Tiggy's A4 Watercolour Painted Portrait

Tiggy's Watercolour Portrait

I really enjoyed painting this A4 watercolour portrait of Tiggy from a photograph. There was something about his character and lively expression in the reference photo that I wanted to capture in the painting.

Tiggy has such a wonderful sense of movement. I particularly loved the way he is captured mid-stride, with his ears and fluffy tail flowing as he runs. I wanted to keep that feeling of energy in the watercolour, rather than making the portrait feel too posed or still.

His black-and-white markings also made him especially interesting to paint. I used layers of watercolour to build up the darker areas of his face, ears and body, while leaving the lighter parts of his coat soft and delicate. I enjoyed adding the little details of his fur, particularly around his neck and tail, where the texture gives the painting a lovely sense of movement.

I also kept the background very light, with just a few loose touches of grass. This helps to keep the focus on Tiggy while giving a hint of the outdoor setting from the original photograph.

For me, the best part of creating a pet portrait is trying to capture more than just an animal's appearance. I want the finished painting to have a sense of their personality, too. I hope I've managed to capture something of Tiggy's playful, energetic character in this little A4 watercolour.

Flax Project