
“Happy Beagle”, 9×12″ pastel on paper by Annie Dash Studios
Upon reflecting back on all the adorable dogs I’ve met and photographed, I remembered fondly this particular sweet beagle, who had such a cheerful, happy temperament and a gleeful grin. Photographed during a family photography session many years ago, I was happy to use this image as a reference for this work.

“Happy Beagle” photograph by Annie Dash Studios
For this piece, I sought to capture the dog’s countenance and jovial personality, which I believe is also evident in the photograph.
I used PanPastels in the background to produce a painterly look for the underpainting of the fur and features, then added Faber Castell Pitt pastel pencils for all the detail work. I most especially enjoyed re-creating the beagle’s smile and eager expression for the pastel pet portrait.
Are you interested in commissioning a beautiful pastel portrait of your own special pet? You can learn more about Pastel Pet Portraits by Annie Dash Studios here.