Is my black cat going to be a black blob?

No. Charcoal uses highlights rather than darks to describe form, so a black coat gets shape from the chalk on the eyes, nose and fur edges.

Only the warm tone of the paper. The drawing itself is black and white.

From €7.99

Charcoal pet portrait

Dramatic and hand-made. Deep velvety blacks, smudged mid-tones and white chalk highlights on toned paper, with energetic strokes around the edges and the face fully resolved.

Paint my pet in charcoal See the gallery

One photo. Three variations. A file sized for your frame, in about two minutes.

The original phone photo of a ginger cat — The photo

The same cat as a charcoal portrait — Charcoal

The look

What a charcoal portrait does with your photo

On the canvas

Rich blacks with smudged, soft mid-tones
White chalk highlights on eyes, whiskers and fur
Warm toned paper instead of white
Loose, energetic edges around a finished face

Best for

Dark-coated pets, dramatic lighting and strong expressions. Black dogs and cats, which often photograph badly, come out beautifully in charcoal.

Printing it

Matte paper, ideally with a warm tint. Black or dark oak frames with a cream mat. It reads well from a distance, so consider 40 × 50 cm and up.

Every file is cropped to the frame size you choose, from 20 × 30 cm to 50 × 70 cm, and delivered at 2048 px on the long edge.

Samples

Real pets, painted in charcoal

Ordinary phone photos of our own pets. Click any portrait to compare it with the original.

7 portraits

How it works

From photo to print-ready in four steps

Pick a style and a frame size, and the file you download is made for exactly that frame.

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1
Upload a photo
Any clear photo of your pet, straight from your phone.
2
Choose a style
Oil, watercolour, pop art and more. Same photo, many looks.
3
Pick frame and size
See it on a wall from 20 × 30 up to 50 × 70 cm. The file is made for that size.
milo-oil-40x50.png
40 × 50 cm4096 pxPrint-ready
4
Download and print
A print-ready file in about a minute. Print at home, at a photo shop, or online.

About two minutes from photo to file. No account needed.

FAQ

Questions about the charcoal style

Pencil is fine, light and precise on white paper. Charcoal is bolder and darker on toned paper, with smudged shading and chalk highlights.

Pricing

Pay once, print as often as you like

No subscription. Every tier includes a print-ready file sized to the frame you choose and a one-page print guide.

Single Portrait

One style, one wall

€7.99

Print-ready up to 30 × 40 cm

1 art style
3 variations to choose from
HD file (2048 px)

Get started →

Style Pack

Premium Bundle

For the big wall

€24.99

Print-ready up to 50 × 70 cm

10 art styles
Unlimited variations
4K files (4096 px)
Commercial licence

Get started →

Print sizes are where the file stays sharp at arm’s length. Larger frames work too, they just look softer up close. Printed and framed delivery is on the way; for now you print with the shop or service you trust.

Other looks