If you aren’t sure where to start when painting animals, this lesson on how to paint a dog’s eye in watercolor may be the solution! This post contains a short video from my Youtube channel, along with photos of the process, and you can see the free step by step video tutorial at my Online School! Enjoy!
Step by Step Images
Under Painting
Apply the lightest color that can be seen with thin applications of yellow. In addition, pale blue has been applied underneath the eye.
First Color in Iris
Next, move to the iris. Begin with an under painting of yellow. When dry, apply a thin layer of brown to dampen the iris, and then touch in thicker brown to the darker areas. Work around the white highlight, which helps to give life to the eye.
Fur Markings
Take the darks around the eye deeper in value with thin applications of grey. Since watercolor is transparent, the grey will appear different, depending on the color underneath. When dry, apply pale fur markings, being aware of the length and contour of the hairs.
Darks Around the Eyes
Reinforce the darkest parts around the iris different values of grey and black. Thinner consistencies will create lighter values, and thicker consistencies, darker. When dry, create darker hair markings.
Glaze and Final Details
Apply a thin glaze of brown to slightly smooth the texture and unify everything. When dry, reinforce the final darks.
Here’s a taster video from my Youtube channel.
When you have the time to give this dog’s eye a try, I would love to hear how it goes. Please leave a comment, and thanks for visiting!
