Work In Progress: Part 2

Have now added Alana to the sketch

Big dog / Little Dog

What is it with little dogs? Why are they so angry? As an owner of two mid sized dogs i often find myself perplexed by the situation as some hyper volatile maltese or terrier runs rings around a somewhat sedate but very bemused Sam.
My dogs are both big babies. Sam has gotta be the most passive dog i've ever met. I often find myself struggling with the mental picture of Sam sitting there wagging his tail as some pint sized ball of furry fury chews of his nose and carves up his ankles.
Don't get me wrong. I love all dogs - i just smile in confusion at the scenes I am sometimes presented with during intercanine exchanges. :)
What is it those pocket monsters are saying that is so heated?

The walk... or is it a social event?

The walk. Dogs love it more than life itself I think. The chance to get out into your neighbourhood, check your messages and leave a few of your own. I can only be so grateful that humans do not feel the urge to check where other humans have peed. That could certainly make for some very uncomfortable social events!
We humans like the walk because its a chance to give us and the dogs some much needed exercise. Mind you Alana walks the dogs a heck of a lot more than me, but I still feel expert enough to comment on this! My pet hate however, is how many times the dogs feel they need to stop to sniff things!...and seriously don't get me started on how much pee one dog can possibly hold on to! They must have bionic bladders.
Do you reckon that dogs in medieval times did the same when they went outdoors with their owners. What about natives in the deepest jungles? Do they take their dogs for a walk? Do they find themself standing there tapping their foot and scratching their top knot as lil rover marks his territory?

Peace Treaty - breaking the language barrier

I sometimes wonder if my dogs understand anything I say. Other times I think they understand far too much. We can all admit that once in awhile we've also seen that quizzical look from our four pawed comapnion that seems just that little too intelligent.
And then I thought...What is a language that both dog and human could both understand? Simple - food! I know for certain that both myself and Alana, and Sam and Leela are all governed by the all consuming nature of our stomachs!

Sick it boys! - I am a petty petty man!

I post regularly on illustration forums and you get your fair share of criticism. Recently I have copped some flack for my puppy illustrations! C'mon folks, leave the dogs alone. Its fine to pick on my warriors and monsters but my pups don't hurt anyone.
Anyway, apparently all my dogs look the same and just stand still all the time. Such was the comment from a very Pokemon influenced artist. And so, what was my very petty comeback? what new height of maturity could I reach with my retort.
I took a certain yellow rabbit looking plush critter and chucked him in a pic with some of my more cheeky and disobedient pups. The result is total carnage as you can see. I particularly like the little puppy playing "stacks on" as he comes over the top to lay the "smackdown".
Ahhh... I'm such a child!

Car pooling - a good chance to sketch

After a hospital visit on Monday, it meant that Tuesday I wan't allowed to drive. So I got a lift to work from my mate Scooter and got to play passenger. I am normally the worst car passenger in the world but I must say that scoot is a pretty good driver. In fact he drove so smoothly i was able to do a bit of sketching on the way into work!

Robopal - Terminator 3 inspiration?

And here, I guess is what we see being the Terminator movie inspiration as I did my sketches. I find myself asking what would a dog terminator be sent back in time for? I like to think this lil robofella has been sent back to try and steal Fido's dinner. Good luck Robomutt!

Comittee Meeting - dogs are smart and stinky!

Watching Sam and Leela in action really makes it hit home exactly how special dog's are, and even more so how smart they are. I sometimes think that the way they are looking at me conveys the thoughts that they are the smart ones and they are just humoring us humans.
I will say one thing though as i sit in my study writing this with Sam keeping me company...dogs are definitelt the smelly ones "struth!" (dying here - thanks Sam!).
This pic here is my little dog society, convening a commitee meeting to discuss the shortage and allocation of bones and toys.

A pleasant distraction - Puppy Force

Terminator 3 was on the other nite so I sat down with the pen and paper. It was an easy enough movie to watch and draw at the same time. Never any fear of missing any crucial plot twists or story elements means you can quite easily focus on some sketching.
I must say I've felt quite motivated of late to churn out some puppy sketches, and this motivation has in turn inspired this blog.
First off that nite I toyed with the idea of a team of puppy superheroes, or Puppy Force as I call them...

The heatwave breaks and the power comes on...

As the Melbourne heatwave started to relent and we got our first evening in 3 nites with some power, I sat down and watched the cricket with a pen and paper in hand.
Sam and Leela were both curled up the couch with my girlfriend, Alana, and everybody sported expressions of relief and the early stages of relaxation.

Inspiration for this blog...

As I've started to accumulate a growing collection of sketches that i've done of puppy characters, I've decided to start a blog dedicated to it. Here i'll post my latest puppy scribbles with some descriptions and stories that may relate.
I'll also probably feature photos of my two muses, Sam and Leela. Sam is a ten year old kelpie cross, and Leela is a four year old short haired border collie/kelpie cross. They are my inspiration for what transpires in most of these sketches and my motivation to draw dogs.
This love of drawing dogs has also been able to assist my in my career as a toy designer, where I have been responsible for doing the dog character designs and branding aesthetics for toys such as Pawphans, and dog brands such as Me Mate and Paw Talk. I have worked on these brands as the senior illustrator for Australian toy company, Moose Enterprise.
I hope any of you dog lovers who may read this will enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed drawing them.
What you will see in this blog is a collection of sketches that i do in my free time at home, outside of my day job.