Bring your favorite pet to life on canvas

[Eric Danielson]

Painting the portrait of a cute pet would be the best ever gift to a pet-lover. If you have a pet and would like to bring it to life on canvas to recreate that love and bond you share, you can try finding professional art classes or exclusive canvas painting classes that can help you create one. When you are in New York, looking for interesting things to do in NYC, such art classes could be the ideal activity, especially when you are missing your pet.

Here are the following steps that you should follow to make your favorite pet come alive on the canvas:

Have a good photo

Pick one of the best pictures of your loving pet and make sure the quality of the picture is good and clear. Rather than having it on your phone or laptop, it is advisable to have it as a hard copy. You may also get a clear printout to ensure that you are able to capture every detail of the cuddly pet. You may even choose to take a fresh picture with your most favorite pose of the pet. A distracting background with adequate light could provide a good contrast that would highlight the dark or glary eyes and colors of the mouth and ears of your pet. Let the picture have clear definition of the nose and mouth regions, as these would help you achieve a more realistic picture with details.

Adequate Reference Material and Paint Materials

If you collect pictures of your pet in various situations and from different angles with its favorite toys and diverse light settings, it would help you to a great extent during the painting process. At times, a single picture you have might lack some details, which you can get from the other pictures if you have multiple shots of your pet.

Most canvas painting classes provide all required materials for you to paint the portrait of your pet. Nevertheless, each artist has his or her own individual choice of brush type, style, size, paint, surface and technique. You ought to find what your niche is and choose materials accordingly. You may even request your chosen art classes to provide you with these things, if such an option is available.

Know Your Pet

It is not just enough to have a good picture. Unlike human portraits, the portrait of your pet would be much more real if you understand its personality. So, if you plan to draw one of your friend’s or loved one’s pet as a gift, get to know the pet by spending some quality time with it. This way, you can learn its expressions and notable mannerisms, which can help you draw the picture with finer details. Just a reference photo would not get you the same results which you can have from knowing the pet in real life.

Set Up the Work Area

This step is very important because creating an exclusive space to work on your creation would ensure privacy and let the work process proceed without any hindrance. There may be times when you will not want to stop. Having a dedicated workspace would create that secluded work atmosphere and let you continue for as long as you want to. This is why canvas painting classes or art classes in NYC are much in demand as they let you draw to your heart’s content by providing you with the right atmosphere. These classes even have painting instructors who can help you get the finer details correct should you get stuck somewhere.

Take the First Steps

Decide if you are going to join one of the best art classes in town. You can often find them under ‘things to do in NYC’ column of the newspaper or Internet. These classes generally provide the required size of canvas and all painting materials. Else, you will have to get one from the local store. People who opt to do a pet painting prefer an 8 “X 10”, as it is ideal for a gift. You may even choose canvas painting classes that offer professional guidance. Such classes with have painting instructors who will help you select the right painting materials.  

When it comes to getting started, one of the basic steps is to pencil draw on the Masonite or canvas as you have envisioned the pet. You can choose to make many sketches to decide the final composition you desire for the portrait.

To start with, use a cheaper paper to warm up, as this would help you decide the best look you desire and would let you overcome the little mistakes you tend to make in the beginning. Once you get the flow, you can draw your pet’s portrait on the canvas. The composition you finalize must suit your pet’s nature and must not be too serious. A touch of mischievousness would add value to the end portrait.

Actual Painting Process

There are different ways to paint. You may either start with the eyes and move towards the areas around them or opt to have the eyes as the last area to work upon. You may also paint in layers by creating a base layer and refining the same in your final touch. Remember to have the perfect palette to create the apt colors that reflect even the subtlest tones.

Once you understand the flow of the steps, you will be able to create a memorable portrait of your beloved pet.