This is Miah, a dilute tortie cat (tortoiseshell cat). Her portrait was painted with acrylic paints on a 8″ x 10″ stretched canvas, and finished on May 17, 2022. This is a bit different than my usual, and kind of experimental. Her owner requested a “coffee-shop style” painting, and focusing on using lots of teal, mustard yellow, and bright red. So I used large paint brush strokes of those solid colors in the background. I will go into more detail about how I did that further down. In addition, her portrait style features a natural color scheme with “pops” of color throughout. This is a new style I am experimenting with and may add it to my color scheme choices in the future.
In the image above is the progress of the painting of Miah the tortie cat. After transferring the sketch to the canvas, I started on the background. I first painted several layers of Cadmium Red Medium Hue, followed by one layer of Fluorescent Red. Then, I painted over most of the red with teal and yellow. The reason for starting with red and painting over it with teal has to do with acrylic paints being somewhat transparent or translucent, and are less opaque than oil paints. In this case, the red color is fairly transparent (hence why I needed to use so many layers to get good coverage), whereas the teal is very opaque. If I painted the teal first, then added the red, the red would be muddy and dull. In addition, having these little pops of red show through the teal creates an electric vibrant effect.
After I was satisfied with the background, step 3 involves painting the eyes. Once the eyes are done, I paint what is called an underpainting or base layer, which establishes tone and color, especially where the cream and gray will go. In step 4, I go over the base layer with many more layers of other colors, adding fur detail, highlights, shadows, and in this case pops of color. You can see the little bits of blue, red, and yellow colors in her fur. I also thinned out the red outline a bit to make it just a bit more subtle.
If you love this painting of Miah and want one of your own kitty, please visit my Pet Portraits Information Page to learn more about the process. On that page you can find more information about the sizes and prices of portraits, the process involved, and also learn about my various styles available. Although I paint mostly dogs and cats, I am capable of painting portraits of any type of animal, including farm animals, reptiles, birds, and even wildlife. I take commissions on a first come basis, and I can work from just about any photo.
Miah’s original portrait painting is hanging in her owner’s home. However, the painting has been scanned in high resolution and is available in my Online Print Store as a high quality reproduction print. If you are looking for some cool and unique cat art to hang in your home, office, shop, or dorm, this is the place for you! In addition to Miah’s portrait, I have over a hundred other paintings to choose from, including twenty other colorful cat portraits. They would make a great decoration for a feline veterinary clinic or in the home of a cat lover. Each print comes in several sizes, and with the option of prints on paper, canvas, metal, acrylic, or wood. There are hundreds of frame and mat options too.
If you are looking for something for your home, I also have other products in my store. These include fleece blankets, throw pillows, cell phone cases, vinyl stickers, ornaments, apparel, greeting cards, duvet covers, shower curtains, bath and beach towels, tote bags, coffee mugs, and much more. These are great as a gift for a cat lover!
