A Flower-Loving Golden Retriever by Cheryl Kugler

A client asked me to paint an illustration of her adorable golden retriever. As a story illustrator, my approach to pet portraits is to develop a fun scene that expresses the personality of the pet and reflects interests of the owner.

It just so happens the owner enjoys colorful flowers and this beautiful golden has a quirky habit of pulling summer blooms out of their planters! So began the idea of the illustration. 

"Abigail and the Flowers", gouache and colored pencil, 5" x 7", by Cheryl Kugler

Read my extended post over on my artist blog to learn more about the creative process behind this illustration -- from reference photos to rough sketches to color selection to finished painting.

Shop for super cute products adorned with this illustration on my online artist shop.