Every pet's face has his or her very own personality and characteristics.  They make them instantly recognisable to us and we love them more for them. With my illustrations I try to capture these adorable traits in a very graphic form.

It starts with a photograph, preferably face on, which I use as a reference guide. I will make a quick sketch, noting their fur patterns, expressions etc. The sketch is then scanned onto my computer,  replicated as a vector outline and where needed simplifying the details of their face.  The next and final stage is colourising the illustration.

 

Although Three Black Dots illustrations are relatively simple, symmetrical replications of the real thing,  they do need to adhere to their real counterparts colouring. Great care is taken to insure that the fur colour, shading and highlighting is just right. It's at this stage the illustration truly comes to life transforming your best friend into a piece of "Pop-Art" and celebrating them as the star they know they are!