My first pet portrait of 2022 is this adorable portrait of a cute shorthaired gray cat named Louie. This was finished on January 12, 2022. It was painted with acrylics on an 8″ x 10″ stretched canvas. The cat is painted with natural colors on a gradient background of light and medium blue.

This painting is a bit different than my usual style. The owner requested that Louie’s portrait be painted with natural colors, and a colorful blue background. I have painted a few natural color scheme portraits in the past. Even though it is not rainbow colored, there is still a lot of color in this painting. A black cat is not just black, and neither is a white one. A gray cat is more than just gray. For one thing, there are so many shades of gray. And gray can be cool or warm, depending on the lighting. Gray animals are actually not solid gray, either. Each hair is actually banded with alternating black and white areas, which you can see if you look very closely at an individual hair. Thus, the color “gray” actually differs over the animal. I incorporated small amounts light light blue and medium brown in different areas of his fur. This gives is depth and also some realism.

Gray Cat Painting

My overall style, no matter the color choice, tends to be more on the impressionistic side of realism. I consider my pet portrait paintings to be realism, but instead of concentrating on painting every hair, I paint the overall impression of fur, along with highlights, shadows, and markings. I do tend to put more detail in my work than would be considered impressionist, however. So it is kind of halfway in between. This allows me to work more quickly than someone who does hyper-realism or photo-realism, for example, while still maintaining the personality and essence of the animal.

If you love my pet portraits and want one of your own pet, please contact me. Visit my Pet Portraits Commission page to learn more about my process, and see the prices for the different sizes available. I will paint any type of animal, including dogs, cats, horses, sheep, chickens, lizards, birds, rodents, and anything else. I also will take commissions for wildlife and psychedelic art.

Cute Gray Cat Art Print

If you love Louie and would like to get his painting has an art print or other products please visit my FineArtAmerica Print Store. In this store you will find a wide variety of wall art options. The prints come in many sizes, ranging from mini prints of 6″ x 8″ all the way to huge 45″ x 60″ prints. They come with hundreds of options for frame and mat colors and styles. Also choose from stretched canvas prints, acrylic, metal, wood, and tapestry prints. This artwork is also available on many home decor and gift products, such as coffee mugs, fleece blankets, tote bags, apparel, jigsaw puzzles, stickers, ornaments, and more.