I thought I would share one of my recently completed commissioned pet portrait paintings. This is a painting of beloved Cooper, a sweet pup living in Missouri. Just look at those eyes, his personality shines!

I know I have mentioned it before, but, the length of time from start to finish on each pet portrait oil painting varies due to canvas size. For example: a 12 x 12 in. canvas takes about 12 hours total. An 18 x 18 in. canvas takes about 18 hours, and an 18 x 24 in. canvas takes about 21 hours total.

With this commission, I had so much fun! My client in Missouri ordered a larger size, my 24 x 24 in. canvas size. I loved painting this sweet Cooper! The painting time on this pet portrait was about 18+ hrs. That includes both the under painting and adding the layers of color. It does not include time sketching out the dog, mixing the paint or painting the background. All in all, I have invested about 26 hours into this painting.

You may think that is a long time to sit in front of an easel and work. Yes it is. But it is worth it to get the results I want, and I know my client will absolutely love her portrait of wonderful Cooper, and will hang it proudly, knowing it will be a treasured piece of art in their house for years to come.

Below is a time lapse video of the entire painting process. It’s 18+ hours boiled down into about 3 minutes. Check it out. And while you’re at it, like, subscribe and share my YouTube channel.