What is an illustrated standard?
The answer is not as simple
as one might think. An illustrated standard is many things.
It is a lasting tool by which dog breed clubs guide and educate
their judges, members, and students of the breed. It is
generally presented in booklet form although, with technology, some
clubs are now hosting illustrated standards on websites for
immediate access. It is a pictorial guide with the purpose of
demonstrating ideals and faults in a breed of dog. Those are
the obvious answers.
Illustrated standards are
used by breed parent clubs in the American Kennel Club, United
Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club, and clubs around the world to
convey the particulars of their breed. Although dog breeds may
be recognizable throughout the world, there are sometimes important
differences imposed by location, such as cropping or docking of ears
and tails. Illustrated standards can actively demonstrate the
desired attributes of these variations.
In addition to conveying
breed information, illustrated standards should also be visually
pleasing. Depending upon the desires of the club, they can be
a genuine work of art. It is the important task of the
illustrated breed standard committee and the artist to work as a
team and communicate the essence of breed type, as well as correct
structure of the healthy and sound dog.
The parent club of a breed commissions an artist to
work with the selected committee to create a visual blueprint of the
breed. The committee normally consists of mentors of the breed
who have a history of breeding, exhibiting, or judging. The
artist is usually experienced in completing the specific project
type in a professional and timely manner, and has a solid background
in dogs. Since 1990, I have worked with a great number of
clubs to create these very important projects.
The following pages will demonstrate the process,
available options for the illustrated standard, and artwork examples
from the Argostar portfolio. |
