A happy little dog portrait painted for Christmas 2024.
Lucy and Blue
Lucy and Blue is a combo portrait of two dogs on separate photos. I painted this portrait during the 2024 Christmas season. I created sixteen paintings in the marathon month of November (see my previous post). Using different photo references is tricky for a lot of reasons. I usually request several photo options of each pet. This helps me in the process of creating an awesome portrait. If the photos I’m given are clear enough, …
Zeus: King of the Dogs
It’s nearly two months since we bid farewell to Hudson. We buried him down the hill from our house, next to Beorn, Boris, Reggie and Larry, our previous dogs. His memory will live within me forever. I’ve since cancelled my subscription to Porcupine Monthly. I will miss the centerfolds. Life goes on. A week ago we learned of a dog at a local rescue facility in need of a new home. Rescue Experiences I didn’t …
Kai
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 …
The Eyes Have it
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 …
Seamus Growls
“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 …
German Shepherd Portrait
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 …
I Love German Shepherd Dogs
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 …
Repeat Portrait Customers
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 …
Bo The Bernese Mountain Dog
Here’s Bo, a singularly happy Bernese Mountain Dog. Well, that’s not entirely correct. Every Berner I know is, without exception, a super happy camper. It’s hard to say “this one is the happiest”. Though I never met Bo in person, the photos supplied for this memorial portrait certainly gave the impression of a very happy dog. Possibly it’s the breed. But more likely it’s the loving pet parents. Normally, I try to focus on the …