Turning Your Pet's Photo Into a Painting: A Custom Cat Portrait Story

Tiffany Roy | TiffanyArtCanada

A little while back, a customer sent me a photo of her two black cats — the kind of photo you can tell was taken on an ordinary day, the two of them just being themselves. She asked if I could turn it into a painting, and I filmed the whole process. 🐈⬛

There's something different about painting a pet from someone's own photo versus painting from a stock reference. You start to notice little details — the exact tilt of an ear, the way one cat always seems to be watching the camera and the other doesn't care at all. Those are the details that make the painting actually look like *their* cats, not just "a cat painting."

I work in watercolour and acrylic on paper, and every portrait is framed and ready to hang by the time it reaches you. Photos are always for reference — since it's hand-painted, there's a little natural variation from the original photo, but that's part of what makes it a real painting instead of a print.

Why a custom pet portrait makes such a meaningful gift:

• 📸 Painted from your own photo, not a generic template
• 🐾 Captures your pet's actual personality, not just their likeness
• 🌀 A lovely gift for a pet lover, a new pet parent, or in memory of a beloved companion
• 🖼️ Framed and ready to hang — 100% hand-painted, never printed

Shop custom pet portraits:
👉 Custom Cat Portrait Painting

Made to order from your photo · Signed by hand · Free shipping across Canada & the US

— Tiffany