Framed cat drawing on wall in modern home

Mabel's cat memorial portrait

Mabel's portrait was commissioned by Caroline as a gift for a friend whose young cat had sadly passed away.

Caroline found my work through Google and sent me three photographs of Mabel to choose from.

One stood out straight away: Mabel sitting calmly and looking towards the camera, with those green eyes very much in charge of proceedings.

From that photograph, I created an original hand-drawn cat portrait ready to become a very personal gift.

Breed: Domestic cat

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Medium: Coloured pencil & wax crayon

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Size: A5

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Commissioned by: Caroline, Belper, UK

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Created from: One reference photograph

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Occasion: Memorial gift

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Breed: Domestic cat ★ Medium: Coloured pencil & wax crayon ★ Size: A5 ★ Commissioned by: Caroline, Belper, UK ★ Created from: One reference photograph ★ Occasion: Memorial gift ★

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Reference photo of cat for memorial pet portrait

A portrait for Mabel's owner

Caroline got in touch looking for something special for a friend after her young cat, Mabel, had passed away.

She'd found my pet portraits through Google and wanted the finished drawing in time to give as a gift.

There wasn't a particular photograph that had to be used. Instead, Caroline sent me three very different pictures of Mabel and left the choice to me.

Which meant I got the important job of deciding which Mabel made the cut.

Reference photo of cat sleeping for memorial pet portrait

Reference photo of cat in bed for memorial pet portrait

Choosing Mabel's portrait photo

Of the three photographs, I chose the one of Mabel sitting upright and looking directly towards the camera.

It gave me the clearest view of her face, markings and expression, while the other photos were useful for checking details that weren't quite as obvious in the main image.

Most importantly, I could clearly see those pale green eyes, pink nose and the mix of brown, grey and white running through her coat.

Sometimes having a few photographs is useful even when only one ends up doing most of the work.

Not sure which of your own photos would work best? My photo guide explains what I look for.

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Close up detail of custom cat portrait showing texture

Creating the portrait

Mabel's coat might look fairly simple at first glance, but there was a lot more going on once I started drawing.

I built up the darker areas with layers of brown, grey and black, keeping the white of her chest and face much lighter and looser.

Her eyes were the bit I really wanted to get right. That pale green against the darker markings around her face immediately draws you in - and gives Mabel that rather unimpressed look she does so well.

Custom cat portrait next to reference photo

The finished portrait

With the final details added, Mabel's portrait was ready to make its way to Caroline in Belper before being passed on to her friend.

The finished drawing kept the calm, direct expression from the photograph Caroline had sent, along with Mabel's distinctive markings, green eyes and pink nose.

And, thankfully, it passed the most important test.

What Caroline thought

“The picture looks fab! Exactly what I had in mind. Thank you!

I have given it to her and she loved it. She said you’d really caught Mabel’s personality. Thank you so much for your help.”

— Caroline

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