Pet portraits are an innovative way of keeping a snapshot of your beloved
fur-baby. Learn more about easy ways of doing so Portraits are artistically special ways of appreciation for the things and people you love. Similarly, the amount of love and gratitude from pet owners is not an exception when it comes to pet portraits. Although painting portraits seems daunting and challenging, you won’t feel like this once you know the proper techniques of painting. The best part is that you don’t

require professional certification for painting your beloved pet on your own. You can just be creative and personalize the portrait as you see fit.
This article will provide you with some tips and a guideline on how you can
paint a portrait of your pet.

Image source here

Preparation Before Starting to Paint a Portrait
There are some necessary preparations required for successful portrait
painting. These are as follows:

● Know the essence of your pet
Knowing all the attributes of your pets and implementing those in their
portrait is an excellent way of capturing their true essence. If you know your pet for a long time, you must be well aware of its personality and
mannerisms. However, if your fur-baby is new, then spend lots of quality
time with them to learn all of their characteristics. Remember, painting a
portrait is about making it look realistic and capturing the true essence of
the pet.

● Take multiple photos of them
Taking multiple shots of your pet from different angles will help you get a
reference to their structure while you are painting. No matter how well you
know your pet, it is impossible to remember every bit of angular detail.
Moreover, it will be hard to get details while they are in motion. Therefore,
still, pictures that are relevant for your portrait will save you from hassle and confusion.

● Get all your supplies in advance
One of the obvious steps for painting in peace is getting all the required
supplies you will need beforehand. Get your required paints, canvas,
brushes, palette, pencil, art papers, and other small accessories. Setting
things up in advance will help you work without pausing during painting.
Therefore, your full-on focus will be consistent with the portrait.
Small tip: you may not require a full spectrum of colors for your pet’s
portrait. So, choose the colors you want to work with, and buy those only.

Also, decide beforehand the types of paint you want or are comfortable
working with, such as acrylic, oil, or watercolor.

● Decide your pet’s composition
Portraits do not have to be picture perfect! So, if you are expecting that
outcome, you are doing it wrong. A painted portrait should have personality and a complementary composition. It can be whimsical, mischievous, humorous, or grumpy. You can also capture and paint a certain precious moment with your pet as a part of the composition. It will surely increase the originality of the portrait even more.

5 Simple Steps for Painting

1. Paint the background
   After all the preparation, it is time for action. At first, you need to prepare the background on which you will display the portrait of your pet. Keep the color combination in mind before painting the background. Also, make sure you know whether you want the theme of your portrait to be abstract or realistic. Background painting will play a considerable role in intensifying the depth of your portrait. If you are painting the background with acrylic paint, then it will dry fast. However, oil paint sometimes takes weeks to dry. So, choose the paint type that meets your needs.
2. Draw a rough sketch of a favorite picture
   When you have a variety of snapshots of your pet, it is time to pick one
   which you want to paint. Then draw free-hand sketches of the picture,
   matching it with every angle from other reference pictures. For the
   preliminary sketch, use a light HB pencil and eventually build up with a
   darker pencil when you are satisfied with the outcome.
   If you aren’t an expert, then it won’t be realistic to expect the best outcome on the first go. It would be best if you made plenty of rough sketches before choosing a final one. After achieving your final sketch, for ease of painting, you can input a photo to paint by number by segmenting each area of the portrait by numbers.
3. Create the palette that matches your pet’s look
   Of course, you won’t require every color from the paint boxes. Painting a
   portrait is not like painting a home. Keep a rough idea in mind which color you will use to accentuate your pet and its features. It’s not necessary to paint exactly like the still picture you are taking reference from. You can customize and personalize your painting. Therefore, prep the color pallete and start off with those colors.
   Make sure you include every color in the palette that is required to define your pet’s fur, scales, or feathers, including its undertones and much more. Otherwise, the painting will lack definition and it will seem like something is missing from the portrait.
4. Paint by layering colors
   Layering colors in a sequential order is important for every color to stand out. I assume you won’t use any unnecessary color in your painting that won’t hold any meaning. Starting from the base layer until the end, a good portrait gains textures and dimension through layers.
5. Add finishing details
   The last thing you need to do is add finishing detail to the portrait. Use
   markers or sketch pens for separating confusing lines. Draw shadows in the required areas, and lastly, do add your signature before uploading your creation on social media.
   Final Thoughts
   Now that you have a brief idea of painting a portrait, what are you waiting for? Adore and cherish the moments by creating a masterpiece for your fur baby. It may not be perfect if you are a first-timer, but it will be filled with love. Keep practicing, your portraits will only look better and better.