© Elizabeth de Broise
The main focus of my practice is custom pet portraits, inspired by the special bond we share with our pets and a desire to celebrate this relationship through art. My first pet portrait back in 2015 was of my own dog, Lucas, and since then I have created over 170 commissions from the UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada and the USA.
After graduating from Wimbledon College of Art in 2010 with a first class BA (Hons) in Design for Performance, I spent a few years exploring scenic art, filmmaking and stop motion animation before returning to what I love the most, drawing. I have always found realism fascinating and find the challenge of recreating subjects true to life on paper incredibly satisfying. I usually work in colour pencil, and I aim to capture the unique personality and characteristics of each pet I draw.
With a background in visual storytelling, I am keen to use my artwork to tell the stories of inspirational dogs. In 2020 I started a project series called Tails to Tell which celebrates the roles that dogs play in today’s society and the different ways in which they help people. The first project in the series was a sketchbook, collaborating with UK based working dog charities to tell the stories of 15 dogs with important jobs. The sketchbook is part of the worldwide Sketchbook Project and is now displayed in the permanent collection in the Brooklyn Art Library, the world’s largest collection of artist’s sketchbooks.