Learn Photo Editor Tutorials

Turn Your Pet Photo Into a Watercolor Painting

By Melanie Doncas | Photo Editor Tutorials

Watercolor is one of the most popular art mediums for pet portraits, and it isn’t hard to see why. Unlike acrylic or oil-based paintings, for example, watercolor involves using colored pigments and water to create translucent layers of paint. Not only does this translucency lend itself to a softer, dreamier aesthetic, but it also allows for the layering of multiple shades of color to portray a pet’s tone and texture more realistically. Watercolor portraits also have a timeless quality that transcends trends, making them something that pet owners can treasure for years to come.

watercolor portrait

If you’re looking to create a watercolor portrait of your pet, then you’ve come to the right place. Rather than commissioning an artist to create one for you, however, why not try your hand at making your own?

With BeFunky’s watercolor effects, which are part of our Artsy collection, all it takes is a few clicks of your mouse. In fact, there’s no need for watercolor paints, paper, or any artistic experience! We’ll show you everything you need to know to turn your pet into a watercolor painting.

Why Should You Use BeFunky to Create Custom Pet Portraits?

If you haven’t experienced the ease of using BeFunky’s creative suite before, you might be wondering why it’s the best option for creating a custom pet portrait. Using BeFunky to make pet portraits offers several advantages. These include:

Versatility

You’ll love experimenting with different styles and effects to create a truly one-of-a-kind pet portrait that captures the unique spirit of your furry friend. Our watercolor filters range from hyper-realistic to more abstract art styles.

watercolor kitty

Cost-Effective

Compared to hiring a professional artist or purchasing expensive software, BeFunky is significantly more budget-friendly. BeFunky offers various pricing plans, including a free version with basic features and an affordable Plus plan that gives you access to absolutely every tool and template on offer – including our revolutionary AI-powered features like the Background Remover, digital art effects, and so much more.

The intuitive interface of BeFunky also makes it easy for all users, including those with limited design experience.

Create and Print From Home

BeFunky offers the convenience of creating pet portraits from the comfort of your own home (or even on the go using our mobile app). You can simply design your pet portraits digitally and then easily print them using your home printer.

This not only saves time and effort but also allows for immediate access to the final printed portrait without waiting for shipping or processing.

How to Create a Watercolor Portrait of Your Pet Using BeFunky

Ready to turn your own pet photo into a watercolor portrait? Follow along to get started!

Step 1: Open Your Pet Portrait

Let's head to the Watercolor effects category and upload our pet photo. Either drag and drop your image or click the Open button. We're going with this Golden Retriever portrait.

watercolor fitlers menu

Step 2: Select and Customize the Watercolor Effect

Next, it's time to select our watercolor effect. For this tutorial, we've decided on Watercolor GFX. This effect is super realistic, and utilizes AI to pinpoint your pet's features to create an accurate representation of their personality.

apply a watercolor effect to pet portrait

If you're happy with the watercolor filter as-is, click the checkmark icon. Otherwise, select the far left icon to open the Settings menu. From here, you can adjust the fidelity, or how closely the effect resembles the original. You can also cycle through different variations of the effect to find your perfect fit.

watercolor gfx customization

Step 3: Save Your Watercolor Pet Portrait

When you’ve finished creating your watercolor pet portrait, click the Save button at the top of your canvas, followed by your desired save location and file type. 

save your watercolor pet portrait

We recommend saving your custom pet portrait as a PDF file in Print Quality so it remains the highest quality for printing and displaying!

Create a Custom Watercolor Portrait of Your Pet in Seconds

If you're looking for a timeless way to celebrate your furry friend, you just can’t beat a watercolor portrait. Gone are the days of having to hire an artist or paint your own portrait by hand, however. Thanks to the Watercolor Artsy effects within BeFunky’s Photo Editor, all you need is a photo of your pet and a few seconds of your time. It’s that simple! Ready to turn a photo of your pet into a watercolor painting? Check out our photo to art effects today!

watercolor pet portait final

Go From Photo to Art in One Click


Photo Editing. Simplified