What I like about … Chloe Bren’s shadow portraits.

Sometimes the algorithm gets it right.

Chloe Bren, Smol but Mighty. fine art print.

I came across these gorgeous dog portraits drawn in pencil, by Chloe Bren on Instagram recently and I would love to share my thoughts with you. Here are some things I like about Bren's shadow drawings.

Firstly, I like dogs

I like how the shadow is the subject (main focus).

Usually, you would expect the dog itself to be the star of the show.

I like the colours.

The Yves Klein Blue* (the royal blue) is one of my favourite colours. I love this colour because it feels energetic and serene at the same time. I like that conflict. I also like the colours of the dog. On first glance you may think the little dog is black, but! You're bing tricked! If you look closely you can see tones of red, aqua, blue and even lilac in its coat, how clever?!

I like the negative space (empty space).

The paper being mostly blank gives importance to the dog and its shadow. I especially like how much of the frame (page) is ahead of the dog – it feels like freedom, you can go anywhere little mate, off you trot!

Most of all I love the dog’s jaunty little walk.

Where is he going? Where has he been? Is he hungry? Maybe he needs a snack? Just one, go on!

Chloe accepts commissions so make contact if you’d like your pooch and its shadow drawn. She also posts regularly on Instagram if you'd like to follow here there.

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What I like about ... is a series of art conversations written in plain language. I hope that in time, all people can feel connected to the art they enjoy and gain confidence talking about it. Often, the art elite make every day people feel silly when they talk about art, but art is for everyone, even if you don’t know the lingo.

*Yves Klein Blue is a specific shade of royal blue, named after Yves Klein, an artist who pioneered this new colour in his abstract works in the middle of last century.