Custom Pet Portraits

Liang creates custom pet portraits from your photos in charcoal, color pastel and oil, in the same photo-realistic style as her portraits of people. Most of these commissions are dogs and cats.

Drawing fur is Liang's particular strength. She renders it in fine, layered detail, so that the texture of each coat, whether long or short, curly or smooth, reads true to life, with every marking and change of colour in place. The eyes receive the same care: capturing the highlight that gives them their sparkle is what brings a portrait to life and conveys your pet's expression.

Memorials and gifts

Many clients commission a pet portrait after their pet has passed away, and most of Liang's cat portraits are memorials of this kind. By capturing the spirit and personality of their pet, Liang helps her clients keep their memory alive forever. Dog portraits are also popular as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other occasions.

Dogs, cats and other animals

Past commissions include Border Collies, Shiba Inus, Yorkshire Terriers, poodles, German Shepherds, Rottweilers and mastiffs, as well as Siamese, black and white cats. Liang has also portrayed a horse, and a pair of pet rats with a mouse.

Choosing a medium

The colour of the coat is a good guide:

• Charcoal suits pets with dark fur, as well as black-and-white photos.
• Pets with light or white coats come out best in an oil painting or a color pastel drawing.
• Color pastel and oil also bring out the natural colouring of a coat, such as an orange tabby or a golden retriever.

If you are unsure, include your photo with your quote request and Liang will recommend the medium best suited to it.

Choosing a photo

For the most accurate portrait, choose a sharp, close-up photo in which your pet's face is clear and well lit, with the eyes in focus. A sharp photo allows the detail of the fur and the light in the eyes to be reproduced faithfully. If you have several suitable photos, send them all and Liang will help you choose. See the photo guidelines for more advice.

Combining pets from separate photos

Anyone with more than one pet knows how difficult it is to get them all to sit still together for a photograph. There is no need to try: Liang can combine several pets from separate photos into a single portrait, posed together as if photographed at the same moment. People can be added in the same way, so if you do not have a good photo of yourself with your pet, a separate photo of each will do.

Pet portrait prices

Pets are priced at the same rate as people, based on the medium, the size and the number of subjects. Charcoal drawings start at $100, color pastel drawings at $150 and oil paintings at $300. See the pricing page for all sizes, or request a quote with a photo of your pet.