Pet & Animal Art - Paintings with Petzazz & More

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 6 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #6,195 in Arts , #157,001 overall | Donates to Humane Society of the United States

Who is PaintDog (aka Ann Ranlett)?

I'm an artist and illustrator specializing in nature subjects and pet & animal art. I love animals and really enjoy working with my clients to create portraits of their cherished pets.

I work in 2 styles and various mediums: my "Paintings with Petzazz" pieces are done in watercolor on Yupo (a synthetic paper) - they're vibrant and fun and although they're painted in a "loose" style they still capture the personality of my subject.

My realistic portraits are created in either ink on scratchboard, graphite pencil, or mixed media which is usually a combination of watercolor, ink and color pencil on Aquabord (formerly Claybord Textured).

My work is custom and unique and the end result is an original painting or drawing, not an altered photo or assembly line product.  Because creating these portraits takes time, planning and thought, I have a waiting list, but I'd be happy to discuss a portrait of your best friend with you! Visit my pet portraits page to find out more and see plenty of samples of my work.

More About the "Paintings with Petzazz" Process 

Bright, Fun Critter Paintings

This painting of "Oliver" was done in my "Petzazz" style - I choose a limited palette of watercolors and paint quickly on Yupo (see the section below to learn more about Yupo). Find out more about my "Paintings with Petzazz" process and how you can commission your own Petzazz art of a favorite pet.

You can also find many of my Petzazz images on fun merchandise in my CafePress shop - rectangular magnets, mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts and more.

For square magnets, visit my my Zazzle shop.


A sampler of Petzazz art is also available on Daydreams Art Fabric through Colfax Cloth & Quilt Company.

What is Yupo? 

A most wonderful painting surface!

Yupo is the brand name of a synthetic paper that was originally created for use in the print industry. It's made of polypropylene, it's slick, opaque white (there's also a slightly transparent version) and non-absorbent.

Somewhere along the line, watercolorists got hold of it and found that it was pretty neat stuff. It's very different from traditional watercolor paper 'cause the water & paint sit on top of it (instead of soaking in) - so the colors remain vibrant. Because of this quality, the paint puddles and dries in interesting ways and leaves great shapes and watermarks. You can see those puddles in the background of "Llemon-Llime Llama".

The other thing about Yupo is that it's easy to lift the paint off. That's good and bad - depending. . .
GOOD when you want to lift out a highlight, whiskers, tuft of fur, etc. as I did with the fuzzy edges of the llama's neck. It's BAD when you have an area you don't like and you try to fidget with it - that lifts off everything you put down in that area and leaves you with an obvious spot. I've found that you have to do a little planning and then just let things happen.

After a couple of years of requests, I'm now teaching workshops in watercolor on Yupo through one of my local adult schools.

Yupo is available through a number of on-line art supply catalogs (and Amazon.com, see the link in the next section) - get some and give it a try!

Buy Yupo from Amazon.com 

9X12 74# YUPO PAD 10SHT

Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Mastering Yupo

Instructional DVD

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

What is Ink on Scratchboard? 

My Other Favorite Medium

I used ink on scratchboard to create this portrait of "Hershey". Curious about my ink on scratchboard process? It's very time consuming, but I really enjoy the challenge of creating a pet portrait or drawing using only shades of grey. Visit my demo page to find out more. If you're curious about commissioning a unique, detailed portrait of your favorite companion, click here.

You can also find out more about scratchboard on Wikipedia.

Scratchboard Books on Amazon.com 

Scratchboard for Illustration

A terrific book about scratchboard - my all-time favorite!

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

The New Scratchboard

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Note This!

Visit my blog to find out the latest scoop on my art, animal events and other stuff :)

New Art 

My latest originals


A commissioned watercolor on Yupo portrait of Ripple, a poodle mix.




A commissioned watercolor on Yupo portrait of Oliver, eyeing his mousie toy.




A commissioned ink on scratchboard portrait of Ginger, a friend's cattle dog mix.




A commissioned mixed media portrait of Gaby the German Shepherd.




A pencil drawing of an American Pit Bull Terrier. This is an ACEO - small format art - always 2.5" x 3.5". Find out more about my pencil ACEOs on this Squidoo Lens. My thanks to Pit Prints Rescue for providing the reference photo for this drawing. This was not a commission, but the original has sold - I do have magnets and note cards though.

ACEOs - Affordable, Collectible Mini Works of Art 

ACEO = "Art Cards, Editions & Originals"

ACEOs are small original works of art (although limited edition prints are also acceptable) that are the size of a baseball trading card and are a great way to collect affordable art. The only "rule" is that they must measure 2.5" x 3.5". ACEOs may be matted, framed, traded, given as a gift within a greeting card, etc. The ACEO movement started on eBay and has spread to a number of other internet sites. They are also called Art Trading Cards (ATCs), although it's generally understood that ATCs are to be traded and ACEOs are to be sold.

I started creating ACEOs in December of '06 and have created over 50 of them and have sold most of those. They're small, so they don't take long to do and they allow me to try out some new ideas/images that might someday become a larger painting or drawing.

Check out my YouTube video - it's about ACEOs and features a selection of my cards. watch the video
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Dog of the Dead - mini drawing
"Dog of the Dead" is my take on the Dia de los Muertos style. This one's in ink & color pencil on illustration board.

GraphiCat - mini drawing
This is a pencil drawing of a cat with a very interesting facial pattern.

White Rose - mini drawing
"White Rose" is a drawing on black scratchboard.

The three ACEOs above are currently available on Etsy (click on the image to find out more).

I usually list new ACEOs on eBay, those that don't sell go to my eBay store or to my Etsy shop. To get a first look at new ACEOs, you can visit my blog where I post my latest offerings. You can either subscribe to get e-mail updates or just grab the feed.
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These two have already sold, but I wanted to share:

She's Got Legs - mini drawing
"She's Got Legs" is graphite pencil with color pencil on the giraffe's legs.

Gimme Some - mini color pencil drawing
"Gimme Some" a color pencil drawing of 2 goats.

My Art on eBay 

Seller Name: drawdog5

I have a store on eBay and I list some of my art in eBay auctions. Look for prints, earrings, magnets, note cards and ACEO originals. See the section above for more information about ACEOs (aka Art Trading Cards).

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eBay

Art for Critters - Art Sales to Help Animals 

Search "A4C" on eBay to find art that benefits animals


I'm proud to be a member and co-leader of "Art for Critters", a group of artists who sell their work on eBay and regularly donate a portion of the sales to various animal rescue & support organizations. I'm honored and happy to be a part of this team of talented, supportive and charitable artists!

There are 2 ways to make donations from eBay sales - through their "Giving Works" program or by having a previous arrangement with a specific charity and posting a letter from that charity in the auction listing.

The Giving Works program is coordinated through MissionFish. When a seller lists an item on eBay, they can choose to select a charity from a list provided by MissionFish and then specify the percentage of the final sale to donate. Giving Works auctions have this symbol next to the auction title.

I have a selection of items in my eBay store and at auction that benefit animal charities either through MissionFish or A4C. By being a member of A4C, I can support additional animal charities approved by A4C and I have access to the required letters from these organizations.

My A4C auctions

My Giving Works auctions

All A4C auctions

Etsy for Animals - More Art Sales to Help Animals 



I'm also a member of Etsy for Animals!

Etsy.com is another site where you can find great art. All items are handmade by the artists who sell there. One of the many groups on Etsy is "Etsy for Animals" - a team of artists who donate a portion of the proceeds from their sales to animal charities.

I've listed a number of items in my Etsy shop to benefit animal charities. Click here to find them.

Visit the EFA web site

Art on eBay - Part 1 

Info and Links

Look for art "Direct From Artist" (formerly Self-Representing Artists) on eBay to find great original and reproduction art. You know you're getting quality art when you're buying directly from the artist - we want our customers to be happy with our art! I list my own art (originals & reproductions) and I have an eBay store. Click here to visit my eBay Store.

Here are the eBay artists' groups to which I belong:

Art Squared/art2 - square format art up to 14". To find art in this format, search listings for "art squared" or "art2". Visit the Art Squared web site.

Small Format Art (SFA) - art that's no more than 14" on one side. To find art in this format, search listings for "SFA". Visit the SFA web site

ACEO/ATC Enthusiasts - A number of artists offer ACEO listings - small original pieces measuring 2.5"x3.5" - also known as Art Trading Cards. An affordable and fun way to start collecting original art. ACEO stands for "Art Card Editions and Originals". When artists list these little gems, they put ACEO in the title, so it's easy to search eBay for them. There's also an ACEO Enthusiasts web site.

YBA - Year's Best ACEO Awards, aka ACEO Addix

K9 Dog Art Show - Artists "creating Doggone Good art".
Scratchboard Artists (SBA) - a group of artists who work in scratchboard (one of my favorite mediums). Visit the SBA web site.

All About Color Pencil - our new acronym is CPAC (Color Pencil Artists and Collectors) - we're going to start using this in our auction listings. Visit the color pencil art web site.

Art for Critters (A4C) - artists who donate proceeds from art sales to benefit animal charities. Visit the A4C web site.

Often, a single piece of art will fit into a couple different categories - for example, I often paint small, square format pieces - so one of those could be categorized as SFA AND Art2. Technically, an ACEO is also an SFA, but ACEO suffices for listing purposes because there's a whole group of collectors looking specifically for ACEOs.

Check out my other Squidoo lens for more info about buying art on line.

Adorable (and Good) Little Video Camera! 

Get it at Amazon

It's about the size of a remote, not a lot of bells or whistles, but it's handy. I wanted something that was reasonably priced that I could use to record videos for YouTube. My pets, art demos, etc. This little gem is perfect - records up to 60 minutes, has a USB connector that flips out of the side. Also comes in a couple of colors - I chose white.

Click here to check out the first video I made with this cool little camera!

Flip Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (White)

Amazon Price: $99.99 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

And Now You Can Get a Flip Mino Customized With My Art 

Pretty cool, eh? Well, at least I think so!

CafePress is now offering the Flip Mino Camcorder with the option of allowing CP shop owners to customize them. I've just added a couple of images so far, but if you happen to run across any of my art that you'd like to see on a Flip Mino, let me know.

The Flip Mino is slightly different than the Flip Ultra offered in the Amazon section above, but I haven't really done the research to find out what the difference is.
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My Favorite Links! 

Pet & Animal Art and Gifts & More. . .

My Main Web Site
Find out more about me and my art. Lots of samples and info!
My CafePress Shop
Colorful merchandise featuring my pet & animal art. Some veggie art too! Great gifts for animal lovers - find a gift for yourself or someone you love :)
My Web Site Store
Prints, note cards, earrings, magnets and more featuring my art. Buy direct from me and pay via PayPal.
Find out more about my Custom Pet Portraits
I accept commissions for custom pet portraits in my "Paintings with Petzazz" interpretive style or a realistic style. I work in watercolor, mixed media or ink on scratchboard - depending on the style.
My eBay Store
Check out the ACEO originals, matted prints, earrings, magnets and note cards in my store.
My Etsy Shop
All the listings on this art sales site are hand made by the artists who sell there. You can find my ACEOs and other originals, prints, cards & earrings here.
My Zazzle Shop
I recently found out about Zazzle - I was looking for a site that offered square magnets for my square-format art. Zazzle is it!
My Artfire Shop
Artfire is a new site that offers hand-crafted art and supplies. Similar to Etsy, but structured a bit differently. I've just set up shop, so I don't have a lot there yet.
My Blog
Find out what's happening in my world: events, latest portraits & projects, thoughts about animals & art, etc. (Check out the RSS Feed in the next section to see the latest posts.)
Follow me on Twitter
A snapshot of what I'm doing throughout the day. Peppered with random thoughts and links to my latest art.
Pet Art Gifts
A selection of gifts featuring pet & animal art.
More ACEOs
Find a few of my ACEOs here.
Art by Us - Real Art. Real Artists.
A site where artists list their work for sale. I occasionally list some items, but haven't been very active there.
Auburn Old Town Gallery
A wonderful co-op Gallery run by a talented group of artists. Our gallery consists of local and regional artists who show their work and staff the gallery. It's a great place to get a unique and special gift of art for yourself or someone else. Located in the historic Old Town section of Auburn, CA
My DotPhoto Album
Check out my photos and buy prints.
The Pet Gazette
A quarterly publication for the responsible pet owner - this is the web version. They occasionally feature my art on the cover.
My YouTube Channel
Videos of my art and works in progress. Also check out my "favorites" list to see other art-related YouTube videos. Some animal videos too, of course!
My Space Page
Sign up to be one of my friends and receive occasional bulletins about my art and the latest listings on eBay.
A lot more links
This is the links page of my web site. It features links to my clients, art info & animal info.

Some of My Photos . . . 

. . . and links to info about pet photography

Holly - arab mare Sunflower 12 Spotted Skimmer Dragonfly

Patron - chihuahua Magnolia Flower Waiting - patient Border Collie


See more photos on my web site.


Read my tips on taking good pet photos:
My photo guidelines document

Click here to read an article I wrote about pet photography that appeared in the Sacramento Pet Gazette.

Also check out this Squidoo group: EverythingPhotography

My Stuff on CafePress!! 

Great gifts for yourself or others from my CafePress shop

Fun art on fun merchandise - mugs, tote bags, all types of t-shirts, magnets, tile coasters and more! An assortment of art too: chickens, dogs, cats, horses, llamas, veggies. . .
You can design & sell your own CafePress merchandise too - click here to find out more.

Cattitude Rectangle Magnet

The text says: "Don't like my Cattitude? Call 1-800-Get-a-Dog"

Price: 5.00 Buy Now

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More Great Stuff on CafePress 

FieldHaven Feline Rescue Shop

Purchase items from the FieldHaven shop and help with their cat rescue and adoption efforts. I designed their logo.

Tile Coaster

Alice in the lilac bush

Price: 6.00Buy Now

Wine and Cats Poster

Price: 10.00Buy Now

Tote Bag

Price: 15.00Buy Now

Sweatshirt

Price: 33.00Buy Now

Powered by CafePress

My Zazzle Shop 

Many of my Petzazz paintings and some of my drawings are in square format, so I was happy to discover that Zazzle offers square magnets! You'll find an assortment of square magnets (and a couple of other items) in my Zazzle shop. Visit my CafePress shop for a larger assortment of merchandise.
powered by Zazzle.com

Subscribe to My e-Newsletter 

If you'd like to sign up to receive my art e-newsletter, click here.

My first monthly e-newsletter went out in April 2009. Click here for the archives.

I plan to send a newsletter each month, and perhaps an additional announcement every so often if it's something really neat.


Email Marketing by iContact

Read My Blog 

Info about upcoming events, portraits in progress, recently finished work, etc.

Lots of photos! Sometimes lots of text, but interspersed with lots of photos!

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Buy Fine Art Materials & Craft Supplies 

Great prices & selection

A member of the www.DickBlick.com - Online Art Supplies affiliate program

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Art & Craft supplies at Joann.com (affiliate program member)

Tools for Artists from Amazon.com 

A great little (affordable) monitor calibrator and some of my favorite watercolor books

Pantone huey MEU101

A reasonably priced (under $100) monitor calibrator - really helpful if you do your own printing.

Amazon Price: Too low to display (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Painting the Things You Love in Watercolor

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

The Watercolor Bible - A Painter's Complete Guide

Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Watercolor Painting Outside the Lines

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Light Up Your Watercolors Layer by Layer

Amazon Price: $21.16 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Books About Animals from Amazon.com 

Some of my Favorites

A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me

Amazon Price: $10.15 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Sheep

This dog looks a lot like one of mine!

Amazon Price: $12.48 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

The Big Cats: The Paintings of Guy Coheleach

Stunning paintings of the big cats: tigers, lions, cheetahs, leopards, etc.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

Dogs for Dummies

Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

The World Of Robert Bateman

Masterful paintings of all kinds of critters

Amazon Price: (as of 07/12/2009) Buy Now

On-line Sources for Pet Foods, Supplies & Meds 

Of course, since I love pets, I have pets - so I make sure they get the best!


A member of the Only Natural Pet Store affiliate program
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Huge selection of stuff for your dog! (A member of the Dog.com affiliate program)

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Save Up To 50% At PetCareRx (a member of the PetCareRx affiliate program)

Got Comments? Reader Feedback 

Comments, Questions, Ideas - add 'em here. . .

mllamb46 wrote...

Hi Ann! Thanks for the nice comments. I REALLY enjoyed this lens. You are so versatile in your work. I especially enjoyed all the step by step links.
~Melody

ReplyPosted March 17, 2008

riff999 wrote...

You are very talented. I really enjoyed viewing your art. Best of luck. 5*
~Jane

ReplyPosted March 17, 2008

PR-Sammi wrote...

You've done a lot fo work here and there is so much to check out... wow! The Yupo paper sounds cool too. I really like your pet photos as well.

ReplyPosted March 12, 2008

d-artist wrote...

Ann, you do beautiful artwork! 5*s for u...
check out my art lens...

ReplyPosted January 24, 2008

mllamb46 wrote...

Hi Ann!!! I gave you 5*s and lensrolled ya. :)
Many hugs,
Melody

ReplyPosted August 24, 2007

 
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