Pet Portrait of a Schnauzer Dog in Oil on Canvas

Photo of Nick

German Schnauzer's are wonderful family dogs: intelligent, playful, energetic and protective of family. They can be stubborn, but they are very trainable and thrive on being outdoors with lots to do. So they make good farm dogs too.

Nick is all of those things. He lives with my brother and sister-in-law and travels many hours with them without complaint whenever they visit. We're as happy to see him as he is to see us.

Nick is so special, I decided he needed a painting of himself! To see a short demo of the 6x8 oil on canvas portrait (which was a gift for my brother and sister-in-law), read on...

Since Nick loves being outdoors, I paint a green grass background after sketching him on the canvas:

Then I begin to paint him starting with his ears and working my way down. I use mixes of white, burnt sienna and ultramarine blue to make his gray fur:

I skip the eyes, nose and mouth for now. Now that his collar is painted, a bit of the same blue in the upper background would be nice, so I paint over the green with Winsor blue and ultramarine to match his collar, but in a more muted tone:

Before totally finishing his fur, I have the urge to paint his cute face:

A soft yellow ball is a favorite of his for playing catch, so I make sure to include it:

Here is the finished portrait. Doesn't he look as happy as a dog can be?

Nick - Schnauzer Dog Portrait 8x6 oil Painting

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I'm happy to take custom orders. Contact me for a custom painting of your pet, home, garden, grandkids, favorite vacation spot or whatever your heart desires.
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