Can I turn a photo of my cat into a painting?

Yes. Upload the photo in the studio, say which style you want, and your cat is painted in seconds. You see the finished piece before you decide anything, and you can try as many styles as you like on the same photo.

How much does a custom cat portrait cost?

Creating the portrait is free for your first 25 images each month, then $0.10 an image. You only pay for a print if you love it: framed prints start at about $52 and unframed prints at about $20, with the exact price shown for every size and frame before checkout.

How long does it take?

The painting itself takes seconds. A framed print is made to order and arrives in 5 to 9 business days anywhere in the United States.

Will it look like my cat?

That is the point of starting from your own photo. Ask the studio to keep your cat exactly as they are and it holds on to their markings, eye color and pose while it changes the style around them.

What if I do not love the print?

Tell us within 30 days of delivery and we refund it in full. You do not need a reason and you do not need to send it back.

September 19, 20265 min read

Custom Cat Portraits from Photos: Turn Your Cat Into a Framed Painting

You already have the photo: the one on the windowsill, the one mid-yawn, the one where they are clearly judging you. A custom cat portrait turns that photo into a real painting on your wall, and it takes about as long as reading this sentence.

A grey tabby cat with green eyes and a white chest painted as a soft watercolor portrait on a pale sage wash. — One cat, three styles, each painted in the studio in seconds.

The same grey tabby cat painted as an impressionist oil portrait, sitting in warm window light against deep teal. — One cat, three styles, each painted in the studio in seconds.

Why cats make such good portraits

Cats are built for it. They hold a pose, they find the best light in the house without being asked, and their faces carry a whole personality in the set of the ears and the eyes. A portrait leans into all of that: the stripes of a tabby, the gloss of a black cat, the color of their eyes, lifted out of a phone photo and given the weight of a painting.

It is also the easy way to do it. There is no sitting, no weeks of waiting on an artist, and no guessing how it will turn out. You see the finished painting first, and it only becomes a print if you love it.

Styles that suit cats

Watercolor. Soft and light, lovely for pale or long-haired cats and for bedrooms and hallways. If you like the look, the watercolor wall art guide shows where it works best.
Impressionist oil. Warm light and visible brushwork. It reads like a gallery portrait, and it is the one that makes tabby markings glow.
Modern illustration. Flat shapes and one bold background color. Graphic, playful, and at home in a modern living room or office.
Classic oil. Dark background, soft side light, quietly formal. The natural choice for a black cat, whose shape and shine it shows off beautifully.

Want to see more looks first? The 10 art styles guide walks through what the studio does best.

How it works

1Open the studio and upload a photo of your cat. Tap the image icon in the chat and pick any photo from your phone.
2Say the style, and ask it to keep your cat as they are. Something like: "Turn this into a soft watercolor portrait, keep my cat exactly as she is."
3Watch it painted in seconds. Try a second style on the same photo, or ask for a change: a calmer background, warmer light, a tighter crop.
4Pick a size and a frame and it is printed, framed and shipped ready to hang. The sizing guide helps you choose how big to go.

Pick a photo that shows them off

Window light. Cats already sit in it. Soft daylight from the side brings out fur and eye color.
Eyes open, at their level. A photo taken from where they are, not from above, gives the portrait its presence.
Let them fill the frame. Head and shoulders, or the whole loaf. Either way, the closer they are, the more of them ends up in the painting.

Prompts to try

Upload your photo first, then paste one of these. The phrase that does the most work is some version of "keep them exactly as they are."

WatercolorTurn this photo of my cat into a soft watercolor portrait, keep her exactly as she is, gentle washes of color, pale background

Impressionist oilRepaint this photo of my cat as an impressionist oil portrait, keep his markings and pose, warm window light, visible brushwork

Modern illustrationTurn this photo of my cat into a clean modern illustration, keep her colors and pose, flat shapes, one solid background color

For a black catRepaint this photo of my black cat as a classic oil portrait, keep him exactly as he is, soft side light that shows his shape, deep green background

Cat portraits from photos: quick answers

Can I turn a photo of my cat into a painting?: Yes. Upload the photo in the studio, say which style you want, and your cat is painted in seconds. You see the finished piece before you decide anything, and you can try as many styles as you like on the same photo.
How much does a custom cat portrait cost?: Creating the portrait is free for your first 25 images each month, then $0.10 an image. You only pay for a print if you love it: framed prints start at about $52 and unframed prints at about $20, with the exact price shown for every size and frame before checkout.
How long does it take?: The painting itself takes seconds. A framed print is made to order and arrives in 5 to 9 business days anywhere in the United States.
Will it look like my cat?: That is the point of starting from your own photo. Ask the studio to keep your cat exactly as they are and it holds on to their markings, eye color and pose while it changes the style around them.
What if I do not love the print?: Tell us within 30 days of delivery and we refund it in full. You do not need a reason and you do not need to send it back.

A gift for the cat person

Every cat person has a camera roll full of their cat, which makes this one of the easiest thoughtful gifts there is. Borrow a photo, choose a style that suits their home, and a framed portrait arrives ready to hang. It is just as fitting as a keepsake of a cat who is no longer around.

Have a dog in the house too? The custom pet portraits guide shows a real phone photo next to the painting made from it, and the turn your photos into wall art guide covers every other kind of photo.

Paint my cat