20 Jan Pre-Shrunk 2016 Art Show Illustrations

I have been selling a small selection of my work as postcards and note cards at Argyle Fine Art Gallery in downtown Halifax for several months now and they asked me to participate in their annual Pre-Shrunk artist show. It is a show where all established and emerging artists produce works on a 4×5 inch canvas, board, or otherwise sturdy displayable surface.

At first, I was petrified to even try because most of my creations are done on a computer and without the control-z option, I didn’t know what I could produce. However, after some long thought and trial and error I came up with a solution that allowed me to start my work digitally and then create a high quality print to mount on a canvas board in a unique way. The results turned out far better than I had expected.

My three subjects were Javier, a short haired Chihuahua, Beau, a French Bulldog, and Milo, a Pug.

First, I prepared some illustrations using my usual process, here are a few in progress shots of initial sketches and ink drawings of the outlines.

Work in progress #chihuahua #handsome #bowtie #illustration #drawings #sketch #handdrawn #ink #lineart #linedrawing #art #design #cute #dog #animalswithglasses

A photo posted by Tara Joy Andrews (@tarajoyandrews) on Dec 30, 2015 at 6:27am PST

Another Frenchie work in progress. Love how much character is in their faces! #art #sketch #lineart #linedrawing #frenchbulldog #frenchie #wip #drawing #dog #cute #glasses #animalswithglasses #dogwithglasses

A photo posted by Tara Joy Andrews (@tarajoyandrews) on Jan 3, 2016 at 6:32am PST

It’s a pug life. #pug #pugs #illustration #wip #drawing #sketch #cute #dog #drawing #linedrawing #lineart #drawn #art #design #glasses #animalswithglasses

A photo posted by Tara Joy Andrews (@tarajoyandrews) on Jan 10, 2016 at 6:06pm PST

I then painted canvas boards to create a frame and then cut some patterned paper to act as a wallpaper background. Then I used a sealer to cover the piece to add a little shine and protect it. I cut out my illustrations with an exacto knife at the size I wanted them to be and  applied several layers of protective sealer to make them more sturdy and enhance the colours.

Next I cut several small square pieces of matt board and used a marker to make sure the edges were black and used adhesive to apply the squares to the back of the illustration and then adhere it to the background scene. This adds a little dimension and allows their ears to go up above the frame. The last touch was to add some bows that were the perfect size for the illustrations to act as bow ties and make them all a little more dapper. And here are the finished pieces!

Javier, Short haired Chihuahua

Milo, Pug

Beau, French Bulldog

If you are interested in purchasing any of these pieces, please contact Argyle Fine Art. I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them!