Painting Dogs with Joules Designer Lillie

Step 1. Get your materials ready: paper, brushes and a pot of water. I’m using gouache paint, adding a little water to it as I go. I like using gouache because it is versatile, and dries very quickly.

Step 2. Sketch out a simple pencil outline of the shape of your dog. You can paint your dog from life, or you can ease yourself in by painting from your favourite photo of your pet. It’s much easier to draw from a still image!

Step 3. Next, fill in your pencil outline with one solid paint colour. Spend time mixing your paints to get the perfect colour first. I start with the middle tone colour of my dog. For example, I’m painting a brown sausage dog, so I’ve started with the middle brown colour. I’m using  a medium sized brush, as it’s quicker to fill in large shapes, and it encourages me to paint quickly and boldly, which creates more movement in your painting.

Step 4. I then add the shading with a darker paint colour. I like to mix all my paints on one plate, instead of separate sections on a paint palette, so my paint colours can all blend in together as I paint. This makes it a little easier to mix up your light, middle and dark tones with your paint.

Step 5.  Still using the same brush, I mix up a lighter shade of paint and I add in the lighter shades of the dog’s body.

Step 6. I keep working back into my painting, slowly building up the layers of shadow. Just keep looking at your photograph or dog.

Step 7. I then switch to using a smaller brush to add the tiny white highlights to the dogs eyes, and the black of his nose. Don’t expect the painting to come together until you’ve added the eye and facial features – it really brings the painting to life. Finally, I paint on the neckerchief in red!