Tomorrow is Father’s Day and you may be wondering what that has to do with a puppy portrait.  What to get dads, that’s always a tricky one.  Most guys hardly ever need to wear a tie, and well, another shirt just seems plain boring.  So when my friend asked me to do a portrait of their sweet little pooch, Chloe, I said sure.  Being a procrastinator I put it off until just this week and crammed to get it done by yesterday since my friend needed to give the present to her hubby (on behalf of her kiddos) before a trip to NY.  Looks like I can work well under pressure.  Maybe it helps me focus?  On a normal day I tend to flitter about with a million things going, most of you moms out there can relate.  When I’m working on a painting I’m forced to sit still.  There is a peace in that.  It was fun to do this project and take photos step by step.  I knew I wanted to blog it so as I was painting this time I was also mentally thinking about how I would describe doing so afterwards.

Creating a personalized gift like Chloe’s portrait turned out to be the perfect solution for my friend’s Father’s Day dilemma. In a world where ties and shirts often fall short of genuine sentiment, capturing a beloved furry family member in a painting brought a unique touch to the occasion. Also, personalized gifts for dad, like this custom puppy portrait, have a way of transcending the ordinary, adding a special warmth and connection to the celebration. Sometimes, the best presents come wrapped in personal moments and heartfelt creativity, reminding us of the joy in thoughtful gestures and the love that goes into every brushstroke.

In the spirit of creating memorable and unique gifts for dads, another delightful option is the innovative photo projection necklace. This extraordinary piece of personalized jewelry seamlessly combines modern technology with heartfelt sentiment. Imagine your friend’s father wearing a stylish necklace that, with just a touch, projects a cherished image of his furry friend. It’s not just a piece of jewelry; it’s a wearable memory, a constant reminder of the joy and companionship his beloved pet brings. These projection necklaces go beyond the ordinary, turning a simple accessory into a cherished keepsake that encapsulates the essence of the special bond between a father and his four-legged companion.

Here is a little photo collage of the step by step photos I took this week working on the Father’s Day Puppy Portrait.

Step by step how to paint a puppy portrait using acrylic paints.

Here I will describe how I got this cutie onto canvas in one work day week.

Materials:

– Canvas, size of your choice – I like to work on the larger side and it’s easier if you’re a beginner

– pencil for sketching

– paint brushes – thin and medium, normal and slanted brush edge

– acrylic paints

– tarp to work on

Steps:

* First my friend and I choose a photo that we though was the cutest of her pooch.  We were deciding between two and decided to go with the one where she was looking head on towards the camera so I could do a nice close up of her sweet face.

* I sketched out the general shape on the canvas lighly with pencil,

* Next came painting the lightest colors I could see in Chloes fur coat.  I tried to add the shades and shadows after the ights cream colors were down.

* My friend requested a bright color, orange being their favorite, for the background.  I added some more color to Chloes fur and painted in first coat of the bright orange background.

* Finally I filled in the black eyes and nose.  I also added some deeper shades to the shadows under her chin and around her ears.

* I lightened up all of Chloes fur by adding light cream and white over her coat.  I added some small details like the white light shining in her black eyes and some fine fur the way it sprouts out from her nose.

* Lastly I added a 2nd coat of the bright orange paint to the background of the portraint.  I also painted the edges of the canvas orange all around to give it a finished look.

It can be hard for me to stop with painting.  I just keep seeing things I didn’t see before.  I love working off a photo and really looking closely at the colors and details.  But from experience I know that it’s best to force myself to stop at this point.  Too much detail and it loses the soft touch.

I dropped the painting at my friends house and was lucky to see their pop’s reaction to the surprise gift.  He Loved it!  “Wow!  That is great!  Did you do that?!  Wow, thank you!”  It was so appreciated.  The best part for me was watching my friends face light up.   The painting is now up in our friends home.  Here is a cute photo that was sent to me of the model right up to the painting 🙂

Our model, little Chloe, posing with her new painting 🙂

Here is a photo of the painting of Oscar we have on our wall that was the inspiration to this project:

This our 10 year old Tibetan Spaniel (aka tibby) Oscar – he is sweet as pie

This is the photo of Oscar that I painted from – isn’t he handsome??

I did Oscar’s portrait last summer along with one of our daughters and a few of her friends.  We did an art camp here at the house and I asked the girls to bring in a photo of a pet or animal.

Kids Pet Portrait painting from camp last summer!

I hope this tutorial has inspired you to try your own Puppy Portrait for Father’s Day or just for fun.  Love to hear your comments and please subscribe to this blog and you will be notified each time there is a new project posting.  Thanks for reading!!

– Bita