Marissa Hitt
- Aug 26
- 2 min read

Unveiling the Artistry: A Behind-the-Scenes Peek into the Pet Portrait Process

Capturing the essence of your beloved pet & creating a cherished memento that brings joy to you and your family is the goal.

Throughout all stages of life, our feathered and furry companions witness our tears, hold our secrets, and pick up on our routines.

Pets provide unwavering love and a reminder that joy and innocence are present, faithfully accompanying us through every peak and valley.

I want to share a behind the scenes look into the steps necessary to order a pet portrait, in addition to the pet portrait creation process.

Watercolor pet portrait as home decor with the artist Marissa Melane Hitt

THE PET PORTRAIT CREATION PROCESS:

When I paint your pet portrait on a canvas, I place a couple of coats of special paint to prepare the canvas for watercolors.

I study your pet's photos. Pet portraits typically take 15 hours or more, & for half of that time, I am studying your pet's pictures before I add brushstrokes. This is why it's so helpful to receive photos with these specific elements, which I touch on in this blog post.

After I finish carefully crafting your pet's painting, a photo of your pet's portrait is sent to you. This is an opportunity to request for any minor changes to the portrait to be made.

Melane & Co. watercolor pet portrait on canvas

ORDERING A PET PORTRAIT

To begin ordering your pet's portrait, fill out a quick form, which you can view on our Custom Pet Portraits page.

After you have filled out our form for a pet portrait or a pet portrait we will correspond with you & request several photos of your pet to info@melaneandco.com. We will compile a quote & send it to you after we receive the photos.

We require that our customer agreement form is signed & your payment is fulfilled in order to begin the painting process. This is one of the last steps to make your pet's portrait official!