A Tale of Two Cities Pet Portrait

A storybook pet portrait in the Tale of Two Cities style places your dog or cat on a hillside at dusk, with a village of small cottages behind them, warm light in every window, golden fields rolling away to either side and a sky full of stars — and their name set above in white script.

It is the softest, gentlest piece in the cartoon range. Nothing is sharp-edged, the palette is deep blue and honey-gold, and the animal sits square in the middle looking directly out at you. The lit windows are the detail that does the work: they make the picture feel like somewhere your pet is heading home to.

Who buys a storybook pet portrait

A storybook pet portrait overwhelmingly goes in children’s rooms and nurseries. The scene is calm rather than busy, there is nothing frightening in it, and a child recognises their own dog or cat immediately because the name is right there at the top. It is also the piece most often bought for a family’s first pet.

Long-haired animals gain the most, because the illustration style gives fur a soft, brushed edge that catches the light from the cottages. Pale coats — cream, white, golden, silver — glow against the dark blue sky. Black and very dark coats still work, and the star field behind gives them a clean silhouette, but send a photo with light on the face so the features stay readable.

How your storybook pet portrait is made

Upload one clear photo of your pet, taken at their eye level, with light on the face and both eyes visible. A sitting shot suits this style best, since the finished piece shows the animal seated from the chest up. The photo guide covers the rest — it is mostly about light and height, not camera quality.

The artwork is generated in this style and then individually reviewed and refined by a person before anything goes to print: markings checked against your photo, eye colour corrected, and the shape of the ears and muzzle brought back to your actual animal rather than a generic one. Your pet’s name is set in the script you see here — send the exact spelling you want, including any capital letters. You then see a proof, usually within one to three working days, and nothing prints until you approve it. Revisions are free and unlimited.

Sizes, framing and finish

Choose framed, canvas or a digital download. Framed prints are 200gsm matte paper in a real pine frame with shatterproof plexiglass, hanging kit included and ready to hang out of the box, arriving roughly four to six days after you approve the proof. Canvas is a slim 2cm stretched cotton-polyester blend, five to six days. Black framing suits the night sky; white lifts it for a child’s room.

Sizes are 8×12, 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches. Above a cot or a small bed, 12×18 sits well. On a landing or a larger wall, 16×24 gives the village scene room to read properly. Free tracked shipping on every order. The rest of the Cartoon collection runs brighter and more urban if a night scene is not the mood you want.

Questions about this portrait

Can I change the name on a storybook pet portrait?
The name is set from what you enter at checkout, so send the exact spelling. If it is wrong on the proof, say so and it is corrected free.

Will the village or the sky change?
No — the scene is fixed and it is what makes the style recognisable. Your pet, their colouring and their name are what change.

Does a storybook pet portrait work for two pets?
This style is composed around a single animal. For two or three pets, the Pawsome Pair and Three Best Friends styles in the same collection are built for it.

How long does it take to arrive?
Proof in one to three working days, then about four to six days framed or five to six on canvas. Digital downloads arrive by email with no shipping wait.

A share of every month’s orders goes back to rescued animals.