Cockapoo Portrait Ideas — Capturing That Curly Coat in Art

Cockapoos are the UK's most popular dog breed and one of the most rewarding breeds to get a portrait from. The curly or wavy coat, the expressive eyes and the unmistakable energy of the breed translate well across a wide range of art styles, and the results tend to be immediately recognisable as the specific dog rather than a generic representation.

If you have a Cockapoo and you are thinking about a portrait, here is where to start.

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What makes Cockapoos good portrait subjects

The coat is the main thing. Curly and wavy coats have natural texture and movement that art styles can interpret in interesting ways. Where a short-coated breed relies almost entirely on the face for character, a Cockapoo portrait has the coat contributing to the personality of the piece as well. Styles that handle texture well — watercolour, oil painting, impressionist — tend to produce particularly good results.

The other thing is the face. Cockapoos have large, dark, expressive eyes that are easy for portrait generation to capture, and they tend to have a forward-facing, engaged quality in photographs that makes them good portrait subjects. A photo where your Cockapoo is looking toward the camera and alert tends to produce a better result than one where they are distracted or moving.

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The best styles for Cockapoos

Watercolour is the style most Cockapoo owners end up coming back to. The loose, flowing quality of the medium suits the curly coat naturally — the paint does similar things to what the coat does, pooling and flowing and picking up light in ways that feel organic. Cream, apricot and red Cockapoos look especially good in watercolour. The palette tends to suit the breed's warm colouring.

This is also the style that tends to work best for bathroom or bedroom placement, which is where a lot of Cockapoo portraits end up. The softness of the style suits those spaces.

See the Watercolour style

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Aquarelle is worth distinguishing from standard watercolour. The aquarelle style has more flow and wash to it — colours bleed into each other in a way that can be genuinely beautiful on a curly coat. If you want something softer and more atmospheric than a standard watercolour, try this one.

See the Aquarelle style

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Impressionist handles curly coats exceptionally well because the loose, broken brushwork of the style naturally suggests the texture of the coat. A Cockapoo in an impressionist portrait looks like the subject was made for the style. If you have a photo taken in good natural light, particularly outdoors, the impressionist style will make the most of it.

See the Impressionist style

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Oil Painting is the choice if you want something with real presence. The richness and depth of oil painting suits Cockapoos well — particularly darker-coated dogs, where the dramatic tonal range of the style gives the coat real depth. Red and chocolate Cockapoos look particularly good in oil painting.

See the Oil Painting style

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Botanical is an underrated choice for Cockapoos. The style places the dog against a richly detailed botanical background — flowers, leaves, natural textures — that suits the breed's outdoor personality. It is different from the more traditional portrait styles and tends to get noticed when people see it on a wall.

See the Botanical style

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Tips for photographing your Cockapoo for a portrait

The main challenge with Cockapoos is that they rarely sit still, and a blurry or motion-affected photo produces a blurry portrait. A few things that help:

Take the photo after a walk rather than before one. A settled Cockapoo holds a pose much better than an energetic one.

Use the burst mode on your phone to take a rapid sequence of shots and pick the sharpest one after. Cockapoos tend to move their heads quickly even when they appear to be sitting, and burst mode captures the still moments between movements.

Shoot at eye level rather than from above. Cockapoos photographed from above lose the expressiveness of their face. Get down to their level.

Natural light is always better than flash. Flash flattens the coat and washes out the texture that the portrait needs to work with.

Our photo tips guide covers the full process if you want more detail.

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Sizing a Cockapoo portrait

Most Cockapoo portraits work well at A4 or A3. The breed is compact and the portrait does not need to be large to have impact — the texture of the coat and the expressiveness of the face carry the piece regardless of size. That said, an A2 or A1 print on a feature wall is worth considering if the portrait is particularly strong.

Framed prints are available from £49.99 with free worldwide shipping and the digital file included. If you want to see how the portrait looks before ordering a print, the digital download at £9.99 gives you the high-resolution file immediately.

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Ready to see how your Cockapoo looks? Start here — free first generation, about 90 seconds to your first result.