Can I get a watercolor portrait of my dog from a photo?

Yes. Upload a photo of your dog in the studio and ask for a watercolor portrait. It is painted in seconds, you see the finished piece before you decide anything, and you can try it again with a softer wash, a different background or a tighter crop.

How much does a watercolor dog portrait cost?

Making the portrait is free for your first 25 images each month, then $0.10 an image. You only pay for a print if you love it: framed prints start at about $52 and unframed prints at about $20, with the exact price shown for every size and frame before checkout. A hand-painted watercolor commission usually runs $100 to $250.

How long does it take?

The painting takes seconds. The framed print is made to order and arrives in 5 to 9 business days anywhere in the United States, with free shipping.

Will it look like my dog, or just like the breed?

Like your dog. Because it starts from your own photo, it keeps their markings, the set of their ears and their expression. Adding the words keep him exactly as he is to your request tells the studio to change the style and leave your dog alone.

What frame suits a watercolor?

Natural wood or white. Watercolor is light and airy, and a pale frame keeps it that way. You can preview every frame on your own portrait before you choose.

What if I do not love the print?

Tell us within 30 days of delivery and we refund it in full. You do not need a reason and you do not need to send it back.

September 20, 20265 min read

Watercolor Dog Portrait from a Photo: Your Dog, Painted and Framed

Watercolor is the kindest way to paint a dog. It keeps the eyes bright, lets the fur go soft at the edges, and leaves enough white paper that the whole thing feels light on the wall. You can have one made from a photo on your phone in the time it takes to find the leash.

A watercolor portrait of a black labrador with warm brown eyes, painted in loose indigo and grey washes on white paper. — Three ways to ask for it, each painted in the studio in seconds.

A playful watercolor portrait of a fawn french bulldog with upright ears, with soft peach washes and small splashes of color behind. — Three ways to ask for it, each painted in the studio in seconds.

Why watercolor suits dogs so well

A dog portrait lives or dies on the eyes, and watercolor puts all of its detail there. The face is painted crisply, then the coat loosens into washes and the edges fade into paper. The result feels like your dog on a good day: warm, a little scruffy, entirely themselves.

It is also the easiest portrait style to live with. Pale grounds and soft color sit happily in a hallway, a bedroom or a home office, and they never fight the furniture. If you like the medium in general, the watercolor wall art guide shows where it works best around the house.

Three ways to compose it

Head and shoulders. The classic. All the attention goes to the face, and it suits every breed and every wall.
Loose and playful. Splashes of color, plenty of white paper, a tilt of the head. Perfect for a dog with a big personality.
In their favorite place. The meadow, the beach, the back step. A full figure in a soft landscape makes a picture as much as a portrait.

How it works

1Open the studio and upload a photo of your dog. Tap the image icon in the chat and pick any photo from your phone.
2Ask for the look you want: "Turn this into a soft watercolor portrait, keep my dog exactly as he is, pale background."
3See it painted in seconds. Want it looser, warmer, or with the park behind him? Say so and it repaints the same portrait.
4Choose a size and a frame and it is printed on archival paper, framed and shipped ready to hang. The sizing guide helps with how big to go.

Pick a photo that shows them off

Eyes to the camera. Get down to their level and catch them looking at you. That look is the portrait.
Soft daylight. By a window or outside in open shade, where you can see the color in their eyes and the shine on their coat.
Let them fill the frame. The closer they are, the more of them ends up in the painting.

Prompts to try

Upload the photo first, then paste one of these. The words that matter most are some version of "keep him exactly as he is."

Classic head and shouldersTurn this photo of my dog into a soft watercolor portrait, head and shoulders, keep him exactly as he is, loose washes, white paper showing through, pale warm background

Loose and playfulRepaint this photo of my dog as a loose, playful watercolor, keep her markings and expression, a few splashes of color behind her, lots of white paper

In their favorite placeTurn this photo of my dog into a watercolor painting of him sitting in a summer meadow, keep him exactly as he is, soft greens and gold, gentle light

For a dark-coated dogPaint this photo of my black dog as a watercolor portrait in indigo and warm grey washes, keep her exactly as she is, leave white paper for the shine on her coat, pale background

Watercolor dog portraits: quick answers

Can I get a watercolor portrait of my dog from a photo?: Yes. Upload a photo of your dog in the studio and ask for a watercolor portrait. It is painted in seconds, you see the finished piece before you decide anything, and you can try it again with a softer wash, a different background or a tighter crop.
How much does a watercolor dog portrait cost?: Making the portrait is free for your first 25 images each month, then $0.10 an image. You only pay for a print if you love it: framed prints start at about $52 and unframed prints at about $20, with the exact price shown for every size and frame before checkout. A hand-painted watercolor commission usually runs $100 to $250.
How long does it take?: The painting takes seconds. The framed print is made to order and arrives in 5 to 9 business days anywhere in the United States, with free shipping.
Will it look like my dog, or just like the breed?: Like your dog. Because it starts from your own photo, it keeps their markings, the set of their ears and their expression. Adding the words keep him exactly as he is to your request tells the studio to change the style and leave your dog alone.
What frame suits a watercolor?: Natural wood or white. Watercolor is light and airy, and a pale frame keeps it that way. You can preview every frame on your own portrait before you choose.
What if I do not love the print?: Tell us within 30 days of delivery and we refund it in full. You do not need a reason and you do not need to send it back.

A gift that gets hung

For a new puppy, a birthday, or in memory of a dog who was family, a watercolor portrait is the rare gift that goes straight on the wall. Borrow a photo, choose a frame to suit their home, and it arrives ready to hang.

To see a real phone photo beside the painting made from it, the custom pet portraits guide has one. Cat in the family too? There is a guide to cat portraits, and the turn your photos into wall art guide covers everything else on your camera roll.

Paint my dog