Dogs wiggle and they move fast. Command them: “Stop! Sit! Stay!” and many dogs will obey, for a minute or two, but not long enough to draw them, so you might as well save your breath. Although most dogs aim to please, unless they are sleeping, they are not inclined to pose in one position for very long. This is makes drawing a dog from life challenging and frustrating. A good solution, aside from depending upon a photograph of a dog, is to work from a small statue or figurine.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
-
Find a figurine of a dog. They can be found many places, including thrift and dollar stores. Look around the house. The breeds and poses available in small statuary are unlimited. Select a two inch or taller dog statue for comfortable viewing from a slight distance.
-
2Check out the dog’s pose. It might suggest what kind of painting you want to do. If the dog is pointing, you might place him, in your art, in a grassy field. It he is sitting patiently what setting might you choose?Advertisement
-
3Do close-ups if you like. Will you zoom in on just the dog and have your painting be his portrait? Will the dog be seen indoors as part of a larger setting or be outside, enjoying nature. Select one whose pose inspires you. Place your dog/model in your line of vision, at your work station.
-
4Decide which point of view you want. Are you seeing the dog at eye level, as if you were stooping down to his level. Might he be seen as if you were standing, looking down at him? At your work station, elevate the statue on a small box, if necessary, to hold the view you require.
-
5Locate reference photos. Even if you are doing a portrait of a dog, you will be probably want to put the dog in a setting, however simple. Take new photos or gather other photos. Whatever inspires you. Places where you might see a dog are limitless, so, be open to ideas and find a setting you’d like to spend time painting.Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Drawing the Dog
-
1Use a piece of #140, cold pressed, watercolor paper from a pad. Any size is fine, but if your are thinking of putting the dog in an outdoor setting, allow a large, 11” x 14” piece of paper. The same goes for an indoor setting. How large do you want to make the dog, if it is going to be a portrait and how much of the environment do you want to include in your painting? It is up to you, but it‘s best to allow a lot of space on your paper because having the room to expand is better than wishing you‘d allowed more paper at the start.
-
2Get your art supplies ready; watercolors, brushes, a pencil, eraser, and a water bucket. Put everything on a solid work table and prepare your colors, either by activating each dry pad of color with a brushfull of water or squeezing pigments onto a palette. Drop a small amount of water on freshly squeezed paint, too.
-
3Draw the dog first. Tackling the most difficult thing immediately is a good strategy, if only to know that a major hurdle has been crossed. Since the dog is your subject and most likely the focus of the painting, take your time and get it right. Keep in mind you will be coloring the scene shortly and drawn guide lines are helpful.
-
4Use the figurine as a guide. Working from a statue gives you the information you need in three dimensions. Study the shapes, planes and detailed areas of the dog as carefully as you study the outline which defines his breed.
-
5Pay special attention to the texture of the fur. Look with an eye to planning how you will depict the fur, describing it to yourself; rough, smooth, shaggy, feathered, etc. Do the same with color and distribution of spots and the like.
-
6Sketch the scene surrounding the dog. Even if it is just cushions or drapes in the case of a portrait, indicate what will go where.Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Painting
-
Decide where you want to start painting. One idea is to do the difficult or most important part first. There is no hard and fast rule about where to begin. Just jump in. Let the completed area dry before painting too close to it to keep the colors from running together. If you must place a wet area next to another damp area, reserve a tiny dam or line of white paper to keep the shapes from merging. Use a hairdryer if necessary.
-
2Think about contrast. If one area is detailed, you might want to show it off against a more loosely painted area. If the colors are intense in one area, you might want to soften them in another. Look for contrasts; cold/warm soft/hard, textured/plain, etc. Listen to and trust your instincts.
-
3Paint until you feel the piece is as done as you can make it. Stop and distance yourself from it. Allow time for it to dry. Stand it up and step back. Before long, the painting will “talk” to you and things that need changing, adding to or taking away will become obvious.
-
4Make edits and corrections after the piece is thoroughly dry. Use a scrubbing brush with short bristles in tiny areas and a piece of white eraser pad for the kitchen to remove or lighten larger spans of color. Once again, allow the piece to dry before attempting to paint over an area.
-
Try out a different breed of dog in your next painting. Or simply turn the statue and do the dog from a new angle. Using a realistic statue or figurine of a dog provides loads of useful information. You can see right before you the structure of the dog and how parts are related to one another.Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
- Try not to work the painting to death. Stop sooner rather than later to keep the freshness of the watercolor medium. If your inclination is to pile on paint, perhaps you need to investigate a different medium such a acrylic or oil painting.Thanks
- The only time to ignore your inner voice is when it says that the painting is a failure. When you feel compelled to throw it away or give up on it, take a day or two, then look at the piece with fresh eyes. Make corrections and changes boldly, with the view to pulling the piece together at any cost. Sometimes it is fun to add a second medium such as pastels, wax or oil crayons, magic markers, etc.Thanks
Advertisement
About this article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 3,764 times.
Advertisement
