Behind the Artwork - Marley

Drawing Marley - One of our loopy border collies

There’s something special about drawing your own dogs. You know every expression, every little habit, and the personality behind the eyes long before the pencil even touches the paper.

This portrait is of Marley, one of my own border collies, and without a doubt one of my favourite drawings I’ve created.

The original reference photo immediately stood out to me because it captured Marley perfectly.Completely relaxed, lying on the floor with his favourite toy beside him, but still watching everything that was going on around him. That calm expression and slightly tired look in his eyes felt very “Marley”.

When I started the drawing, I focused almost entirely on the eyes and nose first. I always feel that if the eyes work, the portrait starts to come alive very early on. With Marley, the warm browns in his eyes against the darker fur created a really natural focal point.

One thing I particularly enjoyed with this piece was the contrast between the soft white fur and the deep blacks around his face. Building those darker areas gradually with coloured pencil takes time, but it helps keep the fur looking soft rather than flat or overly harsh.

The dinosaur toy became an important part of the portrait too.I could easily have left it out, but including it made the artwork feel far more personal and genuine. It instantly tells a little story about him rather than just being a standard pet portrait.

As the portrait developed, I worked slowly across the fur to keep the direction and texture natural, especially around the ears and chest where the fur becomes much softer and more layered. I wanted the overall drawing to feel relaxed and warm rather than overly polished.

For me, this drawing sums up exactly why I love creating pet portraits. It’s not just about realism — it’s about capturing familiar little moments and personality that people recognise instantly.

And because Marley is one of my own dogs, this one will always mean a little bit more to me.