoroughly enjoyed every part of drawing Barney – such a joy to work on! 💛

Photo shared with permission.

28/01/2026

Meet Ruby 🐾 — a Jack Russell with a face that practically begs to be drawn. She’s one of my absolute favourite dogs to draw… which may or may not be because I used to have a Jack Russell myself (totally unbiased, obviously 🥰). Ruby was drawn on Polydraw drafting film using a range of coloured pencils, mostly Polychromos. I find drafting film works beautifully for longer fur. It’s perfect for scratching out stray hairs and adding those little highlights that bring the drawing to life.

And those eyes! Ruby has the most soulful, melt-your-heart eyes, and since I always start with the eyes, it was a joy having her warm, expressive gaze watching me the whole time.

I was also very lucky to have an excellent reference photo from the client (shared with permission), which showed clear catchlights in the eyes and, just as importantly, the direction of the fur. Knowing how the fur direction flows is important for creating a realistic drawing. The colours were a dream to work with too – rich oranges, browns, russets, and subtle shades of greys and violets.

I was very sad to have this one off my drawing board, but equally pleased it was off to its forever home.

15/10/2025

This handsome ginger tom was a lovely change for me, as I’m usually more used to drawing dogs! 🐾

He was drawn on drafting film, which is my go-to surface when working with longer fur — it allows me to build up soft layers while still keeping fine detail. I used a combination of coloured pencils, including Faber-Castell Polychromos for their precision and hardness, Caran d’Ache Luminance for their rich, creamy texture, and a few Derwent Lightfast pencils for their depth of colour and lightfastness. ✏️

Georgie, as he was lovingly known, was a stray cared for by a very kind lady and her family. When she moved house, she went to look for him, only to find that he had sadly crossed over the rainbow bridge. 🌈

Some time later, she asked me to create this portrait of Georgie — a heartfelt way to remember such a special companion. 🧡🐈

11/06/2025

I still get so excited every time I learn something new and grow as an artist!
When I first picked up coloured pencils, I was completely lost… No idea which brands to use, what paper to choose - I was honestly overwhelmed. 😅

Then I discovered Bonny Snowdon Academy, and everything changed. She’s not just an incredibly talented coloured pencil artist, she’s also a fantastic tutor and coach. 💛

Joining her Drawing Academy was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my creative journey.

A major turning point for me was completing Bonny’s Foundation Course which wraps up with a beautiful German Shepherd tutorial (drawing shown here - my attempt! 🐾). It brought together everything I’d been learning: colour theory, tonal values, pencil pressure, fur texture… it all finally clicked. Photo credit: Ruud Van Unen.

Since finishing the course, I’ve found the confidence to draw independently. I pulled on my big girl pants… and haven’t looked back. 😊✏️

07/05/2025

I had such a lovely time drawing this Bearded Collie! Capturing the rich depth of Mopsy's fur was such a fun challenge. I was fascinated by all the unexpected colours that went into the layers—purples, blues, pinks, and cinnamon—mixed with the more familiar greys, creams, and browns. And those beautiful, soulful eyes were such a joy to bring to life.

I worked on my favourite surface—drafting film—and used a mix of pencil brands, including Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran D’ache Pablos, and Caran D’ache Luminance. The Polychromos are fantastic for eyes thanks to their lovely translucency, and they offer such a great range of greys—I think I used just about all of them! The Pablos are brilliant for blending and smoothing out layers, while the Luminance pencils have those perfect percentage colours that help bridge the gap between shades. They’re my go-to when I want that soft, subtle finish.
Photo ref with permission from client.

09/04/2025

This piece is especially meaningful to me. It’s a portrait of Poppy, a beautiful whippet who belonged to a dear friend. I drew her while she was still very much with us, full of life and grace. Since then, Poppy has sadly passed away – and this drawing has become a cherished reminder of the gentle soul she was.

I used coloured pencils on drafting film, a medium I love for its ability to capture fine detail and soft textures. With Poppy, I was particularly focused on her expressive eyes and the sleek softness of her coat – the kind of detail that makes you feel as though you could almost reach out and touch her.

As always, I began with the eyes. There’s something about that moment – when the eyes start to emerge – that creates a real sense of connection. It felt as if Poppy was looking back at me, and that quiet gaze kept me company as the rest of the portrait came to life. It’s one of the reasons I love working this way – it gives the subject a voice, even in stillness.

Now that she’s no longer with us, the portrait feels even more significant. It’s not just an image – it’s a memory made tangible, a way of holding on to the warmth and presence of a much-loved companion. I hope it brings comfort to my friend, and continues to honour the love they shared with Poppy.
Photo ref with permission from client.

02/04/2025

A tribute in coloured pencils and drafting film.

Some pets leave an imprint on our hearts that never fades. I had the honour of drawing a dear friend’s beloved whippet who recently passed away. This portrait is more than just an image—it’s a reminder of the love, companionship, and countless cherished moments shared.

I chose to work on drafting film, a surface that enhances the delicate details and luminous quality of coloured pencils. The smoothness of the film allows for fine layering, bringing out the whippet’s gentle eyes, sleek coat, and quiet grace with remarkable clarity and depth.

Address

Llanrwst
Llanrwst
LL26

Website

http://www.dixonart.co.uk/

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