13-Colour Palette for Pet Portraits

My Essential 13-Colour Palette for Pet Portraits: The Only Colours You Need for Realistic Fur, Eyes, and Texture

Whether you’re painting dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, or exotic pets, choosing the right colours can make or break the realism and emotional impact of your artwork. After years of refining my oil painting process, testing dozens of pigments, and painting every fur texture imaginable, I’ve created a 13-colour pet portrait palette that gives me total control without overwhelming my workflow.

This palette is streamlined, highly versatile, and built around natural earth tones, reliable darks, and carefully chosen blues and greens. It’s designed specifically to handle all coat types — from glossy black fur and silver tabbies to ginger cats, chestnut horses, tri-colour dogs, merle patterns, and fluffy white coats.

In this post, I’ll walk you through each colour, why I chose it, what role it plays, and how this palette helps create lifelike, emotionally rich pet portraits.

Why a Limited Palette Works Best for Pet Portraits

Animals are made up of layered neutrals, subtle transitions, and low-chroma colours. Using too many paints often results in muddy mixtures or oversaturated fur. A high-performance limited palette gives you:

✔ Natural colour harmony

Every mixture feels cohesive because the colours all “belong” together.

✔ Cleaner mixes

Fewer pigments = fewer muddy combinations.

✔ Faster painting decisions

You always know exactly where to reach for warm, cool, light, or dark tones.

✔ A full range of possible fur hues

From warm and cool browns to greys, blacks, gingers, creams, tans, and subtle undertones.

This palette has been intentionally selected to handle every pet, every lighting scenario, and every coat type.

The 13 Colours in My Pet Portrait Palette

Here is the complete set, using the pigments already in your collection:

YELLOWS

1. Yellow Ochre

2. Indian Yellow

3. Lemon Yellow

EARTH REDS & WARM NEUTRALS

4. Burnt Sienna

5. Venetian Red

6. Alizarin Crimson

7. Perylene Maroon

UMBERS & DARK NEUTRALS

8. Raw Umber

9. Burnt Umber

10. Transparent Oxide Red (or Greenish Umber for cooler neutrals)

BLUES

11. French Ultramarine Blue

12. Prussian Blue

GREEN

13. Chromium Oxide Green

These colours work together to produce the full spectrum of fur tones, eye colours, shadow temperatures, and highlight effects.

Why Each Pigment Was Chosen

1. Yellow Ochre — The Foundation of Natural Fur

Yellow Ochre forms the backbone of most animal coats. It’s warm, muted, and perfect for:

• tan dogs

• lions, foxes, or wildcats

• sandy or cream fur

• warm highlights

• undertones around the nose, muzzle, and paws

It mixes beautifully with umbers and siennas.

2. Indian Yellow — Rich Golds and Glowing Warmth

A transparent, radiant golden yellow that adds life to:

• golden retrievers

• ginger cats

• palomino horses

• warm sunset lighting

• rich fur glazes

It gives the palette its elegant glow.

3. Lemon Yellow — Cool Highlights and Eye Detail

Lemon Yellow is essential for:

• cool highlights on blonde or white fur

• light reflections in the eyes

• bright green eye mixtures

• lifting dark mixes without warmth

It’s a tiny but important accent pigment.

4. Burnt Sienna — The Heart of Warm Fur

Burnt Sienna creates:

• brown tabby patterns

• warm chestnut tones

• tan and russet fur

• bridging tones between browns and reds

It’s a must-have for natural fur.

5. Venetian Red — Ginger, Tan, and Nose Colours

This opaque earth red is excellent for:

• ginger cats

• tan dogs

• paw pads and noses

• warm fabric backgrounds

Venetian Red adds body and structure.

6. Alizarin Crimson — Cool Depth and Shadow Colour

A deep, cool red that handles:

• ear translucency

• the pink in noses

• cool shadows under fur

• eye depth

• shadowed gums and tongue areas

It extends your temperature range beautifully.

7. Perylene Maroon — The Perfect Fur Shadow Color

This is your black replacement.

Use it for:

• deep nose shadows

• dark muzzles

• black fur mixed with blues

• brindle patterns

• ultra-rich browns

It creates deep, transparent shadows without flattening colour.

8. Raw Umber — The Ultimate Neutral

Raw Umber is your main tool for controlling:

• value

• contrast

• colour temperature

• desaturation

It’s ideal for:

• grey tabbies

• whisker roots

• muted fur tones

• soft shadows

• underpaintings

A true workhorse.

9. Burnt Umber — Warm Darks and Fur Structure

Burnt Umber offers:

• warmer darks than Raw Umber

• the base for brunette fur

• foundation colours for many dogs and horses

It’s perfect for strengthening the structure of fur.

10. Transparent Oxide Red (or Greenish Umber) — Texture & Glaze Control

TOR is glowing, transparent, and beautiful for:

• long fur glazing

• velvety warmth

• softening transitions

If you prefer a cooler palette (often for horses), you can swap TOR for Greenish Umber.

11. French Ultramarine Blue — Warm Shadows and Soft Blacks

Ultramarine adds warmth and softness. Essential for:

• white fur shadows

• cool ear shadows

• warm black mixtures

• reflected light on glossy coats

It’s the blue that gives depth without harshness.

12. Prussian Blue — Crisp, Glossy Blacks

Prussian Blue is powerful and deep. It’s perfect for:

• pure black fur

• wet noses

• sharp details

• blue-black shine

• night or indoor lighting

When mixed with Burnt Umber, it creates the best realistic black fur on the palette.

13. Chromium Oxide Green — Realistic Eye Colours & Neutral Control

This muted, opaque green is irreplaceable for:

• cat eyes

• dog eyes

• subtle fur undertones

• balancing warm shadows

• mixing controlled neutrals

It gives you all the natural greens without the artificiality of Phthalo Green.

How This Palette Handles All Fur Types

Black Fur

• Prussian Blue + Burnt Umber

• Ultramarine + Perylene Maroon (warm black)

• Add white for sheen

• Add Raw Umber for matte black

White Fur

• Titanium White + a whisper of Raw Umber or Ultramarine

• Pure white only for final accents

Brown or Brindle Fur

• Burnt Umber + Yellow Ochre

• Perylene Maroon for strong pattern contrasts

• Ultramarine for cool strand shadows

Ginger Cats

• Venetian Red + Burnt Sienna

• Indian Yellow for glow

• Raw Umber for pattern definition

Grey Tabby

• Raw Umber + Ultramarine + White

• Stripes: Burnt Umber + Perylene Maroon

• Cool shadows: Ultramarine

Horses

• Chestnut = Burnt Sienna + Venetian Red

• Bay = Burnt Umber + Perylene Maroon

• Palomino = Indian Yellow + Yellow Ochre + White

• Black = Prussian Blue + Burnt Umber

Eye Colour Mixing Guide

Brown Eyes

• Burnt Umber + Indian Yellow + Perylene Maroon

• Highlight in Titanium White

• Add Lemon Yellow for sparkle

Green/Yellow Cat Eyes

• Chromium Oxide Green + Lemon Yellow

• Add Raw Umber for depth

• Use Prussian Blue for pupil edges

Blue Eyes

• Ultramarine + White

• Add a tiny amount of Burnt Umber for natural realism

• Prussian for shadow areas

Why This Palette Works Better Than Large or Random Palettes

✔ It covers ALL pet coat colours

✔ It avoids excessive chroma

✔ It mixes beautiful neutrals effortlessly

✔ It provides rich darks without tube black

✔ It handles eyes, noses, whiskers, claws, fur patterns

✔ It creates consistency across multiple commissions

✔ It helps you work faster and cleaner

This palette has been engineered through experience, observation, and countless pet portrait sessions.

Final Thoughts: The Only Palette You’ll Ever Need for Pet Portraits

A great painting begins with a great palette.This 13-colour set gives you the perfect balance of:

• neutrals

• rich earths

• warm and cool tones

• glazing colours

• naturalistic shadows

• realistic eye mixes

• believable fur depth

Whether you're painting a fluffy Samoyed, a sleek Doberman, a ginger tabby, or a majestic mare, this palette will give you everything you need — without the clutter of unnecessary colours.