Skipper: Custom Yorkie Portrait Oil Painting

This original 6x6 inch (15x15 cm) oil painting captures the bright, affectionate gaze of a Yorkie named Skipper, hand-painted on a premium studio support. Capturing Big Personality on a Small Canvas I loved working on this sweet mini commission. The collector wanted a budget-friendly holiday tribute for her mother’s Yorkie, Skipper. While we initially looked at a few funny, mouth-open candid references, we ultimately fell in love with a photo highlighting his perfectly perked ears and wide, glassy eyes. At a compact 6x6 inches, a tight headshot crop was the ideal solution to bring out his tiny facial features and keep the portrait feeling intimate and close to a natural scale. To give the painting a clean, modern frame that makes his soft features pop, I went with a solid, vibrant lavender-purple background. When painting golden and tan coats, I love playing with complementary color shifts; I layered rich mahogany browns, warm caramels, and light creams into the highlights of his face, while cooling down the shadows on his chest ruff with soft teals and pastel blues. I applied the professional oil paint thickly using crisp, energetic impasto strokes to give his fine coat a tangible sense of fluffiness and life. Finished with a protective studio varnish, this small-format archival heirloom is built to bring a lifetime of smiles to any wall. Why I love this commission Intimate Small-Format Frame: The compact 6x6-inch square layout perfectly frames Skipper's perked ears and signature alert look. High-Contrast Lavender Backdrop: The solid purple background creates a beautiful, contemporary vibration against his warm tan fur. Expressive Glinting Eyes: Extra attention was dedicated to the high-contrast highlights in his eyes to give him a deeply loving and soulful presence. Chunky, Energetic Textures: Thick layers of traditional oil paint build a physical, tactile surface that beautifully describes his soft coat. Technical Details Original Oil painting by Alai Ganuza 15x15 cm (6x6 inches) Professional oil paint on premium studio support Certificate of Authenticity (COA) included Worldwide tracked and insured shipping via FedEx