This Doberman Pinscher portrait really sold me on a new painting software. For 26 years I’ve used Corel Painter for my portraits. About 2 years ago I – foolishly – opted for a new subscription model for Painter. Automatic upgrades sounded good to me. Unfortunately, it’s two years later with not a single upgrade in Painter. I think I got screwed on the deal. I never thought I’d ditch Painter, but a few months back …
My busiest time of the year is November when I’m buried in pet portrait Christmas gift commissions. It’s something I’ve come to expect. I’ve been painting pet portraits for about ten years. Most of my work is through word of mouth, and repeat customers, and they all want portraits for Christmas. However, in the last year orders slowed. Concerned, I figured I should try something new. This past October and November, I purchased a booth …
Let’s talk about dog eyes! I’ve been buried painting pet portrait Christmas gifts all of November with absolutely no time to blog. Tonight, I’m taking a moment to post a portrait from way back in May of this year, and I’ll have more to say about my busy November once I finalize my commissions. The thing I love most about painting pet portraits is when I can successfully convey the personality of the pet. It …
This is Scout, one of my first commissions. Painted with just enough detail to activate your brain!
“Keep moving, Pal.” This funny pet portrait commission is a memorial for a beloved family pet, Seamus. Apparently, Seamus was quite the character. He loved going for rides in the car and growling at people who passed by the vehicle – in a “keep moving – nothing to see here” kind of way. This hobby (or habit) so amused the family that they wanted to memorialize it in a second portrait. The final portrait was …
Ripley and Vasquez are The Kid’s two cats. I did a painting of them a couple years ago.
This is Otto, the last of the three German Shepherd portraits I’ve done for the Hughes family.
A few years after I painted Junior, the customer had another German Shepherd portrait for me. He was their next dog, Murphy. A swell looking fellow, he had lighter coloring than your typical German Shepherd, and I accentuated that in the portrait. I think it’s a fair observation that German Shepherds need proper training to be their best at protecting their pack and accepting non-threatening strangers. In a neighborhood setting, you don’t want a dog …
We have friends (hard to believe, I know, but it’s mostly The Missus’ fault – she’s too friendly), and among those friends are the Hughes family. Over the course of ten years, they have commissioned me to paint each of their three German Shepherds that have been part of their clan. This is the first, Junior. He had long ears, which I at first thought was a trick of the photos they gave me, but …
I love repeat customers! This portrait is of Ginger, who belonged to the same owners as Bo. In this portrait, I really think I nailed the golden color of her fur. For some reason, I’ve struggled creating blonde and gold fur on these digital paintings. But this was the first where I felt confident all the way through without having to paint over weak areas. I think part of the recipe for success is not …
