Pet Portraits in Watercolor

Class Preview

Paint lifelike watercolor portraits of any dog or cat! Capture all the personality of pets with gorgeous washes, realistic details and tremendous textures.

Creating a Strong Composition

Want to capture your pet’s personality with watercolors? Artist Deb Watson is going to show you how! Start off by picking the best picture and then decide your composition. Deb demonstrates creating value sketches that will bring form to those furry friends.

Transferring Images & Creating Your Palette

Learn to transfer your pet’s image with graphite paper — a quick and easy way to start your painting. Then dive into colors by choosing your palette. Deb recommends using a limited number of colors for a smart, coordinated scheme and shows how to mix them to get all the variety you’ll need.

Applying the First Wash

Break out the paint brushes, it’s time to apply the first wash! Deb shows how to lay down a first layer of color on your painting that will help create depth and luminosity and unite the portrait. Deb also demonstrates how to fix color blooms with a fan brush for flawless painting.

Realistic Features

Bring your pet’s portrait to life and capture its personality by learning to paint realistic features. Deb delves into how to layer and lift eyes for both cats and dogs, create unique textures (such as a dog’s bumpy nose) and depict different ear forms.

Different Kinds of Dog Fur

No two dogs are exactly alike — especially when you’re talking about their coats. Deb shows you ways to approach painting for all fur types and defining fur with contour lines. She also shows off a few painting tricks that help suggest texture without getting bogged down in the details.

Cat Fur: Details & Distance

Now that you’ve got dog fur down, move on to a cat’s coat! Learn how to paint with short, directional strokes that mimic a cat’s fur and make your colors pop. Then Deb shows you how to take some artistic license with tails and whiskers and finishes with ways to convey fur from a distance.

Background & Finishing Details

Wrap up the class by learning about background varieties that will make your pet practically leap out of your portrait. Then Deb shows how to use masking fluid to create fur edges — a great trick when your pet is backlit — and how to cast shadows to convey depth and realism.