Welcome to our latest blog post about Nicholas’s latest realistic dog portraits – Wilson & Bella’s Custom oil paintings, commissioned by Stephen and Sally. This project was particularly special as it involved painting not just one, but two stunning dog portraits over the course of a year. It’s only now that we are revealing them here on our blog, but I feel that it is a lovely story completed by the second commission with photos of the paintings framed. Read on to find out what happened in each commission and the story’s ending!
Wilson’s Portrait – The First Commission
Stephen and Sally first contacted us in November 2023 to commission a portrait of their beloved dog, Wilson. They are art collectors and so knowledgeable about paintings. They wanted a realistic oil painting that would capture Wilson’s personality perfectly. Once we had arranged the photo to be used and placed Wilson in our commissions list, Nicholas began the oil painting in March 2024. You can see the very first stage below, where Nicholas had drawn out Wilson and created a lovely sepia wash over the canvas.
The second stage was to add a neutral tone in the background and block in the main tones of Wilson. As he has quite a bit of white in his coat, the background needed to be a fairly mid toned colour and hue for the white to stand off the canvas. The camera didn’t capture the depth of tone here but scroll down to see the finished painting. Our photography lights we work by are very bright and so for the oil paintings give a lot of glare through the lens.
The Completed Pet Portrait
The colours of the background, as you can see below, are a lot richer than in the photo above and they really work well with Wilsons colouring. This allows the white to stand out and also marry with the sienna and umber tones in Wilsons coat. The touch of blue with white added in the background, (if you look carefully you can see this), also matches with the cooler areas in Wilsons white coat.
Here is a photo close up on an angle which shows how delicately Wilson and the background has been painted. Every painting is unique and so every background Nicholas paints is too. He uses his creative skills and works with the subject to create a background that adds interest but is secondary, so that the subject really stands out. Here you can see Wilson’s nose is really coming out of the canvas! Very three dimensional.
Nicholas completed Wilson’s portrait in April 2024, creating a beautifully detailed piece that showcases Wilson’s gentle expression and striking features. Stephen and Sally loved the portrait and proudly framed and displayed it in their home.
Bella’s Portrait – A Second Commission
A few months after receiving Wilson’s portrait, Stephen and Sally decided they couldn’t have just one! They commissioned a second painting, this time of their other dog, Bella. Nicholas painted Bella’s portrait just before Christmas 2024,making sure he kept a similar vibe between the paintings as he knew they were going to be displayed together in their home.
One detail that made Bella’s portrait even more special were her ears. Sally absolutely loved the photos where Bella’s ears were stretched out horizontally, as this is a classic pose for her. She affectionately refers to it as Bella’s nod to Yoda! We loved that! It was a joy to capture this unique expression, making the portrait even more personal and meaningful.
Nicholas created Bella’s first stage using the same technique as Wilson’s. This time, rather than a plain background, Stephen and Sally requested an impression of the wooden floor behind Bella, so you can see the starting of it, in the sepia wash version below.
Here you can see Nicholas adding some final details and his brush helps for scale. Both oil paintings were 12 x 10 inches. Although Wilson’s was portrait orientation and Bella’s was obviously landscape to accommodate the Yoda ears!
Realistic Dog Portraits – Wilson & Bella’s Custom Oil Paintings
The finished painting is below and I just love the softness Nicholas has created around the features, the eyes, and face, running down to the nose. Again Bella’s nose stands out beautifully and feels so three dimensional, its almost popping forward out of the canvas.
Floating Frames & Painted Edges
When we were preparing to send Bella’s portrait, Stephen and Sally had a request. They asked us to paint the edges of Bella’s canvas. Stephen also asked if they could send Wilson’s painting back so that we could paint the edges of that canvas too. They planned to frame both portraits in a floating frame style. This is where the artwork appears to float inside the frame without touching the edges.
For those unfamiliar, floating frames are a beautiful way to display canvas artwork. Unlike traditional frames that cover the edges of a painting, floating frames leave a small gap around the artwork. This creates the illusion that the painting is suspended within the frame. Since the edges of the canvas remain visible, they are often painted to match the artwork for a seamless finish.
We always ask clients to let us know if they would like the edges of their canvases painted. Most traditional frames cover them, but for those who wish to display their portraits without a frame or in a floating frame, we are always happy to accommodate this request.
Packing & Presentation
Once both paintings were complete, we carefully packed them in presentation boxes to ensure they arrived in perfect condition. It’s always important to us that our artwork reaches clients beautifully presented, adding to the experience of receiving a commissioned painting.
We carefully packed each portrait in its own presentation box, wrapped with ribbon and accompanied by a personalised card. We then secured the boxes with plenty of foam wrap and placed them inside a sturdy double-walled cardboard box, ensuring they stayed completely safe for sending out via the fastest delivery service we can find.
A Special Moment – Nicholas with the Artwork
Before sending the paintings, I captured a lovely moment of Nicholas holding one of the portraits. It’s always rewarding to see the finished pieces before they make their way to their forever homes.
Final Display – Wilson & Bella’s Portraits Together
Stephen and Sally kindly sent us a photo of the two paintings displayed in their home. The portraits sit beautifully in their floating frames. Seeing our artwork in its final place is always such a joy to us. Wilson and Bella’s portraits now have a special place in Stephen and Sally’s home, and we couldn’t be happier.
Realistic Dog Portraits – Wilson & Bella’s Custom Oil Paintings
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our latest post ‘Realistic Dog Portraits – Wilson & Bella’s Custom Oil Paintings’. A story that spanned pretty much a whole year. Would you like a realistic oil painting of your dog painted by Nicholas? Email us at any time with your photos! If you woul dlike to see another of our recent dog portraits, head over to the portrait of Gabby and her Toy…
Thank you, Stephen and Sally, for trusting us to paint both Wilson and Bella!
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