Paint Your Life
West & Willow
Shak Chew
All animal lovers know that our pets are our family. They deserve their pictures displayed on the wall as much as the rest of us. There are thousands of sellers out there offering to create a portrait of your furry friend. To memorialize a late companion or a fun gift for your animal-enthusiast friend, choosing the right company is a make-or-break decision.
I’ve researched and reviewed the five top custom pet portrait sellers. I’ve organized my research into five categories: best overall, best memorial, best painting, best clothing, and best for those on a budget. These talented artists make gorgeous custom portraits of your favorite companions.
Choosing the best company to recreate your furry friend doesn’t have to be a hassle. I’ve outlined all criteria to look for, including customer reviews, accuracy/medium, shipping time, customer involvement, and price.
How to Choose a Company for Custom Pet Portraits
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are a subjective but useful tool to help you find the perfect custom pet portrait to represent your furry family member.
A pattern of positive reviews is a good indication that the seller is established and trustworthy. Reviews are particularly important if you are purchasing from a seller on Etsy or another online marketplace.
You should not let a few negative reviews completely deter you from choosing a seller. There are many other criteria to consider. However, a 4 or 5-star rating is likely a safe bet.
Look for reviews with photos of their finished products. Is this something you would be happy to receive? If not, you may want to knock this seller off of your prospect list and keep looking.
Accuracy/Medium
I grouped these two aspects because portrait accuracy often depends on what the artist uses to create it. Accuracy is arguably the most crucial criterion of a portrait purchase.
There are several different mediums in art. A few popular techniques are oil paints, acrylic paints, watercolor paints, charcoal, and pencil. Some artists digitally print their creations, and others engrave portraits into stone.
The medium by which you want your portrait created is one of the most important criteria. Do you want your pet’s portrait engraved in stone or on a bright canvas display? Do you want a realistic painting or a fun cartoon version of your companion?
I’ve ranked this criterion based on other sellers in their category.
Shipping Time
Shipping time correlates with art medium and the level of personalization with your product. High-quality, customized projects will take longer than generic items that you order online. However, some creators are faster than others in their category, and you may want to opt for the quicker artist if you are in a pinch. Choosing faster shipping times does not always mean that you are sacrificing quality.
I’ve ranked this criterion based on other sellers in their category. The higher the ranking, the faster the turnover and shipping rate is.
Customer Involvement
How involved do you want to be in the creation process of your product? Do you want step-by-step updates or to leave the entire process to the artist’s discretion?
I did not give this criterion a numeric rating, customer involvement is subjective. Some buyers want to be involved in the process while others prefer to leave it all up to the artist.
Price
Custom work can get expensive. However, some artists offer mediums that are a little more budget-friendly than their competitors.
For the price rankings, the higher the ranking, the more budget-friendly the work is.
Best Custom Pet Portrait Companies
- Best Overall Custom Pet Portrait: Paint Your Life
- Best NFT Custom Pet Portrait: West & Willow
- Best Budget-Friendly Custom Pet Portrait: Shak Chew on Etsy
- Best Abstract Custom Pet Portrait: Animalist
- Best Memorial Custom Pet Portrait: PacificCustoms on Etsy
Best Overall Custom Pet Portrait: Paint Your Life
Paint Your Life provides the best pet portrait artists. They capture a high level of detail with their handcrafted original artwork. Their artists are highly talented and attentive to detail. The variety of mediums that they offer ensures accurate and realistic portraits created by experienced artists.
PaintYourLife Customer Reviews — My Score: 10/10
93% of Paint Your Life’s reviews on their website are 5-star reviews. Less than one percent of reviewers rated their work less than “great”.
Paint Your Life Accuracy/Medium — My Score: 10/10
Paint Your Life differentiates itself from competitors by offering a variety of art mediums. Their artists can use oil, pastel, acrylic, charcoal, colored pencil, black pencil, and watercolor. Different mediums bring different results, and their variety of art skills helps ensure that their artists can cater to your preferences.
Using oil, pastel, and acrylic paints can create highly accurate and realistic pet portraits.
Paint Your Life Shipping Time — My Score: 7/10
Turnaround times are dependent on the size and medium of the painting. The lowest possible turnaround is thirteen days. This is not unusual for a custom portrait but is not an ideal last-minute gift choice.
Paint Your Life Customer Involvement
Paint your Life allows customers to customize and revise their portraits as much as they desire throughout the process. They are also in control of other aspects such as the medium that the artist will use.
Paint Your Life Price — My Score: 7/10
Paint Your Life’s pet portrait pricing depends on the size, medium and number of pets pictured in the portrait. There is a $30.00 charge for each additional pet.
Pros:
- Paint Your Life offers more mediums than most custom pet portrait sellers. Oil paints are flexible and have a lot of color depth. Pastel paints are great to use for a softer, more velvety finish. Charcoal provides rich shading effects.
- Their customer service team is helpful and offers unlimited revisions and customizations.
- Paint your Pet offers free shipping within the U.S. and a 100% money-back guarantee.
Cons:
- Paint Your Life can take longer than other sellers and may not be the best option for those on a budget.
- Paint Your Life not the best option for those seeking a simple, non-interactive portrait process.
Best Overall Custom Pet Portrait: West & Willow
West & Willow is a modern, pet owner-owned company. They offer custom pet portraits, leashes, greeting cards, and more, including NFT art for your pet. This well-renowned pet portrait brand is featured by big names such as CNN, Buzzfeed, HGTV, and Marie Claire.
West & Willow uses gallery-grade paper with premium frames and offers a variety of background colors. Their signature font is another unique touch to every portrait. They ALSO offer limited edition color schemes.
How many pets can you fit? West & Willow can customize portraits of up to three faces on one frame—capture your furry friends side-by-side in these unique creations.
Customer Reviews — My Score: 10/10
Thousands of customers raved online about West & Willow’s custom pet portraits. Many reviewers applauded the accuracy and quality of the portraits. Several happy customers posted side-by-side photos of their proud pets alongside their portraits.
Reviewers also credited West & Willow for honoring special requests, such as keeping quirky details, in the final portrait.
Accuracy/Medium — My Score: 10/10
Based on customer reviews and online photos, I can safely conclude that the West & Willow offers highly accurate custom pet portraits. Digital artists create the portraits based on a customer-provided photo, ensuring accuracy and a neat finish.
They also include a free digital download with your final product.
Shipping Time — My Score: 8/10
According to their website, most orders ship within one to two weeks. This is a relatively quick turnaround time for a custom print, especially for one that includes multiple furry friends.
Customer Involvement
West & Willow has a simple 3-step process for custom pet portrait creation: choose your photo, customize it, and let the team do the work. You can choose from three frame options, background colors, and add your pet’s name. Their digital pet portrait artists take it from there.
Price — My Score: 7/10
West & Willow’s custom pet portrait pricing depends on the sizing and the number of pets in the portrait. The cheapest portrait option is an 8”x10” frame for one pet.
Pricing for portraits of one pet starts at $65.00. Two pet prices begin at $110.00. The most expensive option, three pet custom portraits, starts at $130.00. Orders have flat rate shipping.
However, based on my research, the quality is well worth the price. They also offer spontaneous promos like a free mug upon portrait purchase after you sign up for their mailing list.
Pros:
- These full-color portraits include your furry friend’s name for extra customization.
Cons:
- Digital illustrations do not allow for as much detail as paintings
- There are many lower-priced options than this brand.
Best Budget-Friendly Custom Pet Portrait: Shak Chew on Etsy
Print your pet’s portrait from a digital file at home for a quick, budget-friendly custom pet portrait.
Shak Chew Customer Reviews — My Score: 10/10
Shak Chew received hundreds of positive reviews for their custom pet portraits. Many pleased customers included pictures of their product.
Shak Chew Accuracy/Medium — My Score: 8/10
Shak Chew digitally paints their portraits on printed matte paper. Digital prints are clean and consistent but lack detail when compared to “real” paintings.
Shak Chew Shipping Time — My Score: 7/10
Shak Chew aims to get back to customers within 24 hours to provide a sample, but it can take up to three days.
Shak Chew Customer Involvement
Customers get to choose their size from the available options and attach their desired picture. They can contact the seller at any time with Etsy messaging.
Price — My Score: 9/10
Pricing is dependent on the delivery option, medium, size, and the number of pets. Digital at-home prints are the cheapest option for custom pet portraits.
If you do not like your sample, you can get your money back.
Pros:
- Shak Chew offers a variety of delivery options on different materials.
Cons:
- These custom pet portraits are only available in black-and-white ink.
Best Abstract Custom Pet Portrait: Animalist
Animalist is a great option for those looking for eccentric pet portraits. The designing artist aims to capture each breed’s most unique and defining features while maintaining a minimalistic design. Animalist was featured in big names such as Vogue, Buzzfeed, goop, and Marie Claire.
Animalist Customer Reviews — My Score: 10/10
Their reviews are nearly unanimous, consisting of 98% 5-star ratings. Customers raved about the elegant and trendy design. They also applauded the simple, guided design process and quick shipping.
Animalist Accuracy and Medium — My Score: 9/10
Although these portraits will not be realistic or accurate due to their abstract nature, the designs are unique and clean.
Animalist Shipping Time — My Score: 9/10
Animalist typically delivers their art in three to five days. They are made in Sweden and shipped worldwide for free.
Animalist Customer Involvement
Animalist prompts customers to select the breed, design (line, form, or abstract), color, flip, size, and text. You can also add your furry friend’s name as the finishing touch.
Animalist Price — My Score: 8/10
Animalist custom pet portrait posters start at $50.00 and can range up to nearly $100. However, they offer free, worldwide shipping.
Animalist Pros
- This unique artwork is inspired by Scandanavian minimalism and emphasizes clean lines and bright spaces.
Animalist Cons
- This is not the ideal option for those seeking a realistic pet portrait.
Best Memorial Custom Pet Portrait: PacificCustoms on Etsy
Our pets are our family, and it is heartbreaking to lose a furry friend. Many find comfort in creating something special to remember their companion by. There are a plethora of online sellers that offer pieces to memorialize your pet. This Etsy seller, PacificCustoms, creates custom pet portraits on granite stone. They offer several design choices and pre-set quotes, or you can send in your own.
Etsy.com is a popular digital marketplace that features thousands of sellers for a wide range of products. It connects sellers to buyers. Many Etsy sellers feature handcrafted items in their online shops.
Customer Reviews — My Score: 10/10
PacificCustoms has a 5-star seller score on Etsy with thousands of positive reviews to back it up. Their custom memorial pet portrait products were some of the most highly reviewed items. Most reviewers posted a review that included a picture of their finalized product. Customers credited this seller for accuracy, quality, customization, and how quickly they received their item.
Accuracy/Medium — My Score: 9/10
Based on customer reviews, online photos, and the precise medium, I can conclude that PacificCustoms on Etsy offers highly accurate custom pet portraits. This seller uses laser engraving; this precise medium ensures accuracy.
Shipping Time — My Score: 10/10
According to their seller page, they create their stones within one business day. Delivery usually takes about three days. This is an extremely fast turnover rate for a customized product.
Customer Involvement – My Score: 7/10
PacificCustoms requires customers to send in a photo of their furry friend along with their design request. Although the design process is not highly involved, it is highly customizable, and they ask that you message them with any special requests.
Price — My Score: 8/10
PacificCustoms pet portrait pricing depends on the size and shape of the granite for the portrait. The cheapest portrait option is a 6”x6” granite stone. This is a great value for artwork on sturdy granite.
Pros:
- You can display your pet’s face indoors out outdoors with this granite stone pet portrait.
- PacificCustoms has great customer service.
Cons:
- This seller does not offer wall art.
In Conclusion
Choosing the right artist to represent your furry friend can be tough. There are various aspects to consider and thousands of options to choose from. Use this guide to narrow down your options and find the perfect portrait option for your favorite companion.
