illustration
Pet Portraits
Draw Pet Portraits That Look Unmistakably Like Their Animal
12 lessons4 modules10h 15m durationbeginner level
About this course
This beginner course teaches the durable method behind a good pet portrait rather than one species or one medium. You will learn comparative animal anatomy for the heads of dogs, cats, horses, and birds, the likeness landmarks that make a portrait read as that specific animal and not a generic one, and directional layering techniques that turn flat shapes into believable fur and feather. You will finish able to grid and analyze any reference photo, render a finished portrait in coloured pencil on the right paper or digitally in Procreate or Photoshop, and handle the commission workflow that turns the skill into paid work.
Curriculum
Module 1: Animal Anatomy for Portraits
- Why a Portrait Starts Under the FurPreview
- Skulls Compared: Dog, Cat, Horse, and Bird🔒
- Placing Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Muzzle Correctly🔒
Module 2: Capturing Likeness From a Photo
- Choosing and Judging a Reference Photo🔒
- Transferring With a Grid and Accurate Drawing🔒
- Locking the Eyes, Expression, and Likeness Test🔒
Module 3: Rendering Fur, Feather, and Features
- Fur in Layers and Directions🔒
- Light Coats, Dark Coats, and Feathers🔒
- Living Eyes and the Moist Nose🔒
Module 4: Coloured Pencil, Digital, and Commissions
- Coloured Pencil: Materials and Layering🔒
- Going Digital: Procreate and Photoshop🔒
- Taking Pet Portrait Commissions🔒
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