Pet portraits · Dogs
We paint dog portraits by hand from your photo — any breed, any coat colour, one dog or the whole pack.
Dogs are the subject we paint most. Below are breed pages with notes on how each coat, face and build is handled on canvas, plus photo tips specific to the breed. If your dog is a mix, start with the closest breed or the mixed-breed page.
Each page explains what we pay attention to when painting that breed, which compositions work, and how to photograph them. Not listed? Send the photo anyway.
How we paint dogs
A dog portrait succeeds or fails on the coat. Short, dense coats (Labrador, Boxer) are painted with directional strokes that follow the muscle underneath; long or double coats (Golden Retriever, Husky) are built in layers from the undercoat up so the surface hair sits on top. Wire coats get a broken, dry-brush edge; curly coats are massed as shapes of light and shadow before any individual curl is drawn.
Black dogs are our most requested difficult subject. We paint black fur as a full range of dark blue, brown and warm grey with highlights placed along the coat direction, so the dog reads as a solid, three-dimensional animal instead of a silhouette. A photo taken in soft, even light makes the biggest difference.
The likeness lives in the eyes and the set of the mouth. We keep the catchlight where it is in your photo, paint the wet edge of the nose with a single thick highlight, and never widen or "cute-ify" the expression. If your dog has a habitual head tilt or one ear up, it stays.
Head-and-shoulders on a portrait canvas is the classic choice. Long, low breeds (Dachshund, Corgi, Basset) often suit a landscape canvas full-body; tall breeds and sitting poses suit a vertical. Backgrounds are usually a soft, single-colour field chosen to complement the coat, or the setting from your photo if it matters to you.
Photo tips
For the trade
Trade pricing from one piece, series and project work, shipped to you or your customer, digital proof before dispatch. Groomers, pet shops, memorial services, photographers, Etsy sellers and gift shops all qualify with a single order.
See the trade programProof of hand
Every piece is completed by one painter from start to finish — no assembly line. Below: a close-up crop of a finished painting, and a painter at work. Every image on this site is a photograph of real hand-painted work.
Usually, yes. We can work from several imperfect photos together — one for the eyes, one for the coat colour, one for the pose — and we tell you honestly before painting if the references are not enough for the detail level you want.
Yes. Multi-dog compositions from separate references are routine. We arrange the dogs to a consistent scale and light, send you a sketch of the layout, and only start painting once you approve it.
Yes — Etsy sellers, groomers, pet memorial services, photographers and gift shops order from us at trade pricing from one piece, shipped to them or straight to their customer.
Yes, as long as it is the original file rather than a screenshot or a photo of a photo. Sharp eyes and even light matter more than the camera. Send it and we will confirm whether it will work.
Yes. Trade pricing starts from a single piece, and a project — a series for one interior, or a standing monthly order — is quoted the same way. Request the trade price list from the trade page.
Send a photo and a few details. We reply with a quote and tell you honestly whether the photo will work.
Thank you — we have your inquiry.
We reply within 24 hours on business days. Want an answer sooner? Message us on WhatsApp and mention your name.
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