The Dog is part of a series of the 12 Animal signs of the Chinese Zodiac — the rest of the zodiac are coming soon! In the foreground is the Chinese character for the Dog.

Here’s a close-up of the detail:

Those born in the Year of the Dog are said to be loyal, attentive, and idealistic. They are both intelligent and modest. If you were born in 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, 1946, 1934, or 1922 you are probably a Dog, but double-check the exact dates if your birthday is in mid-January to mid-February because the Lunar New Year is on a different date each year. Wikipedia’s Chinese Zodiac page is a good starting point for more information about all of the signs and their meanings.

This image is also available in color as prints and T-shirts.

See the rest of the work in the series: Chinese Zodiac

Drawn with a brush-pen on bristol paper; color and text added in Photoshop. Copyright 2009 Stephanie Smith.