How do you paint dog eyes realistically?

Harley eye split

This video will focus in on how long it takes to put the finishing touches on a dog’s eyes. So I’ll take the piece from sketched-in all the way to fully rendered.

This stage is important because before you see it with your own eyes, the rendering process can seem like magic. It’s not. Making a realistic painting just takes time!

I’ve edited out time I spend mixing paint and loading my brush  (and staring at the canvas and reference) , but other than that almost every brushstroke is in.
 

Complete Video: How to Paint Dog Eyes after You Draw Them

For an instructional breakdown on the drawing portion of the process, where I walk through how to get the size, shape, and positioning of the eye in a drawing, check out this post:

Does the Whole Painting Take that Long?

After watching that video, you might be wondering… how long does it take to paint a realistic dog if that’s just the eye??

But the truth is, the further you get from the focal point of a painting, the less time and detail you want to put there. Art is meant to guide the eye (pardon the pun). So loose, fluid, brushstrokes that aren’t so exact are a great way to let your viewer’s eyes wander over the piece. Then, when they find the sharp detail of the eyes, they’ll be riveted. Mesmerized, even.

 

More Art & Dog Eye Painting Videos

More of my portraits can be found in my Pet Portrait Gallery,and I often post process to Facebook.

For more videos that show how to paint dog eyes, as well as other difficult features like noses, check out these posts:

 

Thanks for reading!

Zann Hemphill

Zann Hemphill

Zann Hemphill is a practising pet portrait artist, writer, and video producer.

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