Turn Your Photointo a Cat Painting

Why the renaissance cat painting took over the internet

Cats were rarely the main subject of Renaissance painting. They turned up in corners, under tables, near a kitchen fire. That gap is exactly why a renaissance cat looks so good: a small, serious animal in a lace ruff and pearls, lit like a duchess, staring straight out of a dark varnished background. It is grand and a little absurd at the same time.

This page starts with the Renaissance style and a Duchess costume because that is what most people come for. You can switch to Queen, Princess, King or any of the eight costumes, and the renaissance pet portraits page explains each one.

Famous cat paintings as inspiration, not as a copy

Ask what the most famous cat painting is and you will hear different answers. Louis Wain painted thousands of wide-eyed cats in Victorian England. Henriette Ronner-Knip made careful oil paintings of cats at play. Théophile Steinlen's poster for Le Chat Noir is still sold everywhere, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi filled Japanese woodblock prints with cats.

We do not copy any of these works, and we do not paint your cat into a famous picture. The styles here borrow the general feel of classic painting: the warm light, the dark ground, the brushwork. The composition is always new and the cat is always yours. You can read how our portraits are made for the details.

Cat oil painting, watercolor or pop art

A cat oil painting suits short-haired cats with clear patterns. Tuxedo and tabby coats look sharp against a dark background, and the eyes catch the light. Long-haired cats such as Persians look softer in oil, almost like a cloud with a face.

Watercolor suits light coats and calm cats, and gives an airy print for a bright room. Pop Art is the opposite: flat, bold blocks of color that turn even a grumpy cat into a poster. For a quieter drawn look, try pet drawing styles like line art. For pattern and photo tips that are specific to cats, see the cat portrait page.

How much is it to get your cat painted?

A hand-painted cat portrait painting from an artist usually starts around $100 and takes a few weeks. Shops selling designer-made digital portraits charge roughly $15 to $40 per file, and $60 to $170 for canvas.

Here each device gets the first cat painting free: preview without an account, then the HD download after a free sign-up. After that it costs 40 credits per cat, or 60 for several cats together. Credit packs start at $5.99, never expire and come with no subscription. See pricing.

An easy way to paint a cat yourself

If you want to paint your cat by hand, start from a simplified reference. Make an Oil Painting version here first, then copy it. The background is already plain and the fur is already grouped into shapes.

• Sketch the head as a circle, then place the ears as two triangles. Cats' ears are wider apart than most people draw them.
• Paint the eyes first and leave a small white highlight in each. That spark makes a cat look alive.
• Block in the coat pattern in large patches, then soften the edges.
• Add whiskers last with one quick, light stroke each.