Painting a watercolour dog portrait

Sketch out the form

Start by sketching out the basic form and proportions of the portrait using a light pencil. Pencil lines can be easily erased at a later stage if necessary. An life-like portrait requires that key proportions are correct in order to look realistic, so take time at this early stage to get the structure right.

Start with the eyes

The starting point of each of my portrait always begins with the eyes. Eyes convey our expressions and inner character and the same goes for animals too. I block in the basic colours using a medium brush and leave the white area of paper for the light reflection. The detail of the fur around the eyes helps move out from the eye to the rest of the portrait. Additional detail and blending will come later as the portrait develops and bring the portrait to life.

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