🎨 Easy Labrador Dog Painting Tutorial for First-Time & Beginners
Free video instruction on YouTube
Permission to change colors and make the painting your own
If you’ve ever wanted to paint your pet—or any dog—but didn’t know where to start, this is a great one.
This beginner-friendly Labrador painting is broken down step-by-step so you can follow along and build it up without feeling overwhelmed.
It’s a meaningful one to paint for yourself… or a fun option for a paint night at home.
🎥 Watch the Tutorial
Follow along here and paint at your own pace:
đź–Ś Supplies Needed
You don’t need anything fancy—just a few basics to get started.
What you’ll need:
Canvas (11x14 or similar size)
Acrylic paints
Black | White | Brown | Yellow Ochre | BlueA few brushes (flat + round)
Water cup
Paper towels
👉 Full supply list here:
https://lovejoycreations.com/painting-supplies
👉 Read this post for setting up your space:
https://www.lovejoycreations.com/paint-with-lovejoy-blog/setup
🧾 Traceable (Makes It Much Easier)
For animal portraits, using a traceable really helps.
It gives you the structure and placement so you can focus on building the painting step-by-step.
👉 Download the Labrador traceable here – $3:
https://www.lovejoycreations.com/animal-traceables/p/lab
Don’t want to use a traceable? No worries—pause the video and sketch what you see.
✏️ How to Transfer Your Traceable
If you haven’t used one before, here’s a quick walkthrough:
https://youtu.be/DEAkwIlCBOQ?si=GaC0nQhh_nfhFa0i
Once your outline is on the canvas, the rest becomes much easier to follow.
👩‍🎨 What You’ll Be Doing
This painting is all about building the form and bringing the dog to life.
You’ll:
Start with the background
Block in the main shapes
Build up the fur with layers
Focus on the eyes and details at the end
Take your time—this one really comes together in the final stages.
🎉 Turn It Into a Paint Night
This is a great one to do with friends—especially for pet lovers.
Set everyone up with supplies
Play the video on a shared screen
Pause as needed
Let everyone create their own version
Each painting will have its own personality.
đź’› A Quick Note
After 15+ years of teaching, I’ve seen how much people connect with painting animals.
It can feel challenging at first, but when it’s broken into simple steps, it becomes very doable.
Stay patient with it—the details at the end make all the difference.
👉 Keep Painting
If you enjoyed this and want to take it further, especially with your own pet:
👉 https://paintyourpetcourse.com
My Paint Your Pet course walks you step-by-step through creating a custom portrait of your own animal—even if you’ve never painted before.
📸 I’d Love to See Yours
If you give this a try, send a photo or tag me.
It’s always fun to see how each painting turns out a little different.