Kerry McLoughlin Artist

26/05/2026

I had the pleasure of drawing these two gorgeous doggies, commissioned by one of my lovely Pilates clients. Sykes on the left, who very sadly passed away a few weeks ago, was a Smooth Fox Terrier, and his beautiful black face had so many blues and maroon shades in it, as the black reflected colours in the light from the different angles created from his facial bone structure. His soft soulful eyes were focused straight into the camera, with a really loving expression. His brotherly bestie, Tiger, a Mini Fox Terrier (‘Mini Foxie’), stared lovingly into his owner’s eyes, allowing full view of his beautiful golden brown facial fur, of which I used countless shades of caramel/brown/cream/peach/pink. The wooden planks that both boys sat on, created a really nice grounding effect with the brown warmth tying in their colourful faces up top, separated from the various shades of white/cream in their bodies. I was very lucky to work from a professional photo of these two. This portrait was drawn in 35 hours on A3 drafting film using all my coloured pencil brands, and placed in front of black paper to allow the white fur to be distinct and look as it was intended. I added a little drawing to the reverse of the film to bring out the white and also darkness in Sykes’ face.

Smooth Fox Terrier facts:
* Short, hard coat that is predominantly white, with a long wedge-shaped head, V-shaped ears and small, dark eyes
* Originally bred for their ability to drive a fox out of its den, however later developed more speed and longer legs
* Taller and broader than the Mini Foxie
* Courageous, alert and active

Mini Foxie facts:
* Small, fine, lightweight working terrier
* Developed as a hunting dog for rats, mice and rabbits
* Ruthless in their attack on rodents
* Can squeeze in and out of tight spaces
* Known for their speed and agility
* Thrive on positive socialisation and praise
* High prey drive so can’t be trusted around small pet rodents or birds
* Spirited, explosive and loyal
* Distinct breed refined in Australia from the original English-bred Fox Terrier

08/05/2026

This funny looking giraffe captured my interest by its quirky eating pose and vibrant berries in stark contrast to the giraffe’s colouring. It was based on a reference photo taken by the talented Patsy Weingart, who kindly gave me permission to draw it. I used all my coloured pencil brands on drafting film. Initially I trialled pan pastels on the reverse side to create a muted, blended background in an attempt to make it appear set back from the giraffe, but after completing the front side, I decided to draw in pencil over the blurred trees on the front side, to create more depth and a bit more colour. I am pretty happy with the end result. The pan pastels definitely make more mess and don’t stay put like pencils do, so I probably need to experiment more with them and on different surfaces that hold the pastel better.

I tried a few different coloured papers behind the film, and landed with a light blue/grey to bring out the sky and lighten the drawing (I always draw with black paper behind the film so I can see the white pencil more easily, and I like the effect of has). This was completed in around 16 hours.

22/04/2026

This cute little fox cub was based on a free reference photograph by Jeremy Hynes, and drawn roughly following a tutorial by Bonny Snowdon, although I drew ahead of what was said and selected a few different pencils of choice. This was drawn on white pastelmat, which is a very different surface to my usual drafting film, as it has a lot more ‘tooth’, so requires many layers of pencil to fill in the tooth and reduce the grainy textured appearance, and colours blend a lot easier. It also allows you to draw lighter colours on top of darker colours, so the planning of layers and details is different to drafting film. I used mostly Polychromos, Luminance and Pablo coloured pencils.

16/03/2026

I really enjoyed drawing this quirky Bengal cat, seemingly sipping (chewing) water from a straw, creating a slightly smooshed eye and visible teeth on the one side. I love the beautiful vibrant oranges in the Bengal’s coat, and the deep greens and blues in the background reflecting in the glass. It was a fun piece to draw! I used my usual multitude of pencil brands, including Holbeins for the rich background, on drafting film.

The reference photo was taken by Helena Jankovičová Kováčová. This was completed in around 18 hours.

Bengal facts:
* Hybrid breed of cat (Asian leopard cat X domestic cat)
* Tabby coat with varying designs (spots, rosettes, arrowheads, marbling)
* Variety of colours (black, blue, spotted (rosetted or marbled), +/- silver, +/- charcoal, snow (point, sepia and mink patterns)
* Fur has a ‘glitter’ effect - shiny, sparkly wool
* Claimed to be a hypoallergenic breed (produces lower than average levels of allergens) but not scientifically proven; shed less than other breeds
* Health risks: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, retinal atrophy (eventual blindness), ulcerative nasal dermatitis and PK deficiency
* Average life expectancy is 8.5 years (but can live to 12-16)
* Love to swim and play with water, and drink by dipping their paws in water and licking them
* Highly communicative and vocal (wide range of chirps and meows)
* Curious, adventurous, intelligent, incredibly active and affectionate - love to walk on leashes, jump and climb, play dog games and love dog toys, and follow you around everywhere
* Mischievous and love to steal and hide shiny objects and toys
* Often friends with dogs and other domestic pets (besides birds and small rodents)
* Amazing ability to hunt birds
* F4 is the most recommended generation to keep as a pet (4th generation), considered to have a better, soft, domestic character compared to F1
* Can be trained to use a human toilet, otherwise very fussy with keeping a clean litter tray

10/02/2026

I really enjoyed drawing these two gorgeous friends, as I am really drawn to animals showing affection to one another, especially from different species. The deep, rich brown tones of the Dachshund allowed me to use a wide range of coloured pencils, and were in stark contrast to the greys and whites of the Ragdoll kitten. I used my favourite surface, drafting film, and placed it in front of a grey piece of paper to allow the white to stand out but also be blended. I drew on the front and reverse side to emphasise the white, the darker areas and enrich the browns.

The reference photo was purchased on iStock, and taken by Stefanie Margareta Photography. This was completed in around 14 hours.

Dachshund facts:
* Also known as a sausage dog
* Short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed
* Can be smooth-haired, wire-haired or long-haired
* Bred to scent, chase and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals
* ‘Dachshund’ means ‘badger dog’ (pronounced ‘daks hoont’ - like the oo in book)
* Affectionate, playful, small, loyal
* Have low grooming needs
* Can be stubborn, hard to toilet train, very vocal, highly prone to serious back problems
* Can be aggressive to strangers and other dogs

Ragdoll facts
* Distinct colourpoint coat (body is lighter than face, ears, legs and tail), large blue eyes, semi-long and silky soft coat, thick limbs, long tails
* Tendency to go limp and relaxed when picked up
* Tend to follow people around, are receptive to handling and have relative lack of aggression towards other pets

Prints of my artwork can be purchased at www.kerrymcloughlinartist.com.au

30/12/2025

This is the first Christmas drawing I have done, and also a rare tutorial from Bonny Snowdon Academy, of this cute tabby cat wearing a Santa hat. It was drawn on Drafting Film using a multitude of coloured pencils, based on a reference photo from Pexels. I added some of my own pencils to the mix. Whiskers were created using the slice tool, and a little darkened touches were added to the reverse side of the film. This was a fun piece, released in stages (’12 days of Christmas’ theme), so I’m not sure of the total time taken to drawn it. There were lots of different challenges in this one, creating the soft pompom effect on the hat and fluffy trimmings, the detail on the wicker basket and the grey folded over blanket. In all my drawings, I tend to draw with a black piece of paper placed underneath the film, and then on completion, I place a coloured piece of cardboard underneath it, however this was fully drawn over a white piece of paper, and a white piece of cardboard placed beneath it.

17/12/2025

Loving my new T-shirt featuring one of my favourite drawings, “Kindred Spirits.” This and 14 other unique T-shirt designs featuring my artwork and some meaningful text, are available for purchase on my website, delivered Australia-wide (kerrymcloughlinartist.com.au/collections/t-shirts).

02/12/2025

This black cat with its captivating eyes, coming off a pitch black background, was drawn in 11.5 hours on drafting film using a black pastel for the background, and my entire collection of coloured pencil brands for the cat, largely Derwent Ddrawing black, Ccaran Dd’ache white and Ppolychromoes and Pablos for the bulk with a few others here and there.



📷 Ref: Oleksii Kriachko, iStock (paid for use of reference photo

25/11/2025

I have just launched a new collection of T-shirts on my website featuring my artwork with an inspirational message. Available in S-3XL in a range of colours that best suit the artwork. See link to website in comments.

18/11/2025

This reference photo captivated me as I love seeing a profound connection between different species. There were a series of photos and at one point, the Golden Retriever was sharing a fairly cosy space with three cats, one on top of him, and the other two pressed against him. I loved how at ease the gorgeous dog and cat looked together, their faces only mere centimetres apart. The Golden’s eyes had such vibrant shades of brown and orange, and the cat’s very contrasted eyes were a greeny yellow with an orange outline tinged from the edges. The animals both seemed to have a bit of dirt on their faces, potentially farm animals, as the kennel gave a horse stable vibe.

This was drawn in around 14-15 hours, starting with the black pastel background, then focusing on the dog, then the cat, and finally the wooden posts. I used my myriad of coloured pencil brands, and placed a medium grey piece of paper behind the drafting film. I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed drawing these beautiful creatures and hopefully bringing them to life.

This drawing (and most others) is available for purchase as wall art (fine art print or canvas) or various merchandise, on my website (kerrymcloughlinartist.com.au) - link in bio above.



📷 Ref: Wirestock, iStock (paid for use of reference photo)

10/11/2025