Paint Pet Portraits in Oil

In The Pet Portrait Oil Painting Course: Long Haired Dog Edition, you’ll learn how to create lifelike, expressive portraits. With more than 3,000 students in my courses, I’ve designed this program to guide artists at every level. You’ll learn to create Marcelo’s signature buttery brushstroke, adding impressionistic depth and expressiveness with the Alla Prima method.

To make capturing colors and values easier, we’ll use a color check system and the versatile Zorn palette. This simplifies color choices, helping you achieve accurate hues and balanced values with confidence. The course also features two complete paintings from start to finish, each using a different approach.

What sets this course apart is the personalized critique you’ll receive directly from me, along with the opportunity to ask questions in each lesson, ensuring every concept is clear. Painting questions answered by Marcelo in less than 24h. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, this course gives you the tools, techniques, and confidence to paint with expressive realism.

Presentation Module (3 Lessons)

Begin with my journey as a painter, gain insight into the course structure, and dive into a lesson on my unique style—where I share the influence of great masters from the past who inspire my blend of realism and expression.

Materials Module (4 Lessons)

Discover the best way to use your materials, including paints, brushes, and mediums, as well as how to properly prepare your canvas. These insights will equip you with the essentials to create vibrant, long-lasting artwork.

Concept Module (3 lessons)

Master foundational concepts like selecting high-quality references, understanding values and light, and using edge control to add depth and realism to your portraits.

Painting Module (15 lessons)

Dive into techniques for realistic textures, with dedicated lessons on each element: the Fur Sphere, Imprimatura, Drawing, Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Tongue, Head, Snout, Ears, Torso, Background, and Details. You’ll build up each layer confidently, concluding with varnishing methods that protect and enhance your artwork

Bonus Lessons (5 lessons)

In this module of 5 bonus lessons, we're going to paint Sampson, a Havanese dog, from start to finish. I'm going to use a different approach than the previous painting, where we'll work without lines, but with the masses.