The Chow Chow is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world and carries that antiquity in its bearing. The lion-like mane, the scowling expression, the deep-set eyes behind their thick fur surround, the blue-black tongue — these are features of a dog that has looked essentially the same for thousands of years and knows it. A Chow Chow portrait in a formal style has a quality of ancient dignity that matches the breed's self-possession, and the results are consistently among the most distinctive that Furcasso produces.
Coat colours and how they render
Chow Chows come in five colours — red, black, blue, cinnamon and cream — in either rough or smooth coat. The rough coat, with its full lion-like mane around the head and neck, is the more common portrait subject.
Red Chow Chows — the most popular colour — have a warm, deep coat that oil painting renders with extraordinary richness. The mane picks up the light of the painting tradition and the darker guard hairs create subtle depth within the overall warm red tone.
Black Chow Chows produce the most formal and dramatic portrait results. In Old Masters and renaissance styles the deep black mane against a dark background creates an image of great presence — the face emerging from shadow with the scowling expression that defines the breed.
Blue Chow Chows — the dilute of the black — have a cool grey-blue coat that suits watercolour and impressionist styles. The cool tone of the coat creates interesting relationships with the warm tones of traditional portrait backgrounds.
Cinnamon Chow Chows have a warm, dusty brown coat that suits oil painting and vintage styles. The soft warmth of the cinnamon tone in oils creates portraits of unusual gentleness for a breed whose expression rarely suggests gentleness.
Cream Chow Chows suit watercolour and pastel styles — the pale, soft coat in these styles producing portraits of delicacy that sit interestingly against the breed's formidable reputation.
Recommended styles for Chow Chows
Oil Painting — the strongest choice for red and cinnamon Chow Chows. Old Masters — amplifies the ancient dignity of the black Chow to extraordinary effect. Renaissance — the breed's lion-like bearing suits the formal tradition better than almost any other. Watercolour — suits blue and cream Chow Chows particularly well. Ancient Egyptian Portrait — the Chow's antiquity and the style's ancient associations create an unexpected but effective combination.
Photo tips
The mane is the defining feature of a rough-coated Chow Chow and should be fully visible in the source photo — not compressed by a narrow frame or obscured by the dog's posture. A photo taken at eye level with the dog sitting shows the full mane volume. The deep-set eyes can be difficult to photograph clearly through the thick brow fur — natural light from the front, slightly above, picks out the eyes through the fur surround better than most other light directions.