Heather’s energetic brushwork betrays a level of excitement barely contained… on the brink of becoming a hot mess. She loves to work ‘alla prima,’ a way of sketching in oil where the artist works ‘wet into wet.’ Her desire to paint and her love of animals has evolved into her most popular commission request: the beloved pet portrait. Having shared her knowledge of drawing basics in NMA’s Beginner Series, we’ve welcomed Heather back to the studio for a generous demonstration of Pet Portraiture. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to paint an expressive and characteristic portrait of your pet. Heather holds your hand through the entire process of getting a good reference photo, gathering supplies and materials, paint application, and more. Follow along as she makes critical decisions about color, value, and shape design for her painting of a Yorkshire Terrier.

Materials

• Digital Tablet
• 45-45-90 Transparent Triangle Ruler
• Mechanical Pencil
• Paper
• Carbon Paper or Transfer Paper
• Robert Simmons Signet Brushes
• Rosemary & Co Brushes – Masters Choice
• Paint Scraper
• Small Palette Knife
• Artist’s Grade Oil Paints – Titanium White, Alizaran Permanent, Transparent Red Oxide, Terra Rosa, Permanent Red, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cerulean Blue, Phthalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black
• Shop Cloth
• Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits
• 6″ x 6″ Canvas