The Story Behind Tai and Chi’s Portrait
This series of photos shows the finished portrait on my plan chest, photographed with my pencils for scale. I always enjoy capturing the drawing from different angles to give a natural sense of texture and presence.
In 2014, Nancy Miller contacted me to commission a pencil portrait of her two Siamese cats, Tai and Chi, as a surprise gift for her daughter who was studying away in Berkeley, San Francisco.
Nancy provided a lovely selection of photos, including one of the cats sitting peacefully in the garden sunshine — it was the perfect choice for the composition. The portrait was drawn at 16" x 12", a great size for a double cat study like this.
Nancy and her family were overjoyed with the final result. You can scroll down to read her emails sent during and after the commission process, and see more images taken in my studio before framing.
