Diploma in Pet Portraiture

Course overview
This is an intensive course in learning to draw and paint all types of pets.
 
We open the course with a comprehensive chapter presenting information and advice on various mediums and the materials you may need to complete the course. We then move on to some basic drawing skills in graphite pencil to ensure that you understand the basics before delving into the more complicated subjects of drawing and painting animals and pets.
 
An introduction is given to each medium and we illustrate various techniques, plus an example of a pet drawn or painted in that medium. We then deal with animals in detail, looking at specific areas such as eyes, nose, tongues, collars and reins in a variety of media. We also deal with problematic subjects like black or white dogs, dealing with long and short fur and direction of fur.
 
This leads to composition - adding two or more animals into a painting and creating backgrounds and landscapes behind your pets. This sections also deals with how the use of a computer can help you in the layout and design of your work.The course then provides an in-depth look at how to portray various breeds of dogs, cats and horses in a variety of mediums.
 
The final section of the course focuses on starting up your own business, how to sell your work, accepting commissions and how to make your own website, just to name a few. There are many practice exercises throughout the course which we trust you will complete. Once you have worked though each section and are familiar with all of the aspects of learning to portray animals and have completed the practice exercises, the final section gives you a set of four exercises to complete and send to your course artist.

This course is suitable for the complete beginner as well as intermediates as it gives a good grounding in drawing, which is essential before adding any colour to your work. For those of you who are more experienced and work through the drawing part at a faster pace, there are some harder more challenging exercises to work though.

Critiques
Melanie provides audio critiques in mp3 format via email for all her students online. She provides audio files in a WAV file on cd rom for her students via regular mail to be played in a stereo system or on the computer.

Critiques via email
If you have scanning facilities, students are able to upload their artwork to the tutors’ centre, from our students administration area. Each student will need to obtain a username and password to this area, if you do not currently have the details please email us. The form consists of browse buttons to attach your work, and a comments box where you can type a letter to Melanie explaining how you got on with your artwork.

Critiques via Regular Mail.
If you do not have any facilities to upload your artwork, you can send your work in the normal way to the Admin Centre and receive your artwork back with an audio cd for your hifi or computer.

Support
Melanie Phillips who wrote this carefully constructed course is also the Course Artist, available to give help and encouragement to students to ensure they get the maximum benefit from the course. Melanie is herself a published illustrator/ artist, qualified in Natural History Illustration and a very successful Pet Portrait artist with a well established reputation for excellence. The duration of this course is approximately 1 year.