Paint Your Pet by Numbers: A Portrait You Make Yourself

You can commission a pet portrait from an artist, or you can paint one yourself. We turn a photo of your dog, your cat or even your horse into a printed canvas, and you fill it in with paint or with diamonds. You don't need to be able to draw: numbers or symbols on the canvas show you which colour goes where.

Three choices decide how it turns out: the photo, the technique and the size.

Pick a photo where the fur stands out from the background

Look at the background in the photo, because the fur needs to stand out from it. A black cat on a dark sofa or a white dog in the snow blends in, and the outline can get lost when the photo is simplified into colour areas or drills. For general tips, see our guide on choosing a photo for paint by numbers.

Brush or diamonds?

In paint by numbers the fur is broken down into areas of colour that you fill in with a brush. There are up to 48 colours, picked to match your photo. The finished piece is a painterly interpretation of your pet, not a copy of the photo.

In diamond painting the picture is built from tiny acrylic drills, the "diamonds", which you place on the symbols with a pen. Square drills give a denser, more detailed surface, while round drills are easier and quicker to place. The finished picture sparkles in the light. You'll want to work at a table, as the canvas needs a firm surface.

If you'd like to paint with a brush, go for paint by numbers; if you enjoy precise, fiddly work, go for diamond painting. For a fuller comparison, see our guide to diamond painting vs paint by numbers.

How big a canvas for your pet?

Choose the size by how large your pet appears in the photo. A close-up of one pet often fits on 40 × 50 cm, the smallest size for a paint by numbers kit made from a photo. The example canvases on the product pages are this size, with the dog filling much of the picture. If your pet is small in the photo with a lot of scenery around it, go for 60 × 80 cm or larger, as you would for a landscape. When the same photo goes on a bigger canvas, paint by numbers gets larger areas and diamond painting more drills, so the eyes and the shades of the fur come out better.

A bigger canvas also means more work. A 40 × 50 cm paint by numbers takes around 25–45 hours, or roughly 13–22 evenings if you paint for two hours an evening. A diamond painting of the same size takes 25–70 hours with square drills, the lower figure being the pace of someone experienced, and about a third less time with round drills. At 50 × 70 cm, paint by numbers takes 45–90 hours and diamond painting 50–120.

What the canvas looks like when it arrives

A paint by numbers canvas has fine outlines and numbers printed on it. The fur is split into lots of small areas, while the eyes, the nose and other small but important details get areas of their own so they don't disappear into the fur. With the canvas come a colour chart, numbered paints, brushes, number stickers and a quick guide, and the chart tells you which paint belongs to which number.

A diamond painting canvas has symbols instead of numbers, and the adhesive sits under a protective film. The kit also includes the drills in bags, a drill pen, tweezers, wax, a sorting tray and a colour list.

On the product pages you can zoom in on a real example canvas: a pug for paint by numbers and a dachshund for diamond painting. Tap "See an example canvas" on the main product photo.

Ask for a preview if you're unsure

You don't need to ask in advance whether your photo will work. We check every photo by hand, and if something won't reproduce well, we get in touch before we make the kit.

If you'd still like to see a preview before you order, send the photo through the contact form and tell us whether you want paint by numbers or diamond painting, and in which size. We make the preview and email it to you, usually on the same or the next working day.

You can also design a diamond painting yourself in our diamond painting editor. You see the pattern straight away, and the kit is printed exactly as you designed it.

As a gift or a memorial

A pet portrait makes a good gift for a dog or cat lover. You can give the kit unpainted and let them paint their own pet. Or you can paint it yourself and give it finished. Kits are made to order and a large canvas takes many evenings, so start early. A paint by numbers goes on the wall on a wooden frame, and the canvas is stretched on it before the painting starts.

If you want it to be a surprise, get the photo through a family member or from a shared album. Ask for the original file, as a photo sent through a messaging app gets compressed. If you can't get hold of one, give a gift card and let them choose the photo.

A portrait can also be a memorial to a pet who is no longer with you.

Frequently asked questions

Can several pets go on one canvas?

Yes. It's easiest when they are all in the same photo and large in the frame. For two pets, 50 × 70 cm leaves room for both faces, and for more, choose 60 × 80 cm or larger. If your pets are in separate photos, ask us through the contact form before you order. Combining photos is sometimes possible, case by case.

How do I take a sharp photo of my pet?

Take it in daylight near a window, without flash, and hold the phone at your pet's eye level. A treat or a toy next to the phone gets them looking at the camera, and burst mode gives you plenty of shots to choose from.

Can I paint a portrait of a pet that has died?

Yes. Use the best photo you have. An ordinary phone photo is enough even if it's a little dark or grainy, because we improve the photo where needed. If you only have a print, photograph or scan it straight on in even light, out of its frame and without flash. We can't bring back details that are missing altogether, though.

Some of the pictures in this article are AI-generated.