I’m a great fan of literature, and I love giving books to my friends and family as presents. And so that it’s not just a gift that you can buy at any old bookshop, I had the idea of jazzing up each one with a personal, unique bookmark. This delightful dachshund wearing a jumper will be the next one.
My color palette for this project. See My Materials
1Draw a rectangular bookmark 2 x 6in (5 x 15cm) with a set square and pencil.
2Now sketch the elongated body of the dachshund, with its pointed nose and its floppy ears, in the middle of the bookmark shape you have drawn. I have used artistic license here to make the dachshund even longer to fit the format better.
3Dress the dachshund in a neat little pullover by adding a few lines.
4Paint the base layer of the fur with a suitable brown shade. While this is still wet, you can either dab on dark, intense brown shades or add a little water with your brush in the relevant places, nudging the color to the parts where you want to create shadows.
5When the paint is dry, color in the ears with a darker brown. Don’t forget the legs that are still white.
The dachshund will also look really cute if you don’t use the washing technique, but work instead with a flat application of color.
6You can now paint the red pullover. Follow the directions as for step 4.
7When the paint is dry, paint the white spots on the jumper with a steady hand. Draw in the lines on the collar and at the lower end, either with white paint or a pen such as a Uni-Ball Signo. You can use a black fineliner pen to add the facial details.
8Cut the bookmark to size and a new, unique reading companion is finished — you may decide to keep it for yourself!
Always pay attention to the consistency of the paint you are using and the moistness of the paper. They may be crucial to the end result.