A Live Online Drawing Workshop with Danny Gregory

There are lots of ways to capture your pet. From the cartoony to the loose to the detailed — and over three hours together, we'll try them all.

Some of what you make will be hilarious. Some will be cherished keepsakes.

First I'll help you loosen up and get over the jitters — fast, rough drawings where likeness doesn't matter and nothing is precious. Then I'll help you slow down and really see your pet: the shape of the eyes, the set of the ears, the way the fur falls.

By the end of the morning, you'll have a finished portrait worth keeping. And best of all, you’ll have a blast doing it!

What we'll cover:

• Warmups to shake off the jitters — quick, loose drawings, a couple of minutes each, where likeness doesn't matter
• Cartoony portraits with a big pen and watercolors — exaggeration and shorthand, and the handful of details that make a bunch of lines really read as your beloved pet
• Looser lines with a brush pen and colored pencils, capturing resemblance in moments
• Patterned drawings filled with shapes and color
• A detailed final portrait, uninterrupted — the eyes and their highlights, the nose, the whiskers, and capturing fur with lines and brush marks.
• Where to take it next — adding words to the page, and drawing pets in motion from life

Each one says something different about the pets we’ll draw. You'll find out which ones suit you.

My pets or yours

Most people will draw along with me. My reference photos are on screen throughout — dogs and cats, alternating through the morning — and you can download them to work at your own pace.

Or work from pictures of your own pet. Or both.

Any pet — or none at all

If you don't have a dog or cat, no problem — the techniques I'll show you will work from goldfish to guinea pigs, hamsters to horses.

And if you're petless but still want to play, you're welcome too. Draw along with the photos on screen, draw a friend's pet, or draw one you remember.

A great holiday gift

A portrait of somebody's pet makes a thoughtful gift, and, remember, the holidays aren't far off.

Who it's for

All levels. A little drawing experience helps, but the morning is built so a nervous beginner and someone who's been sketching for years will both find plenty in it. We’ll explore a range of techniques from the loose and impressionistic to more expressive styles to a tighter and more carefully observed portrait.

The details

• Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
• Time: 9am–12pm Pacific Time (noon–3pm Eastern)
• Format: Live Zoom webinar with pre-recorded demonstrations, live Q&A, and two short breaks
• Skill level: All levels welcome
• Replay: Recordings available within 48 hours, whether or not you make it live
• Prep: Just gather your supplies. Reference photos are on screen and downloadable.

Supplies — almost certainly all things you already own:

• Copier paper (3–5 sheets)
• Mixed-media sketchbook
• Ballpoint pens: blue and red
• Pentel Pocket Brush pen
• Waterproof technical pen, 1.0 (not 0.1)
• #2 pencil
• Colored pencils
• Watercolors
• Watercolor brush
• Ruler
• Presto correction pen or white gel pen (optional)

Meet your instructor