DAY 14: SPIKE’S NOSE

Welcome to Day 14 of the Painting Challenge! Wow two weeks of playfully painting is fantastic! I hope you’re proud of yourself. I’m definitely proud of you.

We’re continuing this challenge with another main aspect of a pet portrait, a darling nose.

This nose belongs to a beloved German Shorthaired Pointer named Spike. I had the honor of painting his memorial a few years ago. If you’ve ever had a dog or met a dog, chances are that you’ve been mesmerized by that adorable nose. So that’s what we’re doing today – painting that nose. And remember we’re only painting for 20 minutes. This nose took me hours to paint so this is not the end goal of your finished painting. Just enjoy painting this adorable nose.

The Painting Practice

Remember to turn off your phone notifications before you start.

1. I would paint this nose about 2 inches tall but not larger. So I wouldn’t make this nose larger than 2 inches tall.
2. While looking at your reference photos as your inspiration, sketch out the ear. do a simple outline of the flower on your paper. Just a rough sketch will do.
   • Start with the top left of the nose and draw the outer outline of the nose. It’s ok if it’s not the exact same shape.
   • Next, fill in the nostrils.
   • Then draw the philtrum (that line that goes down in the middle).
3. Choose your colors, they can be whatever colors you’d like. Spike’s nose was a blend of different browns but you can also paint this black and white. Note where the darker colors are and where the highlights are. You can fill in the nostrils with black.
4. Grab some water and your brushes, and don’t forget a towel to clean off your wet brush.
5. Now, set a gentle timer and paint for 20 minutes for some meditative joy and playful painting. We’re going for some fluffy fun today and honor the love we have for our beloved pets.
6. Claim your creativity and honor your journey of showing up for yourself by signing your art work.

If you feel called to continue painting past 20 minutes, please do so.

SHARE YOUR CREATION:

Take a photo of your finished challenge and share it on social media (tag #studioeriksdotter so I can see it), and tell me: Was it strange to paint a dog nose? Do you have a special story of a dog you’d like to share?

HOW TO PAINT A DOG PORTRAIT online course