Welcome to our blog post about our latest hand painted cat portrait, a custom oil painting commission of Max. We are excited to share the story behind this stunning oil painting, a beloved cat owned by Alyssa in Australia.
Alyssa commissioned a 14 x 11 oil painting of Max. However, we realised when looking for the canvas on Jacksons Art where we usually buy our art supplies, that size was no longer available in our usual canvas. So we upgraded Alyssa to the 16 x 12 size, free of charge. She was thrilled with the upgrade and excited to see Max come to life on canvas.
Max had been with Alyssa for an incredible 16 and a half years and she described him as affectionate, always demanding food, and loved to sleep squished up next to her on the bed. She also had a collection of adorable nicknames for him, including “Mr. Scruff.” If you are a pet owner reading this I know that will make you smile as we all have nicknames for our beloved pets don’t we!!
Selecting the Perfect Photo and Starting the Cat Portrait
Alyssa provided several photos of Max, but one stood out as the perfect reference for the portrait. We decided on a neutral toned background, which allowed Max’s beautiful fur and expressive eyes to take centre stage. The softness of the background also complemented the fine details in his coat. As you can see the first stage below shows the portrait drawn out, lined in and the sepia wash overlaid.
Nicholas doesn’t have a ridged step by step process when painting portraits, there is no formular as such. Sometimes he will paint the background and the start the subject, sometimes the other way around. It all depends on the photo, subject, colouring and coat length. So as you can see the photo below shows quite a bit of detail and paint added to Max, yet the background hasn’t been started!
Continuing The Painting Process
As always, Nicholas worked meticulously through the painting stages to make sure every detail of Max was captured perfectly. Alyssa followed along as we shared updates and this was her message after seeing the initial progress – we were of course over the moon!!
“Oh Melanie, it’s absolutely beautiful so far!! Nicholas has captured his likeness just perfectly! I teared up looking into those eyes. So much love and care has gone into this portrait, and I can’t thank you both enough.”
As you can see in the next stage of Max is coming together really well.
The Final Portrait & Reactions
When Alyssa saw the photos of the completed painting, her reaction was incredible.
“I am just speechless at how lifelike the painting is! Every detail is just perfect. It’s absolutely beautiful, and I cannot thank the two of you enough. Very excited to see it in person. I showed my mum the photos as well! She had this to say….
‘Oh My God, that is unbelievable! I feel like I’m looking right at him. Actually feeling emotional. Amazing artist.‘”
Alyssa messaged overjoyed when she received the painting. She took this photo for us below. As you can see we always cover our oil paintings in cellophane to protect them until clients take them to the framers.
“Here he is, even more incredible in person. All I have done is admire it since I got home, looking at every little detail. It’s just perfect. I cannot thank you enough. Now I will be able to see my Max every day.” ❤️
Choosing the Perfect Frame
Alyssa decided to frame Max’s portrait with a gold ornate frame. She took the painting to a master framer, who had previously framed an Olympic gold medallist’s swimsuit!
“The framer was gobsmacked when he saw the portrait. He said it was absolutely beautiful.”
Commission Your Own Cat Portrait
If you would like to commission a hand-painted oil portrait of your cat, we would love to create something truly special for you. Just like we have done with Max for Alyssa. Visit our Cat Portraits Gallery to view more of our work and get in touch to discuss your commission.
Hand-Painted Cat Portrait – Custom Oil Painting Commission
We both absolutely love drawing and painting cats, and we hope that you can search our blog to see a whole collection of the stories behind some of the cat portraits that we have drawn and painted. Use the search box to find more. You can also read reviews from happy clients on the blog posts too. If you’re looking for a beautifully realistic pet portrait that truly captures your cat’s unique personality and charm, feel free to get in touch. We would love to create a special piece for you! Also if you enjoyed this post, you might like to read about another cat portrait on our blog about Roly!
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