How I Set Up for a New Cat Portrait Acrylic Painting
If you’re preparing to paint your first cat portrait—or just want to refine your process—this Cat Portrait Acrylic Painting Tutorial will walk you through how I set up for a successful, intuitive painting session. From choosing your color palette to organizing your supplies, here’s how I create an environment that invites creativity and flow.
Every time I start a new painting, I like to think of it as setting the stage for something that’s about to unfold. Before the brush ever hits the canvas, I spend a little time getting everything just right—both practically and creatively. For me, this setup is where the magic starts to take shape.
Cat Portrait Acrylic Painting Supply List:
(contains affiliate links to help support my art at no cost to you!)
- Liquitex Muted Essentials Heavy Body Acrylic Set
- Arteza Gouache Skin Tones Set
- Arteza Gouache Pastel Tones Set
- 9×12 Canvas Panel
- Artist’s Color Wheel
Choosing the Right Color Palette for Your Cat Portrait
I always begin by choosing my color palette with my reference image. I like to have everything ready before I start painting so I can keep my momentum going once I begin. Lately, I’ve been reaching for a combination of gouache and acrylic. I’ll lay out my palette using colors from sets I love—pastels, portrait tones, or muted essentials, in this case. I pick the colors based on what I want the mood to be, but I also work intuitively. I’ll throw in a pink or a mint green and see what wants to happen.
Every cat has a personality—and a palette. Before I start painting, I spend time selecting a limited color palette that reflects the mood or character of the cat. For acrylic cat portraits, I often use a mix of acrylic gouache and traditional acrylic paint. Sets like pastels, portrait tones, and muted essentials are great jumping-off points.
For this piece, I really wanted the orange of the tabby cat to pop against the background, so I chose a dark, muted color palette for the final top layers of paint. The Liquitex muted essentials set was a great jumping off point to base the background on.
To keep the painting harmonious, I typically limit myself to six colors or fewer (in fact, 3-4 seems like a great mix usually!). I swatch them onto a test sheet or put a dab of each on my glass paint palette so that I can see how they work together. I keep a ‘painter’s diary’ notebook so that I can make notes about the combinations I love. For example, I might pair a soft blush with a warm ochre or a muted mint green. I also test skin or fur tones here, making sure I can mix the subtle shades needed for a lifelike cat portrait.
If I’m feeling uncertain, I’ll bring out my trusty color wheel to check complementary colors or value differences.
Learn more about color theory with my Find Your Inner Rosie course.
Using a Color Wheel for Composition Harmony
For those just starting with acrylic painting tutorials, a color wheel is a must-have tool. It helps me check complementary pairings and plan the value structure of the portrait. Even if you’re painting a fluffy gray tabby, subtle color theory decisions make a huge difference in the overall result.
For “Tabby Cat & Contentment,” I wanted the orange of the tabby cat and the red hair to pop off the canvas, so I selected the complementary tone (directly across on the color wheel), which was green. I then played with the tone of the green and made it muted and dark so that the orange would have plenty of brightness by comparison!
Setting Up My Painting Workspace
A well-organized workspace makes painting more joyful. I gather my essentials—palette paper, water jar, paper towels, and my paint swatches—before I even touch the canvas. I prefer to paint on canvas panels because they’re sturdy, don’t bounce like stretched canvas, and create clean, crisp edges if I tape them off.
I keep a towel nearby, water for rinsing brushes, and a few random supplies that I might need. I lay everything out in a way that feels functional but also calm. I don’t want to be distracted by clutter when I’m painting. The vibe of the space matters—it’s about giving yourself the mental space to play, explore, and make creative decisions without stress.
Starting the Cat Portrait: Sketching and Underpainting
Once my supplies are ready, I begin by sketching the basic shape of the cat onto the canvas. I might freehand it with a pencil, or use a projector to trace just the landmarks of a photo reference—especially useful for keeping proportions accurate in pet portraits. If tracing, remember that you’re not trying to recreate the reference, you’re using it as a jumping off point. Therefore, focus on getting the proportions right when tracing, and leave the details to be filled in later. I usually focus on the major shapes and marking where the eyes, nose, and mouth begin and end. It’s just a guide, not something I feel locked into.
Then I lay down a bright underpainting—often in pink, orange, or red. This vibrant base adds unexpected warmth and depth that shines through the layers of fur and detail I’ll add later. In the case of this painting, I did an entirely pastel color-blocked underpainting so that each general section had it’s own underpainting color.
I usually paint on canvas panels. I love that they don’t have that bounce you get from stretched canvas, and they’re easy to store and frame. Plus, I can tape off the edges and create a nice border.
Embracing Intuition While Painting
Even with all this prep, I leave room for spontaneity. While this is a Cat Portrait Acrylic Painting Tutorial, it’s also an invitation to paint intuitively. Let your brushstrokes tell part of the story. Don’t be afraid of imperfections—often, that’s where the character of the piece comes alive.
Setting up this way helps me stay in flow once I begin. I want the painting process to feel playful and open, not chaotic or rigid. I leave space for surprises and “happy accidents,” but I like knowing I’ve thought through the color and composition ahead of time.
It’s taken me a while to find a setup that feels like me. Yours might look totally different—and that’s the beauty of it. If you’re an artist, I’d love to know: how do you start a painting? Do you plan meticulously, or dive in and see where it goes?
Let me know in the comments or shoot me a message—I’d love to hear your process!
