Made for this idea
A soft portrait for a small print, keepsake or quiet profile image. Pale washes work best when the face remains the strongest shape in the composition.
Image to image
Pet portrait from photo: build a useful reference brief
Give each reference photo a clear job, record visible identity details, and download a portrait brief for an artist or the AI photo workflow.
Your next useful step
Prepare a reference-photo brief
Choose your starting point, edit the instructions, and review the credit quote before generating. Current access conditions are shown in the creator.
- Main photo filename, intended age and view
- Supporting filename → feature it clarifies
- Must-keep visible features
- Allowed changes to style, clothing or background
Illustrative scenario, not a customer testimonial.
Work through a concrete example
The main photo has the expression you love but hides one ear. Add a second authentic angle that shows that ear, label its role and avoid mixing photos of different animals in one identity reference set.
Watercolor portrait
Make the right first attempt
Prepare your starting material
Use even lighting and a plain background. Ask for a restrained palette and leave paper-colored space around the ears; busy scenery can obscure fine whiskers.
What to check in the result
Check that watery edges have not erased an eye, merged the ears or moved a distinctive patch. Review at the size you intend to display, then use the print-size calculator if printing.
From idea to saved work
1. Prepare the input
Upload one to five JPG, PNG or WebP references, each up to 12 MB. Start with a clear face and add another angle only when it explains a marking or body feature.
2. Direct one clear change
Say what should change and what should remain: for example, change the setting while keeping the ear shape, eye color and chest patch. Avoid combining an outfit, background, pose and lighting change in the first attempt.
3. Preview, compare and save
Check the quoted credits before submitting. When the work is ready, compare the face, edges and composition; for video, watch the beginning, middle and end. Download the accepted file from your library before its expiry date.
Image to image
A prompt you can actually use
This editable preset guides the model. Review the result before keeping it; a preset is not a guarantee of likeness, exact motion or flawless editing.
Edit the uploaded pet photograph. Soft watercolor pet portrait with visible paper texture. Preserve the pet’s recognizable face, coat markings and proportions. Do not add text or watermarks.Try the other starting point · Text to image →
Real inputs, recorded outputs
These are individual tests with licensed photographs or a written prompt. Compare the details before choosing a workflow; each result can differ.
A watercolor portrait from a real reference
The seated pose, white blaze, dark saddle and white-tipped tail remain recognizable. The face and fur edges are redrawn, and woodland shapes remain despite the request for a plain background. Check these details before using the portrait.
Source photograph: Grzes1966 · CC0-1.0
Prompt and test details
R07 · 2026-10-14 · fal-ai/nano-banana-2/edit
Create a gentle watercolor portrait from this exact tricolor dog photo. Preserve the white blaze, black saddle, tan ears, white-tipped tail and visible seated pose. Keep the entire existing photo content in view. Use a clean pale cream paper background and soft sage accents. No additional animals, text, clothing, wings, halo, extra limbs or invented props.
Images and videos are compressed for this page. The dimensions shown describe the downloadable original. Video previews use the delivered clip without changing its action or playback speed.
Downloads, access and privacy
Free previews carry a watermark: images up to 768 px on the long side and videos at 480p. They remain available for 14 days. Original access requires purchased credits when checkout is available; unlocked works are kept for 90 days. Check the actual dimensions and expiry on the completed work.
View pricing and access →Uploads and generated files belong to your private workspace. Generation providers process the material you submit. Sharing is a separate choice; upload only material you have permission to use.
Read the data-handling notice →Before you create
Which input should I choose?
Upload one to five JPG, PNG or WebP references, each up to 12 MB. Start with a clear face and add another angle only when it explains a marking or body feature.
What should I review before saving?
Check that watery edges have not erased an eye, merged the ears or moved a distinctive patch. Review at the size you intend to display, then use the print-size calculator if printing.
Will it reproduce my pet exactly?
A reference image gives the model information to work from, but distinctive markings, proportions and expressions can change. Text-only creation invents a pet from your description. If exact documentary detail matters, retain the original photo alongside any AI interpretation.
Is a clean original included for free?
Free previews carry a watermark: images up to 768 px on the long side and videos at 480p. They remain available for 14 days. Original access requires purchased credits when checkout is available; unlocked works are kept for 90 days. Check the actual dimensions and expiry on the completed work.
Is this effect guaranteed?
This editable preset guides the model. Review the result before keeping it; a preset is not a guarantee of likeness, exact motion or flawless editing.
Updated 2026-10-12
A good reference brief says what each photograph contributes. One picture may show the face clearly while another explains a chest patch. Sending many unrelated photos without those roles can make the intended appearance harder to understand.
Prepare a reference-photo brief
Name the source files, mark the details that matter and save a brief you can use when making the portrait.
Your entries stay in this browser tab. Download a copy before leaving; this worksheet does not send messages or place orders.
Choose a main view
Pick the photo that best represents the expression and age you want. Record the original filename and whether it has been cropped or edited. A clear side view is useful when you deliberately want a profile; it does not establish unseen details on the far side.
Assign supporting photos a job
Use extra photos to clarify an ear, a coat patch or the body rather than asking the maker to average different ages. Label the feature and the side of the pet it shows. Keep another animal out of the identity set.
Separate must-keep features from creative choices
Put eye color, muzzle shape and distinctive markings in the identity field. Put costume, background and art style in the creative field. If a detail cannot be confirmed from any photo, mark it unknown instead of supplying a confident guess.
Hand off the brief with the originals
The TXT or JSON download contains your notes, not the image files. Send authorized originals through the channel you choose. Start a dog portrait or cat portrait when the references are ready, then compare the result with this brief.
Give every photograph a role
A useful pet portrait from photo brief identifies one main image and explains the others. The main image controls age, expression and pose. A supporting image might show an ear hidden by shadow or a chest marking outside the crop. Label each file with that role. When images disagree, say which one controls the detail rather than hoping the maker combines them correctly. This is especially useful when family members contribute pictures from different years or when the clearest face is in a less attractive setting.
Choose a crop that the reference can support
Keep space around ears, nose, paws and tail until the final crop is decided. A full-body request needs a full-body reference if you want those proportions to come from evidence. If the only good image is a close-up, a head-and-shoulders composition may be the more honest choice. The dog photo guide focuses on muzzle and body shape, while the cat photo guide addresses markings and resting poses. Choose the guidance that matches the photograph you actually have.
Turn a folder of images into a short handoff
An illustrative handoff might list: “Photo A: chosen age and expression. Photo B: left ear in daylight. Photo C: chest pattern only. Keep the pose from A; do not use C’s background.” Add the final orientation and the use, such as a phone image or a portrait for a frame. That brief is easier to follow than “use whichever is best.” Keep original files at their available resolution and send copies for editing. A screenshot of a chat preview may discard information that remains in the original attachment.
Review against the brief you actually supplied
When the work returns, compare it with the main reference first. Check whether the supporting photographs were used only for their stated roles. If the result looks younger or carries a different collar, identify the image that may have introduced the change. Revise the brief accordingly instead of adding more unlabelled photographs. To decide how the portrait will be made, use the custom portrait comparison; to preserve an old damaged source before any reinterpretation, visit pet photo restoration.
Questions before you continue
Does the worksheet upload my photos?
No. It records filenames and descriptions only.
Can a blurry screenshot be the only reference?
You can record it, but identify the features it does not show reliably. A generator cannot verify missing detail from a filename.
Should every reference show the same age?
Use the intended age consistently, or explicitly identify which period the portrait should represent.