Pencil Portrait Stories
Pet Portraits in pencil by professional pencil artist Melanie Phillips
Ruffwear Logo Pet Portrait
Welcome to my most exciting project of the year, the Ruffwear logo pet portrait commission. Andrew Geere, the CEO of Ruffwear, called me to discuss commissioning a pencil drawing earlier this year in April. The focus of the portrait would…
Cat Pencil Pet Portrait
Welcome to my latest cat pencil pet portrait of two cats called Archie and Roly. This portrait is for returning clients Kirstie and Gordon. They previously commissioned a portrait of their beautiful cat Dudly who is sadly no longer with…
Triple Dog Portrait in Pencil
Katie Rampton commissioned a triple dog portrait in pencil of their three dogs Winston, Alfie and Ziggy. Katie commissioned it for her husband’s birthday as a complete surprise. She purchased a gift voucher so that Matthew could choose his own…
Yorkshire Terrier Pencil Pet Portrait
Welcome to my latest Yorkshire Terrier Pencil Pet Portrait of Chloe! Returning client Bob commissioned the pencil pet portrait of Chloe his Yorkshire Terrier. We have also actually met Bob and Jennifer! They came over to the UK visiting family…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Rusty
Welcome to my latest Pencil Pet Portrait of Rusty which was a 20 x 16 inches drawing commissioned by a client in the USA. Verity emailed me asking if I would be able to draw Rusty for her husband’s birthday…
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my Staffordshire Bull Terrier Pencil drawing of Ellie commissioned by returning client Jo and her family. I have been working with Jo’s family for a number of years. You might have recently seen the Cuddly Toy of Piggy…
Alsatian Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest Alsatian pencil drawing of Nash. The portrait was hand drawn by myself (Melanie) for clients in North Carolina, USA. Mike wanted to have a large sized portrait, which also worked well for his breed of dog.…
Vizsla Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest Vizsla pencil drawing of Kiwi. Catherine was a returning client and asked if I would draw a portrait for her as a gift. Very sadly Catherine’s good friend lost her young Vizsla, Kiwi, in a tragic…
Black Labrador Pencil Portrait
Welcome to my latest Black Labrador Pencil Portrait. One of my favourite breeds to draw is the black Labrador, because of their beautiful shiny coat and happy faces – just like Merry in this portrait. My client Nicholas Williams commissioned…
Pencil Pet Portrait Montage
Welcome to my first drawing of the year, a pencil pet portrait montage of Mikey. A lovely client in the USA commissioned the portrait of Mikey. Sadly Mikey passed away last year and so he felt that this Pencil Pet…
Bull Dog and Cow Pet Portraits
Welcome to my latest two bull dog and cow pet portraits. They are two separate portraits for the same client which I completed in December of last year. I have alternated photos of each drawing below, so that you can…
Horse Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest horse pencil drawing. My pencil drawing of Duker was commissioned by Lizzie as a surprise for her mum Jane. Lizzie ordered a gift voucher as Jane’s birthday was fairly soon after Lizzie’s initial contact. She also felt…
Cuddly Toy Drawing of Piggy
Welcome to my latest artwork of a cuddly toy drawing of Piggy. I absolutely loved drawing Piggy for returning client Jo from the UK, it was so much fun. Jo commissioned the drawing of Piggy as a gift for her…
Beagle Pet Portrait of Blue
Welcome to my latest portrait and yes it’s another beagle pet portrait! I love that my clients rescue dogs, it warms my heart to know that they are now in a loving home and safe environment. That is just what happened for Blue in the last couple…
Framed Cat Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest framed cat pencil drawing of two beautiful cats called Lucy and Leo. They were commissioned by Kevin in the USA as a gift for his wife this Christmas. Kevin has given me permission to add the…
Boxer Dog Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest Boxer Dog Pencil Drawing of the gorgeous Lola. Linda emailed me a few months ago and asked if I would be able to get a pencil drawing completed and framed for her husbands birthday in November.…
Dog Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest dog pencil drawing of a gorgeous dog called Stormy. The portrait was commissioned by a lovely family here in the UK. I spoke to Mike on the phone a number of times making the arrangements for…
Beagle Pencil Pet Portrait of Frannie
Welcome to my latest Beagle pencil pet portrait of Frannie! Frannie’s pet portrait was commissioned by a returning client in the USA. Ben has commissioned a number of pencil portraits of his dogs. They are all rescue dogs and Frannie the…
Black Labrador Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest Black Labrador pencil drawing of a gorgeous dog called Albert. The portrait was commissioned by Steve here in the UK. He want4d to surprise his wife and family so I really hope that it will be…
Dog and Horse Pet Portraits
Welcome to my latest dog and horse pet portraits of Flash and Daisy! These portraits are for a returning client in Australia. I think a number of my latest portraits have been from returning clients which is absolutely wonderful. Jo…
Flat Coated Retriever Drawing
Welcome to my Flat Coated Retriever Drawing! This portrait was for a very special client with whom I have been working with for many years gradually drawing her gorgeous Flat Coated Retrievers. I have created a number of portraits for…
Double Cat Pencil Pet Portrait
Welcome to my latest double cat pencil pet portrait of Apache and Lynx. My client Chris contacted me a few months ago enquiring about commissioning a cat pencil pet portrait of his two cats. He asked if I would be…
Spaniel Pencil Pet Portraits
Welcome to my latest Spaniel Pencil Pet Portraits of Brodie. I have completed many spaniel pet portraits in pencil this year and Brodie was one of my favourites. I think they also have to be a favourite breed of mine…
Black Labrador Pencil Portrait
Welcome to my most recent Black Labrador Pencil Portrait for a returning client Craig. The gorgeous black Labrador in question is called Zip. Craig wanted a drawing of Zip as an adult and also one has a puppy. Craig had…
Flat Coated Retriever Pencil Portrait
Welcome to my latest Flat Coated Retriever Pencil Portrait. It was traditionally hand drawn by myself Melanie Phillips, using graphite pencil. The size of the drawing was 18 x 14 inches on Italian Fabriano paper. The pencil drawing was completed for…
Black Labrador Pet Portraits
Welcome to my latest Black Labrador pet portraits! This is Iggy and he was traditionally hand drawn by myself (Melanie Phillips). Suzanna commissioned a 16 x 12 size as a birthday surprise. however we decided that the portrait should be…
Spaniel Pencil Portraits
Welcome to my drawing of a gorgeous spaniel called Mr Frodo, one of my latest spaniel pencil portraits to come off of my easel. I have completed many spaniel drawings this year, my next drawing is a spaniel too. Returning client…
Pencil Drawing Pet Portrait
Welcome to my most recent pencil drawing pet portrait of a gorgeous dog called Biscuit. The portrait is a 12 x 10 drawing which was the perfect size and shape for her. The portrait was commissioned by a very well…
Horse Pencil Portrait Montage
Welcome to my latest horse pencil portrait montage! The horse in question is called Locksie and the portrait was commissioned by my client William here in the UK. The portrait was an 18 x 24 montage pencil drawing. It was…
Spaniel Pet Portraits
Welcome to my Spaniel Pet Portraits of Bren and Bee. My client Helen saw one of my pencil drawings at a friends house. She had actually been looking for a pet portrait artist to create portraits for her of her spaniels…
Spaniel Pencil Drawing
Welcome to my latest Spaniel pencil drawing of the most gorgeous dog called Monty. Monty is a 12 x 10 pencil drawing commissioned by a lovely client called Allie here in the UK. Sadly Monty is no longer with us.…
Montage Pet Portrait Framed
Welcome to my latest montage pet portrait framed. The portrait was an 18 x 14 inch montage drawing, traditionally hand drawn by myself using graphite pencil. The portrait was commissioned by a local client Roger, who wanted to have a…
Horse Portrait Framed
Welcome to my latest horse portrait framed! The drawing is of a beautiful horse called Cherokee (Cherry) and was commissioned by Pauline and her sister Maureen. They wanted to give it as a joint gift to their niece Caroline on…
Pencil Pet Portraits of Mamesuke & Cinnamon
Welcome to my two Pencil Pet Portraits of Mamesuke & Cinnamon. Yuki emailed me via my website asking about commissioning two portraits of her dogs Mamesuke and Cinnamon. Mamesuke is Yukis boyfriends dog and she wanted to surprise him with…
Great Dane Portrait – Deano, Ole & Neo
Welcome to my latest Great Dane portrait of Deano, Ole & Neo. Our clients wanted a portrait of their three beautiful great danes, two of which sadly aren’t with us any longer. Only the great dane on the right called Neo.…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Poppy
Here is my latest Pencil Pet Portrait of Poppy. This pencil drawing is a 12 x 10 portrait which I completed for a lovely client called Emma. Sadly Poppy passed away a few months ago and Emma contacted me to…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Sika
Welcome to the pencil pet portrait of Sika. My client Nick contacted me to ask if I would be able to draw a pencil portrait of their spaniel Sika. It was to be a gift for his sister Jessica. Nick…
Horse Pet Portrait of Favorite
Welcome to my beautiful horse pet portrait of Favourite! Carrie from Sydney, Australia, emailed to ask if I would be able to draw her sisters horse called Favourite as a birthday surprise. She had one particular photos she loved and…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Henri Bell
Welcome to my pencil pet portrait of Henri Bell. This commission was very special for me. I was able to work with a very well known actress here in the UK. Meg and her family sadly lost their gorgeous dog…
Cat Drawings for Packaging
Welcome to my two cat drawings for Packaging. I was contacted by a pet food company to draw two cats for packing. They needed to drawn to at size in the style of their current artist. Their artist was away…
Humphrey’s Pet Portrait
Welcome to Humphrey’s Pet Portrait. Joanna emailed to ask if I would be able to draw Humphrey as a Christmas gift for her husband. Humphrey is the most gorgeous Cavapoo and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work…
Jasper’s Pet Portrait Montage
Welcome to Jasper’s pet portrait montage pencil drawing. Richard contacted me enquiring about a montage pencil portrait of their horse called Jasper that they had to sadly have put to sleep that very same week. Their family were all deviated…
Cat Pencil Portrait of Penny
Welcome to my latest Cat Pencil Portrait of Penny. Jeanette telephoned our studio to ask if i would be able to draw their beautiful black cat called Penny. Jenette wanted it to be a gift from her family to her…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Tess
Welcome to my Pencil Pet Portrait of Tess, a very happy Labrador. The portrait of Tess was commission by a returning client who wanted a drawing of her sisters dog. They were heading over to Spain where Tess lives and…
Cat Pencil Drawing of Mungo
Welcome to my cat pencil drawing of Mungo. Charlotte emailed me to ask if I would be able to draw their beautiful cat called Mungo. Charlotte emailed the following… I am based in Hong Kong, and my first year wedding anniversary…
Flat Coat Drawing of Saffy
Welcome to my Flat Coat drawing of Saffy in pencil on paper for Tara who is based in Sweden. I absolutely love drawing Flatcoated Retrievers therefore I was very excited to get started. They are one of my favourite breeds…
Daemon’s Pet Portrait and Superfast!
Welcome to Daemon’s Pet Portrait. Its been a pretty exciting and full week here and I will start with two drawings I have created of a very elegant dog called Daemon. I have not only drawn his portrait, but I have…
Pencil Drawings of Cosmo & King Chinook
Welcome to my Pencil Drawings of Cosmo & King Chinook. I have completed two pencil drawings for separate clients and thought I would post about them together. The drawing below of Cosmo was sent off to client Matilda this week…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Poppy
Welcome to the pencil pet portrait of Poppy. Adam emailed to let me know that his family had purchased him a Gift a Portrait. He was ready to send me photos of his dog Poppy, who had recently passed away,…
Tibetan Terrier Pet Portraits
Welcome to my latest Tibetan Terrier pet portraits is now complete. The portrait was commissioned by Caroline and her family as a surprise for their mums 60th birthday. Unfortunately, Hollie past away last year at 15 and half. The portrait will be…
Pet Portrait of Mango
Welcome to my Pet Portrait of Mango, which was completed by myself, Melanie Phillips as a 16 x 12 size. My client, Sylvia, commissioned me to not only draw Mango, but also Ozie and Joey as well. She wanted to give…
Ozie and Joey’s Pencil Portrait and Frame
Ozie and Joey’s pencil portrait and frame is now complete and on its way to my clients in the USA. Ozie is the King Charles Spaniel and Joey is the cat who has sadly passed away. The family didn’t have many…
Husky Pencil Pet Portrait
Welcome to my Husky pencil pet portrait, commissioned just prior to Christmas 2017 by a client in the USA. Stephen wanted me to draw his three Huskies – Sasha, Bear and Punky. it was to be a large portrait for…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Ziggy
Welcome to my Pencil Pet Portrait of Ziggy!Steven emailed to find out how to commission a pencil drawing of their dog Ziggy. Many clients have never commissioned a portrait before so we have lots of information on our website to help.…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Gus
Welcome to my pencil pet portrait of Gus. Coren commissioned me to create a pencil drawing of their beautiful Labrador who had passed away. Coren emailed the following. We are always so thrilled to hear how clients find us. We…
Siyouni the Aga Khans Stallion
Welcome to my latest portrait of Siyouni the Aga Khans Stallion. Lady Bamford has commissioned me three times. The latest commission was a drawing of a stallion called Siyouni which you can see below. Lady Bamford commissioned the drawing for…
The Portrait of Mike
Welcome to the portrait of Mike. Barry, from Australia, emailed me to find out if I would be able to draw his dog called Mike. Mike passed away very suddenly and Mike was devastated. He was a true and loyal friend…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Spaniel Charlie
Welcome to my Pencil Pet Portrait of Spaniel Charlie. My client Marchella commissioned me to draw her sisters dog Rooney and her parents dogs English Setters Violet and Gill as Christmas presents in 2017. She also asked me to draw…
Pencil Drawing of English Setters Violet & Gil
Welcome to my Pencil Drawing of English Setters Violet & Gil. My client Marcella commissioned me to draw Violet and Gill as a Christmas gift for her parents in 2017. Marcella also commissioned me to draw her sisters dog Rooney…
Pencil Drawing of Rooney
Welcome to my pencil drawing of Rooney. Marcella, my client, emailed to ask if I would be able to draw her sisters dog Rooney as a surprise gift. I was delighted! Rooneys photos were wonderful and so happy. He has…
Pencil Portrait of Three Dogs
Welcome to my pencil portrait of three dogs called Dexter, Tui and Purdy. Heather, my cellists, commissioned a drawing as a surprise for her mum. She had one particular photo she knew her mum loved that was on her facebook…
Cat Pencil Drawing of Padstow
Welcome to my cat pencil drawing of Padstow. Claire and her family emailed to ask if they could commission me to draw their beautiful cat who had recently passed away at a very young age. I was so sad to…
My new apprentice…
Who do you think is my new apprentice….!? Yes you have guessed it – it is Lily our Tibetan Terrier. While working in the studio I am often getting out of my chair for one thing or another. At every…
Dog Pencil Drawing of Mike
Welcome to my Dog Pencil Drawing of Mike. Barry, Australia, got in touch as his stunning dog Mike passed away suddenly quite out of the blue. Mike was a very special dog and very much Barrys best friend. The drawing…
Cat Portrait Max Framed
Here are the photos of the Cat Portrait Max Framed. Its a beautiful frame, its called Westminster and it works so well with my pencil drawings. There has been a bit of an extra wait with this moulding as my framers…
Lady Bamford and Betty
Welcome to my commission from Lady Bamford and Betty! This is the second commission on behalf of Lady Bamford for her staff. The portrait below is for Lady Bamfords personal assistant Emma as a gift for her birthday. The pencil drawing is a…
Pencil Portrait of Zeke
Welcome to my Pencil Portrait of Zeke. Zeke was a very much loved and very much missed Labrador residing in Florida. The portrait is an 8″ x 7″ drawing on Italian Fabriano paper and its heading off to the USA…
Pencil Portrait of Banjo
Welcome to my Pencil Portrait of Banjo. My client Rob commissioned me to draw their family dog called Banjo as a surprise gift for his wife. Rob and his family live in Central Queensland, Australia and I alway love sending…
Pencil Pet Portraits of Stanley and Jarvis
Welcome to my Pencil Pet Portraits of Stanley and Jarvis. The pencil drawing is a 24 x 18 pencil portrait which was commissioned as a thank you gift. The recipient Paula, was delighted and got in touch with us sending…
Cat Portrait of Max
Welcome to my Cat Portrait of Max. Rebecca got in touch after loosing her much loved cat called Max. Max was a siamese cat and the photos Rebecca sent me were stunning. Rebecca ideally wanted a pencil drawing of Max,…
Dog Portrait of Django
Welcome to my Dog Portrait of Django. Andrew, from the East Coast of the United States, emailed to ask if he could have a portrait of his friends dog drawn as a gift for her. Andrew wanted an 18 x…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Kilo
Welcome to my pencil pet portrait of Kilo. James (USA) emailed me a few months ago enquiring about my pencil pet portraits as their family had recently lost their beautiful dog called Kilo. James requested a 12 x 10 pencil…
Dog and Cat Pencil Portrait
Welcome to my latest dog and cat pencil portrait. It is of a cat called Patch along with a Chihuahua called Angel. Neil along with his son Dean contacted me to ask if I would be able to draw a 16…
Cat Pencil Pet Portraits Montage
Welcome to my latest Cat Pencil Pet Portraits Montage. This portrait was commissioned by Vivian in Hong Kong who arranged this portrait as a birthday gift for her friend. I think this has to be one of my favourite cat pet…
Dachshund Pencil Portraits
Welcome to my latest Dachshund pencil portraits. Its funny how things are with the animals we paint and draw. This year we had two ‘Gypsy’s’ in a row – a horse and a dog. Now we have two Lily’s in a…
Cat Pet Portrait of Tyson
Welcome my Cat Pet Portrait of Tyson. He has been drawn for Kim, my client in the USA. The portrait is a 12 x 10 pencil drawing on Italian Fabriano paper and I have been working on his portrait for around…
Cat Pet Portraits Pixie and Boots
Welcome to my cat pet portraits Pixie and Boots. The drawing is a 16 x 12 pencil portrait on Italian Paper using Derwent pencils. I have really enjoyed drawing them both and the clients are thrilled. Although the drawing was…
Horse Montage Pencil Portrait of Casanova
Welcome to my horse montage Pencil Portrait of Casanova. My clients, Jane and Paul, wanted to commission as a surprise 18th birthday gift at the start of April. They wanted to keep the commission a compete surprise and called our studio…
Pencil Pet Portraits – Teasel!
Welcome to my latest Pencil Pet Portraits. The pencil drawing is a 12 x 10 on Italian Fabriano paper for a lovely client called Paula based in Cornwall. Sadly Teasel had passed away and Paula got in touch with a…
Cat Pencil Drawing of Rufus and Floyd
Welcome to my Cat Pencil Drawing of Rufus and Floyd. Sebastian emailed me to find out if I would be able to draw their two cats Rufus and Floyd as a family gift. We always love hearing how client find…
Pencil Pet Portraits Montage
Welcome to my latest pencil pet portraits montage. Dean, my latest pencil montage, was for a returning client called Lizabeth. The portrait is a 18 x 14 drawing which was framed using our Craigowan Charcoal. Lizabeth emailed me to thank me…
Pencil Horse Montage of Rose
Welcome to my latest pencil horse montage of Rose. Callum emailed to ask if I would be able to draw a montage portrait of his partners horse Rose as a surprise Christmas gift. I worked very closely with Callum and…
Pencil Drawing of Murphy
Welcome to my latest pencil drawing of Murphy. The portrait of Murphy was commissioned by a returning client called Karen here in the UK. Karen had previously commissioned a drawing of a horse called Charles as a gift for her…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Daisy
Welcome to my pencil pet portrait of Daisy. Mary contacted me to see if I would be able to draw a portrait of Daisy for her daughters birthday gift. Her favourite photos were on a CD which she sent via…
Pencil Dog Portrait of Peppa
Welcome to my pencil dog portrait of Peppa. My client Emma contacted asking about having a pencil drawing created of their 2 year old Black Labrador Peppa. She wanted to commissioned the pencil drawing as a surprise Christmas present for…
Happy Pet Portraits Clients – Tracey and Moo
Happy Pet Portraits Clients Tracey and Moo visited my art studio to collect her portrait of Moo. Tracey commissioned me to draw her gorgeous cocker spaniel called Moo. She was a returning client and it was lovely to be working…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Ella
Welcome to my Pencil Pet Portrait of Ella. David Canty commissioned a pencil drawing of his mum’s Spaniel Ella as a surprise present for her 60th birthday. He wanted his mum to choose what she wanted, so ordered one of…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Gianni
Welcome to my pencil pet portrait of Gianni. Gianni is a King Charles Spaniel who lived with his owner Kelly, in Australia. Sadly Gianni passed away at the age of 12 and so Kelly sent us this wonderful email to…
Cocker Spaniel Pencil Pet Portrait
Welcome to my Cocker Spaniel pencil pet portrait of Moo. Returning client Tracey contacted me to commission a pencil pet portrait of ‘Moo’. Tracey requested the portrait to be drawn from two photos. Moo had been swimming – as spaniels…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Floss
Welcome to the pencil pet portrait of Floss. Lee snowdon contacted me to find out if I would be able to draw their beautiful black Labrador called floss as a present for Lee’s partner. Lee had taken a wonderful photo…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Shep
Welcome to the pencil pet portrait of Shep. Steve Reader emailed our studio ensuring about having a pencil drawing of his dog called Shep. Sadly Shep had passed away and you can read Steve’s initial email to us below… Hi…
Pencil Drawing of Labradoodle
Welcome to my pencil drawing of Labradoodle Georgie. Georgie was commissioned for a special lady called Jane who was retiring. The portrait was in recognition of 22 years of service at Taunton School. Also for her services on the board…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Doc
Welcome to the Pencil Pet Portrait of Doc. Here is the final scan of gorgeous dog called Doc who is passed away on Christmas day, which is so sad. Jeff’s first email is below to read… Dear Melanie,Our golden retriever…
Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen
Bilbo is a Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen. I drew him for client Tony Goode and his wife here in the UK. Tony called me here in the studio out of the blue one afternoon asking if i was the person…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Bix
Here is the Pencil Pet Portrait of Bix. Gill Austin, a returning client, contacted to see if we would be able to draw a portrait of her dog called Bix. Gill also called my art studio to discuss the commission…
Pencil Drawing of Barney
Here is my pencil drawing of Barney the old English Sheepdog. My client Chris wanted a portrait of her dog Barney. She wanted a pencil drawing, however was concerned as his fur was white. Chris was worried that Barney wouldn’t…
Pencil Pet Portrait of Judy
Here is my pencil pet portrait of Judy, a gorgeous Jack Russel who had sadly passed away. The portrait was commissioned as a surprise for Joannes father Ivan, who loved Judy dearly. Joanne and her family originally arranged one of my…
Pencil Drawing of Bea
Welcome to my Pencil Drawing of Bea. Elizabeth emailed me along with beautiful photos of Bea, their families black labrador. Elizabeth wanted to commissioned a pencil portrait of Be a for her husbands birthday. I was delighted and the photo…
Siamese Cats Pencil Portrait of Tai & Chi
Welcome to my Siamese cats pencil portrait of Tai & Chi. This is the first time I have drawn Siamese cats. Not that breed of dog or cat makes any difference when painting or drawing. We can portray any breed.…