Create highly detailed animal portraits that capture the story of your subject using needle felting techniques
Needle felting is a calming practice that allows you to portray colorful images using needle, fabric and an embroidery hoop. Dani Ives is a renowned fiber artist specialized in needle felting, who dedicates a great deal of her artwork to her favorite subject: animal portraiture.
In this course, learn needle felting techniques to create detailed animal portraits made of wool. Discover Dani’s creative process step by step to bring beautiful animal embroidery pieces to life.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 9 downloads
Supplies and Practice
7 minutes, 28 seconds
Basic Techniques: Sharp, Clean Edges
3 minutes, 28 seconds
Basic Techniques: Straight Lines
7 minutes, 14 seconds
Basic Techniques: Color Blending
8 minutes, 53 seconds
Sketching and Transferring Your Image to the Fabric
11 minutes, 40 seconds
Needle Felt the Eyes
14 minutes, 12 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin by getting to know Dani. She shares her journey into the world of needle felting and painting with wool. Hear about her sources of inspiration and the influences that have shaped her work.
Get an overview of the materials needed to create an animal portrait. Learn some basic techniques to keep the edges of your felted shapes sharp and how to clean up any fuzzy lines. Then, Dani teaches you more techniques like making even, straight lines (to make fur and whiskers), as well as how to create soft gradients through color blending.
Sketch out your animal portrait on paper or use Dani’s pre-made fox pattern, and transfer your image onto fabric. Next, Dani walks you through the needle felting process step by step. Start with the eyes, then move on to the nose and mouth. Continue with the ears and forehead before needle felting the final touches like depth and texture.
Dani shares her tips on making final adjustments before teaching you how to lift the portrait from the foam pad. Learn how to frame your portrait, both with and without an embroidery hoop. To finish the course, hear Dani’s final tips on photographing your fiber art and sharing your work with the world.
What is this course's project?
Created a wool animal portrait using needle felting techniques.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for animal lovers and fiber art enthusiasts who would like to learn new techniques for needle felting. Both beginner and experienced fiber artists are welcomed!
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is necessary since Dani teaches you the basics of needle felting.
To take this course, you need a felting work surface, embroidery hoop, fabric, felt, felting needles, an ink pen, wool, scissors, card stock paper, and hot glue gun or fabric glue. An iron is optional.
Reviews
- 3 months ago
Trabalho maravilhoso, super detalhista e realista. A didática é perfeita e muito bem explicada! Pena não haver outros cursos com animais com essa mesma professora... ela é muito boa!
- 4 months ago
Amei o curso. A professora é muito competente e transmite o conteúdo com muita tranquilidade.
- papalut_artePLUS4 months ago
La instructora, muy agradable, y muy práctica uy amena cada clase y la metodología. Espero iniciar pronto mi proyecto
- edgar_tr_abajoPLUS5 months ago
Me parece una buena guía para hacer del felting una técnica para trabajo artístico
- 7 months ago
Great course. Dani is fabulous, she is easy to understand, speaks at a good pace. Videos are really clear. I have learned a lot.
In 2019, she published her first book, Painting with Wool: Sixteen Artful Projects to Needle Felt. Her artwork has been featured in exhibitions throughout the United States, and at a solo exhibition in the Historic Arkansas Museum. In addition to her online shop and commissioned work, she also teaches workshops on needle felting.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Preparation and Practice
- Supplies and Practice
- Basic Techniques: Sharp, Clean Edges
- Basic Techniques: Straight Lines
- Basic Techniques: Color Blending
- U3
Creating the Fox Portrait
- Sketching and Transferring Your Image to the Fabric
- Needle Felt the Eyes
- Needle Felt the Nose and Mouth
- Needle Felt the Ears and Forehead 1
- Needle Felt the Ears and Forehead 2
- Needle Felt the Final Sections
- U4
Finishing and Photographing Your Portrait
- Finishing Touches
- Lifting and Framing
- Photographing Your Fiber Art
- FP
Final project
- Needle felting portraits
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
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FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners and covers all foundational techniques needed to start creating realistic needle felted animal portraits, even if you have no prior experience.
You’ll need wool fibers, felting needles, a foam pad, fabric for the base, an embroidery hoop, and fabric glue. Optional supplies include transfer paper and reference images for your animal portraits.
You’ll learn how to blend wool colors, transfer sketches to fabric, needle felt realistic animal features, add texture and detail, and present and photograph your finished artwork professionally.
The course teaches techniques for stacking, pulling, and layering different wool shades to achieve seamless color transitions and realistic animal fur effects in your felted portraits.
Yes, you’ll gain the skills to create lifelike custom pet portraits, including capturing unique fur patterns, eye expressions, and color details using needle felting techniques.
You’ll learn several methods, including tracing, using transfer paper, or poking holes with a felting needle, to accurately transfer sketches onto various fabrics, even dark backgrounds.
You’ll discover techniques like layering, poke and drag, and short line texture to create varied fur textures, realistic features, and dimensional effects in your animal portraits.