How To Paint Watercolor Animals

Forward by Bob Davies

Many of us have or have owned and loved a family pet. Perhaps 'owned' is the wrong word, because the pet becomes so much one of the family.

Sadly, when they pass on, we're left with just the memories and probably photographs or even videos of our faithful friend.

Yet, with a portrait of them in pencil or paint, the image seems to be so much more relevant and meaningful and if you are able to produce this yourself, I promise that the love and emotion you put into that picture will come shining through in every single brushstroke you make.

I know this from painting our cat, Tinker, in one of the lessons for the Watercolour Secrets Course several years back.

We'd lost her not long before production began and I remember how satisfying it was for me to recreate her image - and character - in paint .

So I'm certain that Diana Boanas' lesson will touch you, whether you're in the same situation, or looking forward to many more years of wonderful companionship with your best friend.

Here's how Diana went about her inspirational tribute to Bentley...

Goodbye Bentley

Last week we said goodbye to the family dog, Bentley. Knowing that the old lad was nearing the end of a very happy and active life, I wanted to paint a portrait that captured him as an older dog, whilst maintaining the love and loyalty in his ageing.

My husband recently took this beautifully informal and expressive photograph, which was exactly the look I had in mind.

Creating the Basic Image

The image was printed into a black and white A3 sized format before tracing the outline of the main features onto Saunders Waterford rough paper.

The black and white image can be used for tonal reference throughout the painting.

Make sure that the carbon side of the Trace Down paper is facing the watercolour paper. It's an easy mistake to make!

Trace Down carbon paper was used to transfer the image, using a biro so that I could see the areas traced on the printed copy You can see that the main features and positioning of the ears, paws and chin were of prime importance.

The amount of pressure used in tracing the image can result in the copy being too heavy or pale. The pressure needed varies in the type of paper used, so having a peep may prevent it from having to be re-traced.

A good tip is to tape one edge of the reference photo to one edge of your watercolour paper (outside the image area) when doing this. It minimizes the chance of the photo moving after you've had that peep and ending up with the rest of the traced image in the wrong place!

Very heavy pressure may also produce both some indentation, especially on heavy paper.

It is possible to reduce the strength of a transferred line by rolling a piece of blu-tack or putty eraser over it and removing the top layer of graphite, leaving a workable line.

There are mixed feelings about tracing images and the worry that the painting becomes a bit like a colouring book template.

However, if I am asked to paint a portrait, animal or person, I want it to be a true likeness without being photo-realistic. The application of paint gives the painting its individual character.

This is my work table which is in a big bay window and north facing so perfect for light. I rarely use an easel but prefer to prop the board on my knee against the table.

I have two large pots for water and a third for softening off lines so needs to be clean. The paints I'm using here are Schminke pans, and despite the vast array of hoarded brushes, I do choose to use sable rounds for 80% of my work.

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Picking Up the Brush

I like to start a portrait with the features and the eyes first. They are the essence in capturing character, especially in an animal. Bentley's eyes are older and less defined, so wet in wet will give a softer, slightly out of focus texture.

Using an I-pad or tablet is a useful tool in portrait painting as stretching the image enables the artist to study the colours and shapes in detail.

I began the painting with positioning the eyes and blocking in the basic colours. Using a combination of Burnt Sienna for the iris and French Ultramarine mixed with Burnt Umber, the paint was applied to dry paper so as to have some control over the paint bleed.

A loose wash was painted around the eye which has left a hard edge. If this was to be avoided, I would soften the line with a damp brush while it was still wet. I don't always want to see the hard edges of under washes and this technique avoids this.

An overall wash could have been applied to the head before painting the eyes but getting the features in first gives me a 'feel' of the animal.

The nose was blocked in very roughly using a dark mix of French Ultramarine and Burnt Umber to draw with.

Blocking In

Using larger size 10 and 12 brushes, the basic under washes were loosely applied, giving the dog's head some form.

Returning to the left eye which was pale and flat looking, a watery mix of Burnt Sienna was dropped in using the tip of the brush. Building up several layers of colour gives depth to the eye.

As the main area of the eye dried a little, a stronger mix of Burnt Umber was dotted along the iris perimeter giving it a more realistic appearance.

Looking at the reference photograph, areas of blue and hints of red are visible in the fur, particularly in the highlights. Blues were washed onto the paws and areas of the head. The hard lines here were not a problem at this stage as they would add to the texture and depth of the fur as more layers were added later.

To Bin or Not to Bin?

At this stage of the painting, I'm not at all happy with the shape of the head and it is the first of many feelings of self-doubt. To bin or not to bin?

I decide to continue to see how it develops.

Detailed and stronger tone is added to the nose to bring it forward, though shadows in the nostrils will need some careful observation at a later stage.

Adding colour to the paws and ears is bringing the portrait together, although there is still an issue with the width of the face between the eyes and nose.

Stepping away from the painting to view from a distance is a valuable exercise in seeing how the tonal values are working. Despite the painting of the paws being looser than I planned, I liked the hint of sheen on the fur and keeping them understated would work in putting the focus on a more detailed face.

The band of brown under the dog's chin and paws is the rim of his bed and gives the pose an anchor. Including too much of the bed may be a distraction, so this may be just enough to give the viewer an idea of what the animal is sitting in.

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Developing the Tonal Values

The area under the eyes is strengthened with darker tones to shape the ridge of his nose and define the left ear. I'm happier now that the various adjustments have overcome the doubts I had earlier.

The dog's age shows in both his eyes and the white, whiskery jowls. Using a small, stiff, stencil brush, the jowl area was softened and lightened by gently brushing the damp brush in a circular motion and dabbing the abrased area with a paper towel.

Painting detailed whiskers over the brushed out area gave a soft, aged look to the mouth area.

A very thin rigger was used for the whiskers and a combination of negative painting into the white and loose sweeping strokes of the rigger with a light and relaxed hand depicts the wispy hairs. A few fine, white whiskers were added in acrylic ink.

You can see more clearly from the close-up that the white whiskers have not been overdone. So often, 'less is more' and here is another case in point.

Some Final Adjustment

The positioning of the two pieces of the bed rim was not lined convincingly, despite there being a rather awkward curve under the dog's chin. Realigning them and strengthening the browns along with adding a hint of colour gives the viewer a feeling of bed and bedding under the animal.

Look at the two following photos. The lower one shows the improvement once the edge of the bed had been re-worked and with some further strengthening of values elsewhere.

At this stage of the painting, I am happy with the dog's likeness and have reached a stage where the combination of loose and more detailed areas work perfectly in describing his age and gentle, affectionate character. I decide to stop and put the brush down.

Usually the hardest task!

Anyway, here's the finished picture which has been digitally 'framed' to set it off better. It's a painting which I will always cherish, of our lovable and faithful friend Bentley.

Why don't you create a portrait of your favourite animal or pet? Using the tracing method overcomes most of the issues of getting a well-drawn likeness.

From there, it's a matter of using paint (or a dry media such as pastels) to bring out its character. If you get the drawing correct, it can inspire you to go on and produce a little gem of a painting that you'll always treasure.

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