Live Pet Cartoons for Events
The Doggy Fundraiser (Orange Beach & Gulf Shores)
Jamie, a Gulf Shores rec director, brought me in to draw dogs and their people at a “doggy day” fundraiser—and she did everything right.
She promoted caricatures ahead of time, had guests pre-pay, and even assigned a volunteer just to manage the line.
The result?
A flawless event. Every pup and person got drawn, the fundraiser hit its goals, and they brought me back the next year in Orange Beach.
Lesson:
Pet caricatures aren’t just a cute add-on. They can be the centerpiece of a successful event when they’re planned well.
Funny Pet Cartoons That Capture Personality
Cat Cartoon
Dog Cartoon
Yes that's even a Turtle Cartoon
When people hear the words “pet portrait,” they usually picture something very realistic… almost like a photograph.
That’s not really what I do.
My drawings are more like funny pet portraits—but not in a ridiculous or over-the-top way. They’re funny because they’re true.
I’m not just exaggerating features for the sake of it. I’m paying attention to personality. The little expressions. The way your dog looks at you. The energy they have.
That’s what people respond to.
One of the things I hear all the time is how cute my drawings are—both for pets and for people. And I think that’s because I focus so much on the eyes. For me, that’s where everything starts. The eyes really are the window to the soul, whether it’s a person or a dog, and once that’s right, everything else falls into place.
That’s also why I often draw people and their pets together.
There’s usually this connection between them—almost like they start to match each other over time. Same expressions, same energy. It’s kind of like old married couples… but with dogs. Or cats. Or on occasion other animals.
And capturing that relationship is what makes these more than just a dog portrait or a pet caricature.
It turns them into something personal.
Something you recognize instantly.
Something that feels like them.
Custom Pet Portraits That Make Meaningful Gifts
Some of my favorite custom pet portraits and and cat and dog caricatures started as gifts.
This one was a gift from a mom to her teenage daughter… and if you’ve ever tried to shop for a teenager, you know exactly how that goes. She already had everything she needed, and her mom was racking her brains trying to find something that wasnt too babyish, but also not too grown up, AND not too expensive.
So she went on Facebook asking for ideas—and I happened to see her post.
At first she wasn’t even sure what she wanted. We talked through a few ideas, and eventually landed on doing a custom husky portrait of her daughter with her dog. She sent me photos, and I created the piece entirely from that.
And here’s the thing… getting personality from photos is harder than drawing someone in person.
But even from the pictures, you could feel it. The daughter had this calm, almost serene energy, and the husky matched her perfectly. Same vibe. Same quiet presence. That’s what I’m always trying to capture in my pet portraits—not just what your dog looks like, but who they are.
I met up with the mom the day before the birthday and showed her the finished piece.
She was so excited!
She took it home, wrapped it, and—this almost never happens—she actually filmed her daughter opening it and sent me the video.
And I got to watch her reaction.
“This is so cool… this is so cool…” over and over again.
That’s the part I love.
I don’t usually prefer doing commissions. I love drawing live because I get to see the reaction right there in front of me. That moment when someone lights up—that’s everything.
But this time, I still got to have that moment.
And that’s what makes a custom dog portrait or husky portrait like this so special.
It’s not just something you hang on the wall.
It’s something to remember a cherished pet for years to come.
Digital Pet Portraits
Along with my traditional work, I also create digital pet portraits, and they are a really great option depending on how you want to use the artwork.
A lot of people choose a digital dog portrait because it simply shows up better on screens.
If you want something for your profile picture, your phone, or social media, digital color is much richer, cleaner, and easier to see than a hand colored piece.
That said, these are not AI.
Every digital piece still starts the same way my traditional drawings do, with a hand drawn sketch.
I draw it out first, send it to you for approval, and then bring it into my drawing app.
From there, I build it in layers.
I create clean line work on top of the sketch, and then I digitally paint the color underneath. So what you are getting is not just a quick drawing, it is a custom digital pet portrait that is actually painted, just in a digital format.
Another reason people love digital is flexibility.
You can use it for profile photos, prints for your home, gifts, or even things like invitations or event materials. I have had people include their dogs in wedding details, which is always fun, especially when their dog is part of the wedding itself.
It is also a more environmentally friendly option.
Traditional paints often contain chemicals that can end up in the water supply when they are cleaned or disposed of. With digital work, there are no paint chemicals, no rinse water, and no waste materials, which makes it a cleaner process overall.
And if you ever want to update it later, that is something we can do too. Since it is digital, I can add things like costumes, themes, or different looks without starting from scratch.
It is a really fun way to create something personal that you can use in a lot of different ways.