This is my very first lizard pet portrait painting, a bearded dragon named Koda. It was completed on October 23, 2020.  It is painted on a 5″ x 7″ stretched canvas with acrylic paints. It was challenging to paint such a detailed portrait on such a small canvas.  Rather than focus on all the tiny details and trying to paint every scale, I instead gave the impression of scales by layering the paint, and using tones, highlights and shadows to give depth and detail.  Since I could not paint the lines in between each scale, I chose layering to accomplish the appearance of scales. I first laid down a darker golden-brown color, which was the shadow color, and then with a small brush painted on the scales overtop of it.  You can see this especially on his arms. It is a much easier way of painting scales, especially at such a small size.  I used the same technique to get that very thin yellow circle in the eye.

Koda bearded dragon photo vs painting

Above, you can see a comparison of the reference photo of Koda with the painting.  In the photo, he is lit from behind, and I changed the lighting a bit so he was lit from the side instead.  I used some other photos of him to fill n details and confirm coloration and markings. The background is a solid gradient of blue and green, which contrasts nicely with the yellows and oranges of the beardie and also with the rock.  I used a bit of orange and red to represent reflected light of the rock. I also incorporated little splashes of blue to offset the mostly warm tones of the lizard and to give it depth and interest.  A lot of artistic liberties were taken here, while trying to stay as faithful to the reference material as possible.

If you like this painting, and want one of your own, whether it is a dog, cat, or lizard, please contact me and I can create one for you.  Please visit my Pet Portraits Information Page for more details on sizes and prices.

This artwork is also available in my online print stores for purchase as wall art, home decor, and other products. For art prints and home decor products, please visit my online print store from FineArtAmerica. For apparel, gifts, puzzles and other cool stuff, visit my RedBubble store.

Mockup in featured image by Freepik