Dog Portraits
Dogs. Dogs are the best family members. Grateful, loyal, fun and funny, enthusiastic, active, and even wise, dogs touch our hearts deeply. I love to paint dogs. Dogs show so much expression in their eyes and face. They smile, they pout, they wear their hearts on their sleeves. I treasure every dog portrait commission I recieve, and connect with every dog as if they were my own, because I love dogs!
Custom dog portrait gallery
Dog Portrait Process
I work with you to pick the perfect reference photo. This image was of poor quality; the black dog in particular was barely visible, but the pose was important to my client. The poor little blonde dog is having health problems, making this portrait especially meaningful. The peeking over the bed was meaningful to my client and very charming. Despite the poor reference, we went with this photo.
The painting was 12 inches by 12 inches on wood panel. This is a great option as the final painting doesn’t need to be framed, but still can be. I love float frames for these panels as they are an affordable and attractive option. Mention framing to me, and I can get that done for you at a reasonable cost.
For my dog portraits, I love to begin with pan pastel. Pan pastel is a pan of lightly pressed charcoal, and I dap this on paper very loosely. I like this beginning as it offers up a lot of possibilities and is best for sketching shapes without committing. Next, I go in with a sharper charcoal pencil to draw in firmer details. The drawing is then transferred from paper to a suitable painting surface, usually a primed wood panel.
Next, I begin painting. A funny story, when I first started my realism journey, I’d panic because I’d paint over my line! Where is my line! I soon realized that painting is drawing, but better and the line is just a rough guide. I paint to bring out shape and contrast, feeling and illusion. Lines don’t exist in the real world. I spend the vast majority of my time painting, not drawing.
I block in major shapes, and like to dial in the eyes and nose right away. This lets me be sure the dog I’m painting looks like your dog. Once the highly detailed work is painted in, I then have fun with the fur. Fur is a blast to paint. It is full of color and texture, and I prefer a looser, more painterly style of fur. A great deal of creativity goes into the fur and background design. They work synergistically to create appealing colors and movement.
Now I let your dog portrait dry and then varnish. I live in Flagstaff, Arizona so dry time is much less for me, usually only a few days. Fun fact: White and black oil paint are very slow-drying! Browns are fast drying. So your black dog may take an additional day.
Finally, I ship your dog portrait! I packaged each painting carefully and with love, with attractive paper.
Paint,
Dry,
Package,
Ship!
Ready to buy a custom dog portrait?
Contact Rayonna, the artist
Send me your favorite dog pictures, and we can get this party started.