I thought I would share one of my recently completed commissioned pet portrait paintings. This is a painting of Rufus, an adorable pup with a lot of charm and character. Just look at those eyes.
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 never painted a wet, hairy dog before and I knew it was going to be a labor intensive challenge. I also knew I could knock it out of the park! The painting time on this pet portrait was about 17 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 24 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 his portrait of dear Rufus, and will hang it proudly, knowing it will be a treasured piece of art in his house for years to come.
Below is a time lapse video of the entire painting process. It’s 17 hours boiled down into 3 minutes. Check it out. And while you’re at it, like, subscribe and share my YouTube channel.
