About

My name is Annely …

…and I draw expressive and vibrant portraits of animals and people. I create my commissioned works in graphite, charcoal, pastel, or colored pencil; in my personal work I also use watercolors, ink, and mixed media.

Over the years, I have portrayed many animals and people, and even though I work in a realistic style, it is my goal to create a work with more depth and vibrancy than the photo reference. I enjoy capturing the uniqueness and distinctiveness of an animal, a child, or the traces of life on the face of an elderly person, allowing their character and personality to become tangible through the drawing.

My particular passion is creating high-quality horse portraits. Since I spend every free minute among English Thoroughbreds, I have developed a very special relationship with horses over the years. It is the tension between power, dynamism, and sensitivity that fascinates me and which I express in movement studies as well as head and full-body portraits.

 

Annely Putz, Künstlerin vor ihrer Staffelei und Pastellfarben, wie sie in die Kamera schaut.
Annely Putz, Künstlerin vor ihrer Staffelei und Pastellfarben, wie sie auf ihre Zeichnung schaut.
Annely Putz, Künstlerin vor ihrer Staffelei und Pastellfarben, wie sie in die Kamera schaut.
Annely Putz, Künstlerin vor ihrer Staffelei und Pastellfarben, wie sie auf ihre Zeichnung schaut.
Annely und ihr Pferd, eine Seitenansicht, wie sich Pferd und Besitzerin anschauen, dabei hat sie mit ihren Händen den Pferdekopf geschlungen.
Pferdekopf, von der Seite, in der Natur.

Nature and Animals – My Sources of Inspiration

My inspiration is nature; I spend many hours in the silence among horses. Always by my side is my Border Collie, Daphne, whom I have also immortalized in some of the works shown here. Animals from the neighboring forest visit us daily. I observe them and create small studies in my sketchbook. Over the years, I have created a whole collection of miniatures, from deer, wild boars, and foxes to grass snakes, fire salamanders, finely patterned snail shells, and slowworms.

I love the beauty revealed in small details, whether it be the translucent texture of an autumn leaf, the distinctive grain of a stone, or a weathered tree stump covered in moss. I like the smell of the forest after a rain shower, the mist that rises from the pasture in the morning and the milky-soft light over a snowy winter landscape, the frost flowers that our stream creates in January and the lush green of our summer pasture under a bright blue sky.

 

Annely Putz mit ihrem Border Collie "Daphne" im Arm auf der Treppe sitzend.

For me, nature is a complete work of art; I feel no impulse to exaggerate, alienate, or “artistically enhance” it. Respect for everything that lives, crawls, creeps, blooms, arises, and then passes away, inspires me to work with as much detail as possible. Stroke by stroke, I depict the smallest details, be it the highlights in a horse’s eyes, the reflections on a wet dog’s snout, or the scaly, finely patterned skin of a slowworm.

Pastellzeichnung von 3 Feigen am Baum hängend.
Pastellzeichnung von Quitten am Strauch.
Pastellzeichnung von kleinen Beeren hängend am Strauch.

Every photograph submitted to me shows me a unique creature, whether human or animal.
With respect for each of these living beings and with great attention to detail, I begin the process, which often takes days, sometimes weeks.

The joy my clients experience when they recognize the personality of their beloved pet or favorite person in my work is both an honor and an incentive for me.

Work in process

Ping Loo – Graphite drawing

Ping Loo – Pastel drawing

I live and work in Germany, near Heidelberg. I create commissioned works based on submitted reference photographs, and I ship the finished drawings within and outside of Europe.

Der Arbeitsplatz von Annelys animals, Annely Putz. Die Staffelei auf dem Tisch stehen, nebendran liegen verschiedene Farbstift Kästen und das Referenzfoto liegt vor de Staffelei.
Der Arbeitsplatz von Annelys animals, Annely Putz. Die Staffelei auf dem Tisch stehend.
Der Arbeitsplatz von Annelys animals, Annely Putz. Die Staffelei auf dem Tisch stehen, nebendran liegen verschiedene Farbstift Kästen und das Referenzfoto liegt vor de Staffelei.
Der Arbeitsplatz von Annelys animals, Annely Putz. Die Staffelei auf dem Tisch stehend.
Zitat: "Let us create something unforgettable together, a tribute, a sign of special appreciation, a memory of a unique creature" Annely

Preferred Artist Materials

Paper

I use only high-quality artist materials for my work, ensuring the longevity of each piece. I use fine watercolor paper made from 100% acid-free cotton fibers from Arches, St. Cuthberts Mill, Sennelier, Fabriano, Saunders Waterford, Lana, and Stonehenge as my painting and drawing surfaces. I create my pastels on pastel boards from Canson, Clairfontaine, Sennelier, and Hahnemühle. 

Drawing Materials

For monochrome work, I use pencils from Mitsubishi, Staedtler, Blackwing, and Caran d’Ache, graphite blocks from Art Graf, and charcoal from Cretacolor and Conté à Paris.
For colored pencil drawings, Faber Castell’s Polychromos and the waxier Luminance pencils from Caran d’Ache are indispensable.

I make sure all the colors I use have high-quality, age-resistant pigments.

Pastels

For my pastel work, I use pastel blocks from Sennelier, Unison, and Terry Ludwig. For large areas and backgrounds, I prefer Pitt Pastel. For details and subtleties, I use Carbothello, Caran d’Ache Pastel Pencils, and Faber Castell pastel pencils.

 

Wet Techniques

In my free work, I like to use wet techniques. Schmincke and Sennelier watercolors are my favorites, the latter because of the honey added, which gives the paint a slight sheen, thickens the pigments, and protects the finished work from aging.

I love Rohrer & Klinger inks for their color intensity. For special occasions, I like to use Sennelier inks, which contain a small amount of shellac, which gives the colors a special luminosity and shine.