From Nigel to Luna: Portraits of Dogs in Oil

The very first painting of a dog I did was that of Nigel; my aunt’s Golden Retriever. Her one request was that it be in oil. This led me to use oil paint for the first time and I fell in love with the medium. So, without my aunt and Nigel, I would have never squeezed oil paint out of a tube. 

 
After a few attempts from her reference photos, I soon realised I needed more practice in painting dogs, so I started to draw them to understand the anatomy more and I needed more practice, as this is a very important commission to me. 

 
During those practice hours, I decided to paint Leia. Leia, my parents-in-law's dog, is a 12-year-old, gentle German Shepherd mix. Despite her advanced age, she is still very playful and protective, intelligent, affectionate, and loyal to her family. She doesn’t get along well with other dogs though! (Apparently, common with German Shepherds). 

This photo of her profile really stood out to me. Her strong long muzzle, large ears and her beautiful black and brown coat were great features to paint. Using a reference photo of Leia, I painted my first successful dog portrait. 

My second attempt at painting a dog was of newly adopted Swiss Shepherd puppy, Kaia. She had recently been adopted by our friends, and on our first meeting, the little pup suddenly fell ill and her new owners frantically looked for a vet on a Sunday evening. To all our relief, there was a vet, and on Kaia’s return home, we all sat together in the lounge watching the little baby recover from her emergency vet visit. 

 
At the next visit, the puppy had sprouted like cat grass and was full of life and energy. She greeted us at the door, scraping her now large paws against the glass pane, barking and wagging her long tail. She was hyperactive and ready to play! 

 
Watching her as she dashed around, large pointy ears flopping about, I wanted to take out a sketchbook, but I didn’t have one on me! Luckily, the next morning after spending the night, I snapped a photo when she woke us up, eager for us to greet the day. Now I could draw and paint her in the comfort of my home. 

The final piece was done in December and gifted to the couple.

Next came Luna; thanks to the couple that own Kaia, shared a photo of the portrait of Kaia on their Facebook page. Luckily, a friend of the couple wanted to commission me to paint a portrait of her two-year-old German Shepherd. I could tell from the pictures that Luna had the same playful energy as Kaia. I studied the pictures of Luna often, and after a few attempts, I was proud to complete my third successful dog painting. 

During the time I spent painting Luna, came Max, a perky Pomerania. He wore a snug coat  during the winter months in September, his tiny fox-features enveloped by his large fluffy mane. His owner was our friendly neighbour L. 

 
As the winter months went, so did Max and L! But that wasn't the end of me seeing Max, as L graciously allowed me to paint her beloved pet. She sent me a cute photo of Max from her Instagram page, and Max's portrait was completed a few days later. Thank you Max and L!  

My next project is returning to the beginning of this journey and love for oils; a portrait of my aunt's Labrador Nigel. Stay tuned for updates! 

If you're interested in commissioning a portrait of your own beloved pet, wild, or farm animal, please do not hesitate to contact me. Each painting or drawing comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. Thanks to all the pet owners that have supported my work! And thank you, the reader, for taking the time out of your busy day to read this post.