The personalized cat painting: a gift idea that appeals
Did you know that cats are among the most popular domestic animals in the world? In France, nearly 30% of us enjoy the company of this adorable feline!
We better understand the growing success of personalized cat paintings! Reserved for all those who worship their cat, it's a perfect gift idea to surprise and move.
What is a personalized cat painting?
The house cat enjoys a very special place in our hearts and in our homes (especially in our armchairs and sofas). We love them for their great independence, their enchanting purring, and their unique character. As such, the personalized cat painting has its rightful place alongside our family portraits.
This type of artwork is created by hand by a professional illustrator. A specialist who relies on the cat's photograph to reproduce its features in the style of your choice (we'll come back to this in more detail in the following paragraphs.)
The canvas creation is thus based on all the details provided by the painting's client. They don't hesitate to specify to the artist the most striking character traits of the represented cat's personality. Thanks to this, the illustrator is able to translate this unique character into a custom portrait.
Once the work is completed and validated by the client, the painting is sent to the happy owner's home. Very often, it's then offered as a birthday, Valentine's Day, holiday gift... Or for any other occasion.
The cat, an omnipresent animal in Art history
Sacred animal, demon, or benevolent deity... The least we can say is that cats have never left humans indifferent!
Since ancient Egypt, they have always had a special place in Art. Sometimes used as the central subject of the artwork, sometimes as a simple extra, the cat is even considered a muse for artists.
More than 2,000 years before Christ, the cat was first domesticated by the Egyptians. Divine and protective, it was omnipresent in the artistic representations of the time.
At the end of the 1st century AD, the cat was a very appreciated companion of Roman soldiers, with whom they traveled everywhere according to imperial conquests. The little feline's representation was even sometimes displayed on their banners.
In the Middle Ages, however, the cat was considered malevolent and diabolical. In medieval painting, cats then had a terrifying aspect.
At the beginning of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci claimed his admiration for the cat: "Even the smallest of felines, the cat, is a masterpiece". The artist then made several study drawings of this animal. But it wasn't until the end of the 17th century that the latter was finally truly rehabilitated.
The Age of Enlightenment completely modified the cat's status, which was then represented on the canvases of many great painters. Gottfried Mind was even nicknamed "the Raphael of cats" so much did he dedicate canvases and sculptures to this little feline. The latter then became the main subject of paintings that represented it. After the French Revolution, it even became a symbol of freedom.
In the 19th century, the cat became the privileged companion of many writers. In painting, feline representations are innumerable, used by many great painters: Gustave Courbet, Auguste Renoir, Édouard Manet, Théodore Géricault, and many others... The cat was then used as a symbol to represent a happy, warm, and welcoming home.
In the 20th century, this fascination with cats became even more fervent, and the little animal remained a great source of inspiration for artists. Pierre Bonard, Marc Chagall, Fernand Léger, and even Andy Warhol drew inspiration from it in their works.
Today, the cat is a social media star. Renowned for promoting our well-being, it's adored by its owners. The latter don't hesitate to commission its portrait in a personalized cat painting proudly displayed on the walls of their home.
The realistic personalized cat painting
Created from one or several photographs of your four-legged companion, this type of personalized cat painting is executed to be as realistic as possible.
However, despite the realism of its line, this type of representation can perfectly be enhanced with whimsical details or various accessories, in order to more easily translate your cat's particular character. The painting's personalization options are therefore innumerable.
You can here add certain essential details, such as your cat's favorite toy, their cat tree, the cushion in which they love to lounge, etc.
Also, even realistic, your cat's portrait can be enhanced with many whims. We think of a halo or wings for a deceased cat, hilarious outfits and accessories, such as a uniform, hat, or boots... etc.
The artist in charge of creating the painting can also bring a particular atmosphere to the canvas through the use of soft and romantic colors, or on the contrary, dynamic and contemporary ones. Black and white also lends itself very well to realistic works, offering an elegant and timeless rendering, almost nostalgic to the painting.
The WPAP style personalized cat painting
Opposite to realism, a personalized cat painting can just as well be treated in a WPAP style (Wedha's Pop Art Portraits).
This artistic movement, created by Wedha Abdul Rasyid, has been experiencing growing popularity since the early 1990s. With digital technology, it allows creating colorful and cubic feline portraits, composed of geometric facets that form mosaics with psychedelic and strong colors.
Always worked from photos, WPAP is ideal for giving depth to the portrait, and it allows emphasizing your cat's electric, playful, and mischievous character.
Not to mention that Wedha's Pop Art Portraits is extremely trendy and lends itself perfectly to decorating all styles of homes, contemporary or traditional.
The cartoon version personalized cat painting
All cat owners know it, this little feline capable of remaining inactive for hours is also often the object of temporary madness. A little wind is enough to make them hysterical, triggering a frantic chase throughout the entire house! The cat is also an unrivaled king in terms of antics. Besides, it's quite simple, they literally conquered social media thanks to them. Funny, curious, and mischievous... The little feline's playful character can judiciously appear in a personalized cat painting.
In this context, cartoon is ideal. Your cat can, for example, be represented in the style of your favorite comic strip or a cartoon that you adore.
The illustrator works here again from your cat's photo, but they focus on creating a portrait that respects the precepts of cartoon drawing (simplification of details, rounded shapes, exaggeration of expressions). The painting then perfectly expresses the feline's emotions and expressions.
The manga version personalized cat painting
Who doesn't know manga these days? Coming from Japan, this Japanese comic strip now has very many followers. The characteristic manga drawing style contributes greatly to the immense popularity of this comic widely transposed into animation and video games.
Some mangas are thus known throughout the entire world. We think of the essential DBZ, One Piece, Naruto, or more recently SNK...
And precisely, the personalized cat painting blends perfectly with manga. It's ultimately another form of "cartoonization" of your feline's portrait, then represented with huge eyes and a tiny snout, but also with disheveled and geometric fur. All characteristics that allow again giving a vast palette of very marked expressions to the represented cat.
Conclusion
Always more appreciated, the personalized cat painting is a gift idea that never ceases to appeal. When executed with virtuosity, it's even capable of moving the person to whom it's offered.
An effect only permitted by the talent of the artist in charge of creating the portrait. If you're considering commissioning a drawn portrait of your cat, make sure to choose your illustrator well!
To help you with this, we recommend posting your project announcement on the Cartoonely platform. In a few clicks, the detailed order of your personalized cat painting will be transmitted to one of our talented illustrators, chosen by us for their style and proven artistic qualities.
You'll thus benefit from a custom artwork, created from a photo of your feline, and personalized according to your requests (number of cats to represent, background style, line style, etc.)