The journey through Lexicon Lands continues! For the sixth entry in my Inktober 2026 A–Z Dog Breed Art Challenge, I'm celebrating the beautiful and energetic Flat-Coated Retriever.

With its flowing coat, expressive eyes, and graceful appearance, this breed offered an exciting opportunity to explore contrast, texture, and highlights using black, white, and grey ink.

Following the Akita, Bull Terrier, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Dalmatian, and English Bulldog, the Flat-Coated Retriever takes its place as the letter F in my growing collection of canine illustrations.

Meet the Flat-Coated Retriever

The Flat-Coated Retriever is a sporting breed known for its friendly personality, enthusiasm, and beautiful feathered coat.

These dogs are often recognized for their cheerful dispositions and playful energy. Their distinctive silhouettes, floppy ears, and expressive faces also make them wonderful subjects for artwork.

For this illustration, I chose to portray a seated Flat-Coated Retriever looking forward, allowing me to emphasize its gentle expression, long ears, and the flowing texture of its coat.

Because this breed often has a solid black coat, I wanted to experiment with how different ink values and white highlights could bring out its features without relying on color.

From Pencil Sketch to Ink Illustration

Every artwork in my Lexicon Lands challenge gives me another opportunity to practice traditional drawing techniques.

For this Flat-Coated Retriever illustration, I used several materials to develop the drawing.

Step 1: Sketching the Retriever

I began with a mechanical pencil, carefully outlining the dog's proportions, seated posture, facial features, and flowing coat.

A kneaded eraser helped me refine the sketch and remove unnecessary pencil marks before applying ink.

Establishing the dog's silhouette was especially important because the dark coat would eventually cover much of the drawing.

Step 2: Building the Grey Tones

Next, I used a watercolor brush to apply grey-toned ink throughout the illustration.

These grey values helped define the dog's face, chest, shoulders, legs, and body.

Working with different shades of grey allowed me to establish form and depth while preserving areas for darker ink and lighter highlights.

Step 3: Adding Black and White Ink

After establishing the grey tones, I used a dip pen with black and white ink to develop the details.

The black ink created the deeper shadows and stronger outlines, while the white ink brought out individual strands of fur, highlights, and reflective details.

I particularly enjoyed developing the contrasting marks throughout the dog's chest and coat.

The white strokes against the darker areas helped create the appearance of flowing fur while giving the illustration a distinctive ink-drawing style.

Finishing the Original Artwork

Once the main illustration was complete, I used an acrylic paint pen to create a border around the original drawing.

This border gives the physical artwork a finished presentation and complements the traditional ink illustration.

I also included my signature and the completion date, October 16, 2026, beneath the artwork.

Preparing the Artwork Digitally

After completing the physical drawing, I photographed the artwork and brought it into Snapseed and Procreate for digital editing.

These programs helped me prepare the image for online presentation and printing while maintaining the traditional appearance of the original illustration.

This keeps the Flat-Coated Retriever as the central focus and provides a cleaner presentation for the available print options.

Although I used digital editing tools to prepare the image, the drawing itself was created traditionally using pencil, ink, and a watercolor brush.

F Is for Flat-Coated Retriever – A New Addition to Lexicon Lands

With the completion of this drawing, I've reached the sixth letter of my Inktober 2026 alphabet!

My Lexicon Lands challenge is an artistic journey through 26 dog breeds, one for each letter of the alphabet, along with an additional wildcard illustration.

Each entry gives me a chance to explore the unique features of a different breed while developing my traditional ink-drawing techniques.

For the Flat-Coated Retriever, the biggest artistic focus was using the contrast between black, white, and grey to communicate the texture and shape of its dark coat.

I especially like how the white highlights help separate the dog's features from the darker areas of the illustration.

As the challenge continues, I'm looking forward to exploring more dog breeds and experimenting with different textures, expressions, and compositions.

Bring Home the Flat-Coated Retriever Artwork

If you love Flat-Coated Retrievers, traditional ink drawings, or collecting dog-themed artwork, this illustration is now available through The Artistic Shepherd!

The listing features the unbordered artwork, with available purchasing options shown on the product page.

View the Flat-Coated Retriever Art Print here

Original artwork and limited-edition print options, when available, can also be found through the product options on my Art Storefronts listing.

What's Next in Lexicon Lands?

With the letter F complete, the next stop in my Inktober 2026 journey is G Is for German Shepherd!

German Shepherds are known for their intelligence, loyalty, and recognizable appearance, and I'm looking forward to exploring their distinctive features through ink.

Thank you for following along with my Inktober 2026 art challenge!

Be sure to explore more of my artwork at The Artistic Shepherd, where my passion for dogs and creativity come together.

Keep creating, keep exploring, and I'll see you in the next letter of Lexicon Lands!

— Justyn Simon
The Artistic Shepherd