Embroidered Pet Portraits: The Thread Painting Technique
A course by Michelle Staub ⋆ StitchingSabbaticalHand-Embroidery Artist
A course by Michelle Staub ⋆ StitchingSabbatical, Hand-Embroidery Artist
Discover how to create realistic portraits that capture the essence and spirit of an animal through creative hand embroidery
When it comes to creating realistic artwork, thread painting is an essential technique. For portraying animals, in particular, it’s even more useful thanks to its ability to replicate fur. Hand-embroidery artist Michelle Staub specializes in creating custom pet portraits using creative stitching techniques. She shares her work with over 180K followers on Instagram and has published a book on the subject.
In this online course, she teaches you how to hand embroider a realistic pet portrait of your own using the thread painting technique. Create handmade tributes that celebrate the connection between humans and their pets using your own two hands.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 35 downloads
Materials
2 minutes, 8 seconds
Transferring the Pattern
3 minutes, 14 seconds
Choosing Colors
3 minutes, 0 seconds
How to Tackle the Portrait
1 minute, 18 seconds
Starting the Portrait
3 minutes, 18 seconds
The Neck
16 minutes, 21 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know hand-embroidery artist Michelle Staub. Discover the creative journey that led her to create embroidered pet portraits professionally, along with the influences that inspire her.
Dive into the materials needed for the course before learning basic embroidery stitches and how to thread paint. Choose a reference photo for your project and see how to turn it into a pattern. Transfer your pattern onto fabric, then choose the perfect colors for your embroidery.
Michelle talks you through her process for embroidering portraits. Then it’s time to make a start on yours with your initial stitches. Move on to the neck of your pet, stitching outside the lines to create realistic-looking fur, and using topstitching to blend colors.
Embroider the ears and eyes of your animal, before moving on to the nose, chin, and cheeks. Finish the face by embroidering the sides and forehead. Then put the final touches to your portrait - whiskers and background elements.
Learn how to clean up your stitches and back your hoop. To wrap up the course, Michelle shares her tips for taking care of your embroidery, from adding stitches, to keeping it out of direct sunlight.
What is this course's project?
Create a thread-painted, hand-embroidered animal portrait. Michelle uses a cat as her subject, but you can use any animal of your choice.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in learning to create hand-embroidered portraits.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, you will need fabric, an embroidery needle, an embroidery hoop, thread, scissors, and other materials specified by the teacher in the course.
Reviews
- 4 months ago
excelente, muy practico y se entiende todo el paso a paso para la recreacion de nuestros proyecto.
- 4 months ago
¡Me encantó este curso! Es fácil de seguir y se logran grandes resultados incluso si nunca habías bordado. Lo recomiendo
- 4 months ago
Detailed instructions, well explained.
- 5 months ago
Amei o curso, as explicações detalhadas, as dicas.
- 6 months ago
Phenomenal course with detailed instructions for every step of the way.
Michelle later created her first pet portrait of her cat and, after receiving a lot of attention online, she started to attract custom commissions for similar pieces. Since then, she has gone on to specialize in embroidered pet portraits and shares her work with over 180K followers on Instagram. In 2021, she also published a book, Pet Portrait Embroidery, filled with patterns and guides to help others create custom pet portraits of their own.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Preparing the Portrait
- Materials
- Embroidery Stitches 1
- Embroidery Stitches 2
- Finding the Perfect Photo and Creating a Pattern
- Transferring the Pattern
- Choosing Colors
- U3
Starting Your Pet Portrait
- How to Tackle the Portrait
- Starting the Portrait
- The Neck
- U4
The Cat’s Features
- The Ears 1
- The Ears 2
- The Eyes
- The Nose, the Chin, and the Cheeks
- The Forehead and the Side of the Face 1
- The Forehead and the Side of the Face 2
- Whiskers and Background Elements
- U5
The Last Steps
- Finishing the Portrait
- Customizing the Design: Decorative Elements
- FP
Final project
- Embroidered Pet Portraits: The Thread Painting Technique
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.
Share knowledge and ideas
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
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
This course is designed for those with intermediate embroidery skills. Basic knowledge of common stitches and embroidery tools is recommended before starting.
You’ll need embroidery hoops, cotton fabric, embroidery thread, John James Sharps needles, embroidery scissors, pattern transfer tools (like Frixion pens or carbon paper), and a reference photo of your pet.
You will learn how to select reference photos, choose fabrics and threads, transfer patterns, use thread painting techniques, blend colors, and create realistic fur textures for custom pet portraits.
Yes, the course teaches how to analyze fur direction, select suitable stitches, and blend thread colors to create lifelike fur textures in embroidered pet portraits.
The course includes strategies for photographing, sharing, and marketing your embroidered pet portraits on platforms like Etsy and Instagram.
Yes, the course explains how to analyze reference photos, select appropriate thread shades, and create smooth color transitions for realistic effects.
You’ll learn several pattern transfer methods, including tracing, printing directly on fabric, and using digital tools like Procreate to create embroidery-ready patterns.