All pigments possess characteristics and handling peculiarities that the pet portrait artist should be aware of to get the best from his or her paints. None more so than the range of whites and blacks, surely they all do the same job? No. The various whites and to a lesser extend blacks, all behave slightly differently and create different challenges for the artist. Described below are the popular types and the way they perform in paint.

Titanium White
This is not a pure white, but hints towards a cream cast. It does have excellent covering power and high tinting strength. It also can be regarded as permanent, it’s only weakness being it can chalk if exposed to weathering out of doors.

Zinc White
This is a stark white which is slightly transparent. It’s covering power is relatively poor and has average tinting strength. It is permanent.

Lead White (or. Flake white)
This comes somewhere between Titanium white and Zinc white. Good lead white had excellent covering power and tinting strength. As it ages it does have a tendency to yellow, this can be lessened by adding a small amount of zinc white. Lead white is toxic.

Pearl White
This is a modern pigment made from a blend of Zinc White and finely ground mica. The impression is a white with an iridescent sheen similar to the surface of a pearl. It is used mainly in acrylic and gouache paints.

Lamp Black
Most blacks are produced from carbon from differing sources, with each having a slightly different characteristics. Lamp black is an intense, absolute black, which appears to have a slight blue/brown cast that is only apparent in greys. Although, as it does have a very fine grain, if used lightly, it can become transparent. Although, due to it’s fine grain, if used thinly, can be transparent. If used heavily in lean media, it can have a sooty appearance. Lamp black can also be known as Carbon Black.

Ivory Black
Ivory black is the purest form of bone black, it’s said to be the most intense of the blacks.

Mars Black
It has superb permanence and is easier to prepare than the carbon blacks, making it a better option for artists who make their own pastels or tempera paints. It is extremely permanent and easier to prepare than the carbon blacks, so is favoured by artists that make their own pastels or tempera paints.

Below is a brief description of the different types of support for painting.

Processed wood
From the selection of processed woods now on sale, probably the best support for the artist, is MDF (Medium Density Fibre Board). This is stronger and more stable than other processed woods and so is less likely to warp. The surface is quite smooth though does take ground preparations well.

Natural Wood
Natural wood has been used for centuries in painting, but it does have to be well seasoned. Suitable examples will show straight close growth rings which where possible are aligned across its thickness. Wood with knots and sap wood should be avoided. As a general rule hardwood make a better support than softwoods

Linen
Linen is the best cloth for painting, it is a strong, durable fabric that, if well made, offers a relatively blemish free surface with a fine weave.

Cotton
Cotton doesn’t command the high prices of linen and is much easier to get hold of, unfortunately it isn’t as durable as linen. The better cloths are heavy (10oz or more) have a close weave and few stubs or knots.

Paper and card
Paper is an ancient product that has it’s origins in China. It is made from vegetable fibres matted together to form a sheet. Western paper was originally formed from linen waste (known as rags) but when cotton came into general use, cotton rags came into use. If made with care using the best materials, paper can last a long time, but tends to be fragile. In painting it is tends to be used as a ground for water colour, gouache, tempera, pastel and acrylics. Though, if heavily sized, can be used for oil colours. Acid-free paper is the only choice for those who want their pictures to last.

Stone
Various types of stone have been experimented upon as painting supports. Some fine examples have survived from the renaissance. Slate is an obvious choice as it comes in sheet form, but other materials such as marble and onyx may provide more interesting backgrounds that can also be utilised. Non-absorbant surfaces do not need preparation, though it is advisable to wipe down with white spirit before starting.

Until the close of the 18th century successful painters ran businesses in which methods of production, quality control and sales to customers were often very highly organised. In medieval times and during the Renaissance these were conducted in places that were literally workshops, usually rooms on the ground floor of a building that could be opened onto the street by means of shutter doors, thus acting as both a shop and a studio. Paintings were carried out in these workshops on a commercial level, tantamount to a modern trade or profession. oAlthough there was obviously allowance for originality, it remained within certain cnfines, with the emphasis on craftsmanship and mastery of the materials.

Workshops such as these were run by masters who, if attainted success, took on assistants and apprentices. Everything relevant to the production of paintings, from extracting pigments to laying a varnish, would form part of the workshops activities, and this body of accumulated knowledge would be passed on from master to pupil. As the painters’ studios developed, each new generation carried with them not only their own experience but also that gained from all their predecessors.

By the 16th century the more successful studios, like those of Titian and Raphael, must have been painting factories. They created great quantities of work, sometimes on a large scale, a major part of which would be done by assistants. Large studios continued into the next century with painters like Rubens’ and Van Dyck, but at some stage during the 17th century the system began to break down. There was a pronounced fall in technical excellence, as methods became sloppy.

By the 18th century painting was still considered a trade, but as painters lost the knowledge of technique in favour of creativity, the recognition of personal genius became something that all painters aspired to. Intellectualising artistic production in this way offered a socially acceptable path to greater status for the painters.

Famous artists such as Stubbs celebrated the horse by painting portraits for proud owners of the steed that had just won a great race for them. In addition, rich owners of large estates that included livestock would have a portrait made of their prize bull or pig. At this time is was common for the artist to exaggerate the best attribute of the animal in question. We often see paintings of strange looking barrel shaped pigs with short legs and small heads, this is not the result of a bad artist, it was common for the parts that showed the animal at it’s best for the butcher, where exaggerated over other parts.

Animals have always have always had their use as a means to enliven a landscape, but it was the Victorians that started to romanticise the way animals were seen in art, paintings such as “Monarch of the Glen” by Landseer (1802 -1873), typify this. Landseer was celebrated for his paintings of animals, notably of horses and dogs, but it was his dog paintings that spanned the class divide, being loved by the working class as much as the noble elite. It was to make sure he was able to reproduce the physical attributes of all his subjects, at a young age Landseer was encouraged to attend and perform animal dissections to find out about the muscular and skeletal structure. At this time you also see the rise in artists studying and painting wildlife, artists such as Archibald Thorburn (1836-1885) who dedicated himself to the study of Ornithology, creating many highly accurate paintings of wild birds.

In spite of the painters hesitance in spending time on pet art, one artist did move (of a sort) into this domain.

Manet, the grand statesman of French Impressionists and creator of such ground breaking paintings such as “Olympia” and “Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe”, made many sketches and water colours of his family cat Zizi. Zizi also featured in a portrait he did of Suzanne Leenhoff, the woman he married in 1863. This portrait, called “Woman with Cat”, was probably painted after Manets’ return from Rueil near Paris between 1880 and 1802, from where he had spent the summer with his wife. Nevertheless, many see it as incomplete and that he would have been working on it when he died in 1883. Anyway, it shows the artists’ proficiency with the use of unreserved strokes of strong colour, typical of his sketch technique.

Another notable around this time that made studies of animals was Degas, although he never considered himself part of the impressionism movement, preferring to call himself “the classical painter of modern life”. Degas made a point of studying the horse and jockeys at the races, fascinated with the portrayal of perpetual motion amongst the thoroughbreds preparing to race. Degas was able to capture the visually satisfying moment within the flow of movement, whether they were the steps and leaps of the ballet dancers or that of the horses on the turf.

This great ability to be able to correctly ’see’ the fleeting moment in an ever-changing scene, gave his paintings a reality that contemporaries couldn’t. Consider Gericaults’ engraving of an English racehorse which has all four legs out backwards and forwards, a manner believed to be true until Degas showed us differently!

Famous artists such as Stubbs celebrated the horse by painting portraits for proud owners of the steed that had just won a great race for them. In addition, rich owners of large estates that included livestock would have a portrait made of their prize bull or pig. At this time is was common for the artist to exaggerate the best attribute of the animal in question. We often see paintings of strange looking barrel shaped pigs with short legs and small heads, this is not the result of a bad artist, it was common for the parts that showed the animal at it’s best for the butcher, where exaggerated over other parts.

Animals have always have always had their use as a means to enliven a landscape, but it was the Victorians that started to romanticise the way animals were seen in art, paintings such as “Monarch of the Glen” by Landseer (1802 -1873), typify this. Landseer was celebrated for his paintings of animals, notably of horses and dogs, but it was his dog paintings that spanned the class divide, being loved by the working class as much as the noble elite. It was to make sure he was able to reproduce the physical attributes of all his subjects, at a young age Landseer was encouraged to attend and perform animal dissections to find out about the muscular and skeletal structure. At this time you also see the rise in artists studying and painting wildlife, artists such as Archibald Thorburn (1836-1885) who dedicated himself to the study of Ornithology, creating many highly accurate paintings of wild birds.

In spite of the painters hesitance in spending time on pet art, one artist did move (of a sort) into this domain.

Manet, the grand statesman of French Impressionists and creator of such ground breaking paintings such as “Olympia” and “Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe”, made many sketches and water colours of his family cat Zizi. Zizi also featured in a portrait he did of Suzanne Leenhoff, the woman he married in 1863. This portrait, called “Woman with Cat”, was probably painted after Manets’ return from Rueil near Paris between 1880 and 1802, from where he had spent the summer with his wife. Nevertheless, many see it as incomplete and that he would have been working on it when he died in 1883. Anyway, it shows the artists’ proficiency with the use of unreserved strokes of strong colour, typical of his sketch technique.

Another notable around this time that made studies of animals was Degas, although he never considered himself part of the impressionism movement, preferring to call himself “the classical painter of modern life”. Degas made a point of studying the horse and jockeys at the races, fascinated with the portrayal of perpetual motion amongst the thoroughbreds preparing to race. Degas was able to capture the visually satisfying moment within the flow of movement, whether they were the steps and leaps of the ballet dancers or that of the horses on the turf.

This great ability to be able to correctly ’see’ the fleeting moment in an ever-changing scene, gave his paintings a reality that contemporaries couldn’t. Consider Gericaults’ engraving of an English racehorse which has all four legs out backwards and forwards, a manner believed to be true until Degas showed us differently!

At this point you will already mulled over important issues of size of dog, yearly costs and taking time to exercise it. However, there are other questions you should ask.

Make sure you’re familiar of the minus points of the specific breed you are considering, as they say ‘forewarned is to be forearmed’. A good way to find out about this sort os information is with Breed Rescue Centres, they make sure any potential owners are fully aware of all the down-sides of the breed, the last thing they want is to have to re-home the dog again. Always make sure you are familiar with any medical problems that might be associated with the breed, especially inherited conditions.

Be patient, don’t be too quick to decide on a particular puppy because the breeder seems nice, or the puppy has all the registration papers, this is no guarantee that the puppy will be healthy.

We all want our puppies to grow up happy and healthy and will be around for many years to come, to ensure this you need to buy from a reputable dealer. The Kennel Club has a “Fit for Life” campaign, which reviews all breed standards and avoiding registering puppies that have been born from closely related parents. It also continues to develop it’s Accredited Breeder Scheme (ABS), the ABS was set up to promote responsible breeding and enable owners to buy with confidence from approved breeders.

Visit a few breeders and litters and, if you come across somebody that you’re happy with and trust, be prepared to wait for a suitable litter if they don’t happen to have anything available at the time. A good breeder will always have the best interests go the puppies in mind, and will have just as much to ask you as you will have to ask them. When seeing the puppies for the first time, make sure their facilities are clean, and they look healthy and contented with toys to play with.

Always view the dog before you purchase, and never from anybody that wants to hand the dog over in a car park or deliver to your doorstep. Be wary of puppies for sale in newspaper ads, internet forums or puppies from pet stores.

There is also the possibility of buying from a rescue centre or animal shelter, though may mean a bit more effort. Puppies can be rare and you need to be conscious of the fact that older dogs may have behavioural or health problems, usually due to being badly brought up by previous owners and no fault of their own!

Above all, do your homework, owning a dog can be expensive and the last thing you need are a lot of vets bills. Once you do find the ideal puppy though, they will hopefully grow up to be a friend for life, and what better way to immortalise this friendship than with a pet portrait. The best artists will not only create a great likeness but will also capture the character of your dog!

At this point you will already mulled over important issues of size of dog, yearly costs and taking time to exercise it. However, there are other questions you should ask.

Make sure you’re familiar of the minus points of the specific breed you are considering, as they say ‘forewarned is to be forearmed’. A good way to find out about this sort os information is with Breed Rescue Centres, they make sure any potential owners are fully aware of all the down-sides of the breed, the last thing they want is to have to re-home the dog again. Always make sure you are familiar with any medical problems that might be associated with the breed, especially inherited conditions.

Be patient, don’t be too quick to decide on a particular puppy because the breeder seems nice, or the puppy has all the registration papers, this is no guarantee that the puppy will be healthy.

We all want our puppies to grow up happy and healthy and will be around for many years to come, to ensure this you need to buy from a reputable dealer. The Kennel Club has a “Fit for Life” campaign, which reviews all breed standards and avoiding registering puppies that have been born from closely related parents. It also continues to develop it’s Accredited Breeder Scheme (ABS), the ABS was set up to promote responsible breeding and enable owners to buy with confidence from approved breeders.

Visit a few breeders and litters and, if you come across somebody that you’re happy with and trust, be prepared to wait for a suitable litter if they don’t happen to have anything available at the time. A good breeder will always have the best interests go the puppies in mind, and will have just as much to ask you as you will have to ask them. When seeing the puppies for the first time, make sure their facilities are clean, and they look healthy and contented with toys to play with.

Always view the dog before you purchase, and never from anybody that wants to hand the dog over in a car park or deliver to your doorstep. Be wary of puppies for sale in newspaper ads, internet forums or puppies from pet stores.

There is also the possibility of buying from a rescue centre or animal shelter, though may mean a bit more effort. Puppies can be rare and you need to be conscious of the fact that older dogs may have behavioural or health problems, usually due to being badly brought up by previous owners and no fault of their own!

Above all, do your homework, owning a dog can be expensive and the last thing you need are a lot of vets bills. Once you do find the ideal puppy though, they will hopefully grow up to be a friend for life, and what better way to immortalise this friendship than with a pet portrait. The best artists will not only create a great likeness but will also capture the character of your dog!

At this point you will already mulled over important issues of size of dog, yearly costs and taking time to exercise it. However, there are other questions you should ask.

Make sure you’re familiar of the minus points of the specific breed you are considering, as they say ‘forewarned is to be forearmed’. A good way to find out about this sort os information is with Breed Rescue Centres, they make sure any potential owners are fully aware of all the down-sides of the breed, the last thing they want is to have to re-home the dog again. Always make sure you are familiar with any medical problems that might be associated with the breed, especially inherited conditions.

Be patient, don’t be too quick to decide on a particular puppy because the breeder seems nice, or the puppy has all the registration papers, this is no guarantee that the puppy will be healthy.

We all want our puppies to grow up happy and healthy and will be around for many years to come, to ensure this you need to buy from a reputable dealer. The Kennel Club has a “Fit for Life” campaign, which reviews all breed standards and avoiding registering puppies that have been born from closely related parents. It also continues to develop it’s Accredited Breeder Scheme (ABS), the ABS was set up to promote responsible breeding and enable owners to buy with confidence from approved breeders.

Visit a few breeders and litters and, if you come across somebody that you’re happy with and trust, be prepared to wait for a suitable litter if they don’t happen to have anything available at the time. A good breeder will always have the best interests go the puppies in mind, and will have just as much to ask you as you will have to ask them. When seeing the puppies for the first time, make sure their facilities are clean, and they look healthy and contented with toys to play with.

Always view the dog before you purchase, and never from anybody that wants to hand the dog over in a car park or deliver to your doorstep. Be wary of puppies for sale in newspaper ads, internet forums or puppies from pet stores.

There is also the possibility of buying from a rescue centre or animal shelter, though may mean a bit more effort. Puppies can be rare and you need to be conscious of the fact that older dogs may have behavioural or health problems, usually due to being badly brought up by previous owners and no fault of their own!

Above all, do your homework, owning a dog can be expensive and the last thing you need are a lot of vets bills. Once you do find the ideal puppy though, they will hopefully grow up to be a friend for life, and what better way to immortalise this friendship than with a pet portrait. The best artists will not only create a great likeness but will also capture the character of your dog!