How to Paint Dogs

Skill Level : 2 Intermediate, 3 Advanced

Medium : Acrylic Painting, Oil Painting

Subject : Animals

Tutor : Nolan Clark

Class Length : 20+ hours

Avg Rating :

Silver Level or Higher Course

Learn to paint realistic dog portraits like you never thought possible

They say dogs are a man's best friend and who can argue with that.

Our dogs will follow us wherever we go, lying at our feet while we work, protecting a property when not there, faithfully waiting for us to return then greeting us enthusiastically when we do.

When we are happy they jump for joy and when we are not they will invariably do something silly to make us smile again.

They show us absolute unconditional love so why would we not want to immortalize them on canvas?

In this course I will show you how to capture not only their likeness, but their personality as well.

This is the definitive and most comprehensive course on how to paint realistic dogs available.

During the 4 week course we will cover everything there is to learn about painting dog portraits.

Week 1 - Border Collie

how to paint dogs - border collie

We will start the course by painting a beautiful Border Collie. As we do I will teach you all the basics of painting realistic dogs.
Backgrounds

You will learn how we deal with the background and how a simple trick can ensure that the background doesn't compete with the portrait itself.

Learn to Paint ANY Dog.

By the end of the course I want you to be able to paint ANY dog.

As a result you will learn the theory as well as the practical side of painting realistic dogs.

Throughout the course as we paint, we will cut away to learn the theory before moving onto the next stage of the painting.

I have however kept the theory and practical separate, so that if you ever wanted to review just the theory you can and if you simply want to paint along you can do that too.

Black Hair

By the end of the course I want you to be able to paint ANY dog.

As a result you will learn the theory as well as the practical side of painting realistic dogs.

Throughout the course as we paint, we will cut away to learn the theory before moving onto the next stage of the painting.

I have however kept the theory and practical separate, so that if you ever wanted to review just the theory you can and if you simply want to paint along you can do that too.

After painting the background of the Border Collie we then move on and learn how to paint black hair as well as long haired dogs.

Eyes

Then you'll learn how to paint eyes that are wet, real and alive with expression.

Frontal Nose

Next up you learn to paint the nose from the front. One that is so realistic you can see all the dimples.

Mouth

When we get to the mouth area I will show you how to paint the tongue so that it shapes with the mouth and looks wet.

Painting realistic teeth and gums are notoriously difficult, but I will show you my simple tricks which make painting them a breeze.

White Hair

To finish off the Border Collie I will show you the secret to painting long white hair.

You now have a beautiful realistic painting that you can frame and proudly hang on the wall.

Most courses stop here but we're only getting started!

Week 2 - Labrador

How to paint a realistic Labrador dog painting course

During week two we will paint a friendly Labrador.

Short Hair

In this portrait study you will learn how to paint dogs that have short hair.

I will reveal my super secret and dirt cheap brush that saves hours worth of painting time but will allow you to get that realistic layered hair look.

You are learn to paint ears that looks so velvety soft, you just want to reach out and touch them.

Light Colored Noses

I will show you how to deal with the lighter coloured noses as well as how to paint more complex gums.

Along the way you will get more valuable eye, tooth and tongue painting practice.
Nothing is Left to the Imagination

During the course nothing is left to the imagination.

I show you everything step by step in real time. You can see exactly what I do, as I do it and can even paint along.

Timelapse is only used to speed up areas where you already know exactly what to do in order to ensure the course remains interesting and to the point.

Week 3 - Dog Portrait Studies

How to paint a realistic jack russel in this dog painting course

Extremely Short Hair

During week 3 of the course we will deal with individual aspects of painting dogs.

That way you will have the confidence to paint any dog under the sun.

You will learn how to paint super short hair.

How to paint noses from the side.

The side view of a nose presents a whole new perspective on the nose. In this module you will learn how to paint it realistically.

How to paint realistic pug wrinkles in this dog painting course

Wrinkles

How to paint wrinkly fur and skin.

How to paint eyes so reflective that you can see the surrounding people in it.

How to paint realistic wet dog hair

Wet Hair

You will even learn how to paint the intricate wet hair easily.

How to paint realistic long and matted dog hair

Long Matted Hair

We round off the week by learning to paint long matted hair.

Let the Course Pay for Itself

Nolan with a completed dog portrait commissioned painting

I currently sell my realistic pet portraits like these for upwards of $2,500. You can get an idea of what others are charging for their pet portraits here, here and here.

You could easily be making this kind of money too as pet portraits are the one most requested painting commissions worldwide. After this course and a little practice you could be inundated with commissions.

Let's face it, the cost of having your own dog's portrait painted by yourself on the wall is priceless.

This is the most comprehensive course on how to paint realistic dogs and you will get access to it in month 5.

It will be the most fun you can have with a brush in your hand.

PS - Although I paint in acrylics during the course, you can also follow along using oils as the actual painting techniques are identical. I have included a video in the course to explain the differences.

Week 4 - German Shepherd

How to paint a realistic German Shepherd dog painting course

In week 4 we will bring all our knowledge together to paint a large life size portrait of a German Shepherd.

This portrait contains everything we have learnt so far plus much more.

By the time you have completed the course you will have 3 full dog portrait paintings under your belt and will probably be getting requests to paint the dogs of friends and family.

If you want to, you will certainly have the knowledge and confidence to take on these commissions, which can earn you a very good income.

Either way you are going to have a ton of fun painting pet portraits from now on, safe in the knowledge that you can come back to the course to redo and review either the theory or the practical training videos at any time.