Noodle the Cockapoo portrait – a surprise gift
Noodle's portrait was commissioned by Marilyn as a surprise gift for her daughter.
Marilyn sent me a selection of photographs of Noodle, and from those I chose a face-on outdoor image with his tongue out as the reference for the finished artwork.
The photograph had a strong composition and a wonderfully familiar expression, although Noodle's dark eyes were almost completely hidden amongst his curly fur. Using the photograph as the basis for the entire drawing, I made one subtle adjustment to bring his eyes back into view.
The result was an original hand-drawn Cockapoo portrait created especially for Noodle's owner – without her knowing anything about it.
If you'd like to learn more about my approach, read my about the artist page.
Portrait Summary
Breed: Cockapoo Medium: Coloured pencil & wax crayon Portrait size: A4 Commissioned by: Marilyn, as a gift for her daughter Created from: One favourite photo
A surprise portrait for Marilyn's daughter
Marilyn commissioned Noodle's portrait as a surprise for her daughter, so Noodle's owner wouldn't see the artwork until it was finished.
That made getting the likeness right particularly important. She knows every familiar curl and expression, but wasn't involved in selecting the photograph or seeing the artwork as it developed.
Marilyn trusted me to choose the strongest image from the photographs she'd sent and create the finished portrait from there.
After her daughter received it, Marilyn got back in touch:
“She absolutely loved the portrait of Noodle. She was so surprised and delighted how much you captured him. She thought his eyes were incredible.”
That final comment was particularly lovely to hear because Noodle's eyes were the one part of the reference photograph that needed a little extra consideration.
If you're looking for something personal to give another pet owner, you can find out more about commissioning one on my pet portrait gifts page.
Choosing Noodle's reference photograph
One of the questions I'm often asked is what makes a good photograph for a pet portrait.
Noodle is a useful example because the photograph I chose wasn't technically perfect in every respect.
Of the images Marilyn supplied, the outdoor face-on photograph stood out immediately. Noodle was looking directly towards the camera with his tongue out, giving me a strong composition and a relaxed expression that worked perfectly for the portrait.
The only problem was his eyes.
His dark Cockapoo fur combined with the lighting meant they were almost completely lost in shadow.
I still created the portrait from that one reference photograph. The additional images weren't used to change his pose, expression, coat or composition – I simply checked them to establish the natural colour of Noodle's eyes before subtly bringing them into view.
Sometimes the strongest reference photograph doesn't show absolutely everything. Small adjustments like this can preserve what works about the original image while giving the finished portrait the detail it needs.
Need help choosing a photo?
I'll happily help you choose the best photo before you order.
Building the portrait
Creating Noodle's Cockapoo portrait wasn't simply a case of reaching for a black pencil.
His curly coat contains layers of deep black and softer grey tones, with subtle warmer brown shades appearing around his muzzle. Looking closely at those variations helped give his face shape and depth without needing to draw every individual curl.
I built the coat gradually using coloured pencil and wax crayon, allowing some areas to remain loose while adding more definition around the features that make Noodle immediately recognisable.
His eyes needed the most careful adjustment.
After checking their natural colour in Marilyn's additional photographs, I added just enough definition for them to emerge naturally from the darker fur without making them unnaturally bright or changing Noodle's familiar expression.
Rather than reproducing every curl, I kept larger areas loose and expressive so the finished Cockapoo drawing retained the contemporary style of my other work.
The aim is always the same – a strong recognisable likeness without making the artwork feel overworked.
You can explore more dog portraits from photos to see how different breeds and reference images influence each finished commission.
The finished portrait
Once complete, Noodle's hand-drawn Cockapoo portrait retained everything that made the original photograph such a strong reference.
The face-on pose, open mouth and tongue remained exactly as photographed, while the small adjustment around his eyes helped an important feature emerge from the darker areas of his coat.
Loose layers of black, grey and subtle brown marks created the texture of his curls, with the pink of his tongue adding a small flash of stronger colour.
Most importantly, when Marilyn's daughter finally saw the portrait, she recognised Noodle immediately.
Her reaction to his eyes was especially rewarding considering they were the one feature that wasn't clearly visible in the original photograph.
From studio to home
What began with a photograph sent to me by Marilyn became an original piece of artwork created especially for her daughter.
Hearing how surprised and delighted she was when she received it made this commission particularly rewarding. Her reaction to Noodle's eyes was especially satisfying, considering they were the one feature I'd carefully brought back into the drawing.
Noodle's portrait also shows why you don't necessarily need a technically perfect photograph to commission an original piece of artwork.
What matters most is finding an image with a strong likeness and a familiar expression. If there's a small detail that isn't quite visible, additional photographs can sometimes provide the information I need without changing the original composition.
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Turn your favourite photo into a Cockapoo portrait
Whether it's a carefully taken photograph or simply an image where your dog looks unmistakably like themselves, the right reference can become an original Cockapoo portrait to enjoy for years to come.
Using coloured pencil and wax crayon, I'll create a hand-drawn portrait with a strong recognisable likeness while retaining the loose, contemporary finish of my original artwork.
And if you're unsure which photograph to use, send me a selection. I'll happily help you choose the strongest reference before I begin.
Hand-drawn in the UK
Created from your favourite photographs
Photo selection help available
Carefully packaged with tracked delivery