Creating Realistic Portraiture Artwork of Pets
My name is Shay and I live & work as a full-time portrait artist in south England with the most beautiful surroundings around me. For my artwork endeavours, I go by the alias Shaymus which is a name that has stuck with me since my childhood. Recently graduating from university with a BA (Hons) 2:1 in Illustration, I specialise in creating realistic portraiture artwork of both pets and people, lucky enough to have clients come from all over the world.
I am mostly commissioned to draw dogs & cats, occasionally I am also asked to create artworks of other animals such as birds and horses. Any subject matter, I always love to hear what people may like to have commissioned next!
It’s so nice to see how many people love their pets, often messaging me along with the commission about how important they are to them. I love having the opportunity and privilege to be able to produce a bespoke pet portraits for those owners that want to celebrate their beloved companions. It’s always very touching when they send a heartfelt testimonial to me after receiving the artwork.
Currently, I am pleased to find the time to create wildlife artworks in between my commissioned work. My most recent Leopard drawing titled ‘Serene’ was a really fun challenge for me, I aim to constantly push my understanding of colour and texture, I think that soft pastels are a great medium to experiment with.
My aim moving forward is to draw larger and larger, capturing as much detail as possible. I’m also really excited at the possibilities of trying out oil paints in the near future & can see a lot of potential for realism with the media. ~ Shaymusart
Monty the cat’s portrait, pastels 30x40cm
How to Draw a Realistic Cat | Color Pastel Pencil Animal Drawing Ideas YouTube
“Lynx Portrait” Soft pastels & pastel pencils on 70x95cm pastelmat board.
Tyke’s portrait, pastels 30x40cm
Dog portrait on grey paper, pastels 30x40cm
Milo’s portrait, pastels 40x50cm
Lovis’ portrait, pastels 30x40cm
Marmaduke’s portrait, pastels 40x50cm