How it’s painted
Five layers, built slowly, the way portraits were made for five hundred years.
Most “hand-painted” pet portraits online are done in one sitting, or are prints with a few brushstrokes on top. Katherine works in the classical multi-layer method. Here is what that means for your painting.
Toned ground
The canvas is primed and stained a warm mid-tone, so no raw white shows through and the light has somewhere to start.
Drawing
The dog is drawn in thin umber from your photo. Proportions, the tilt of the head and the eyes are fixed here. You see this stage.
Underpainting
Lights and darks are blocked in with a limited palette. This sets the form so later colour only has to describe, not build.
Glazes
Thin transparent layers of colour, each left to dry. Fur, warmth and the wet shine of the eyes come from this stage.
Varnish
A protective varnish evens the surface and guards the paint against dust and UV. The painting can be cleaned for generations.
One portrait, start to finish
Watch Bea come to life
Three photos of the same canvas on Katherine’s easel, from first blocking-in to the signed painting. Select one to see it larger.
Underpainting
Bea is blocked in over a cool grey ground. Lights and darks are set, the eyes are placed, and the name tag is still a pencil sketch.
Glazing
Thin layers of warm colour build the curls and the shine in her eyes. The background is scumbled in soft greens and golds.
Finished
Final glazes deepen the coat, the brass “BEA” tag is painted in, and the portrait is signed and dated 2026.
Why it matters
Glazing is where the life in the eyes comes from.
A glaze is a thin, transparent layer. Light passes through it, hits the paint beneath and bounces back. Stack several and the colour glows from inside, which is what makes a coat read as warm fur and the eyes catch the light.
The trade-off is time. Each layer needs days to dry. Rushing it would crack the paint within a few years.
Your part
What happens after you order
Send your photos
Upload a few favourites through the quote form. It’s free and there’s no obligation.
Agree the details
Katherine confirms size, price and delivery date. A 50% deposit reserves your studio slot.
Approve the sketch
You see the drawing and composition before any colour goes on, and can ask for changes.
Receive your painting
You approve a photo of the finished portrait, pay the balance, and it ships insured.