Do you think your dog is really good looking? Is your pup as regal as the kings and queens of Victorian England? Sure we can all take pictures of our dogs but what about a unique hand drawn portrait of our beloved companion? Throughout art history dogs are portrayed as loving companions to families and symbols of status. Dog portraits became increasingly popular in the eighteenth century and with the the UK's Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club standardization of what breeds should look like only encouraged the popularity of dog portraiture.
A local Portland artist, Nicolo Gentile, had fallen into the world of dog portraiture four years ago after drawing pictures of dogs of friends as gifts. Not knowing this was even a skill he had possessed prior he ran with it. Needless to say the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Nicolo's process involves his snapping a few pictures of your pup. Once he has his inspiration he lays the picture onto his grid and recreates the image with pencil and paper. Nicolo looks for significant marking on every dog in order to capture his/her uniqueness. If there is a mark on their nose or spot pattern believe that he will capture that for you. For those of you looking for that unique and thoughtful holiday gift for the dog lover you love please head on over to his shop and inquire about a pet portrait!
About the Artist:
Nicolo Gentile is a Portland-based artist originally from upstate New York. Nicolo moved to Portland to pursue his ungraduate degree in General Fine Arts from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Since graduating in 2014, Nicolo has continued to make art and show both regionally and internationally and will be showing work at PDX Contemporary this May. He has been the recipient of multiple residency and fellowship opportunities, including most recently the Leland Ironworks Residency under esteemed regional artist Lee Kelly. Applying for graduate programs, Nicolo is excited to develop his studies further with the hopes to be a represented artist and professor in the near future.