Below, are a few examples of some animal portraits a little closer to home with the hares always being a popular subject.Ĭarol Gillan specialises in friendly and sometimes humorous animal and pet portraits aiming to achieve an informal, composed painting which is both a realistic likeness and a uniquely distinctive interpretation. “There is a very special feeling when you actually experience these animals in their natural habitat”, and so it was that Stephen embarked upon painting these magnificent creatures. It wasn’t until a trip to Kenya a few years later that his passion was awakened to the true beauty of this subject. Stephen, once a landscape artist, decided to extend his art to wildlife in 1980. Our sixth pick in our top 10 animal artists is Stephen Park who depicts the majesty of some of the ‘big 5’ as well as wildlife closer to home in the UK. This unique approach situates his artwork in the contemporary art scene and the artist has gained wide recognition for his work, with multiple awards and exclusive interviews with the likes of the Huffington Post for a touching content creation on his artistic developments from when he was a young boy to the artist he is now. Merging traditional Chinese inks with European painting techniques in a contemporary style reflects the fusion of Marc’s Chinese-French ancestry. In particular is the artists liberal use of metal leaf in his paintings and with a warm earthy red underpainting, which combine to produce a striking result as seen below. This fluidity in his method of working gives his animal artwork a fantastic vibrancy which many collectors seek. The artist works in an inspired fashion, often filling the canvas with unplanned brush strokes and colour. Going from strength to strength, the artist has a number of accolades to her name including winning the animal artists award BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year and finalist in David Shepherd’s Animal Artist of the Year.Īn accomplished artist with a large celebrity portrait and superhero portfolio including the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Stan Lee, Ben’s talent extends into animal portraiture seamlessly. I paint mainly from my own photos but can sometimes spend hours watching the subject as it’s all about capturing that single moment.”Ĭonstantly pushing her art, Dominique now uses the earth pigment from the environments in which her animal subjects reside having observed varying shades of red on elephants as they roll around in iron rich soils. “I have always seen the human side in animals – the way they make you laugh or sympathise with them with an action or an expression. Each image has an almost snap-shot quality, showing her unique ability of capturing the personality of each animal and imparting humour, character and whimsy to many of her pieces. This not only creates a dramatic graphic image, but conveys her modern aesthetic. In the below video we see Debbie Boon at work in her studio producing her recognisable bold brush strokes and dramatic paintings.ĭominique creates remarkably naturalistic portraits of animal subjects depicted on clean white backgrounds. As one of Forest’s most prolific animal artists she is available for commissions and her work is available as large scale artist proof limited editions Her animal portraits are characterised by an energy and vivacity which reflects the joie de vivre she feels when faced with a subject that captures her imagination. Painting on canvas with heavy bodied acrylics, Debbie Boon applies layers of paint to create depth and vibrancy in her work. Our second pick in our animal artists is Debbie Boon. The artist is also a keen support of local communities and has donated artworks for charitable ends. Giles sources his marine subjects direct from the fishmonger with Brixham Fish Market providing an incredible source of inspiration. He is inspired by the natural world and examines the hidden corners of colour and texture found in nature’s close-up detail. Working pre-dominantly in oils Giles’ canvases take on other-worldly textures with the addition of acrylics, inks, spray paint, varnishes and anything else he can lay his hands on, including crab shell. Experimentation is at the heart of his painting.

Specialising in marine wildlife and crustaceans, Giles Ward’s work is unique and beautiful.

Dog portrait painter