AI pet portrait from your photo: Nano Banana prompts for royal, watercolor and pop art portraits
By GetStepSnap · Tested October 8, 2026
A painted pet portrait used to mean mailing photos to an artist and waiting weeks. Attach one clear photo of your cat or dog and Nano Banana 2.1 makes it a royal oil painting, a watercolor or a pop art print in about 20 seconds, with the face you know.
Every result below is the first one we got at 1K, resized and nothing else. The cat and dog photos were made with the model.
Royal portrait in a gold frame
Use the cat in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this cat. A royal oil painting portrait of this cat in the style of an 18th-century court portrait: it sits upright on a red velvet cushion with gold tassels, wearing a deep crimson velvet cape with a white ermine collar and a jeweled gold necklace. Dark, warm background, soft window light from the left, visible brushstrokes and fine cracks in the old varnish, in an ornate carved gold frame.
Cape, ermine collar, a necklace of red and green stones and the tasseled cushion, all in a carved gold frame. The face and stripes still match the cat.
Your dog as an 18th-century general
Use the dog in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this dog. A classical oil painting of this dog as a proud 18th-century general: a navy military coat with gold epaulettes, brass buttons, a red sash and a row of medals, posed in three-quarter view against a stormy sky. Rich, dark colors, visible brushstrokes and museum lighting, in a heavy gilded frame.
Epaulettes, sash, medals and a stormy sky. The dog's face and coat color stay the same.
Watercolor with your pet's name
Use the dog in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this dog. A loose watercolor portrait of this dog's head and shoulders on textured white watercolor paper: soft golden washes, a few splashes and drips of ochre and blue, light pencil lines showing through, and plenty of white space around it. Write "Biscuit" in small, neat brown handwriting under the portrait.
Soft washes, drips and pencil lines on white paper, and "Biscuit" spelled right.
Studio portrait on black
Use the cat in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this cat. A professional studio pet portrait: the cat sits on a black pedestal against a seamless black backdrop, looking just past the camera. Soft key light from one side and a thin rim light outlining its fur, every whisker sharp, shallow depth of field, like a photo from a high-end pet photographer.
Black backdrop, black pedestal and a rim of light along the fur. It looks at the camera rather than just past it.
Pop art print in four colors
Use the dog in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this dog. A 1960s pop art print of this dog in a 2-by-2 grid: the same portrait repeated four times, each panel in different bold flat colors (hot pink, lemon yellow, turquoise and orange), with halftone dots and thick black outlines, like a silkscreen print.
Four panels in the four colors we named, with thick outlines and faint halftone dots.
Line drawing for a tattoo or a mug
Use the cat in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this cat. A minimalist continuous line drawing of this cat in black ink on plain white paper: one flowing line, no shading, just enough detail to recognize its face, ears and whiskers. Clean and simple, good for a tattoo, a mug or a framed print.
Clean black lines on white and easy to recognize, but drawn with several strokes rather than one unbroken line.
Tips
- Keep the first sentence. All six start with "Use the cat (or dog) in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this cat", and in all six you can still tell it's the same cat or dog.
- Name every piece of the outfit. The cape, the ermine collar, the necklace and the tasseled cushion each showed up because each was asked for.
- Put names in quotes. "Biscuit" came out spelled right.
- Pick the shape first. 4:5 suits a framed portrait; 1:1 suits the pop art grid and the line drawing.
What it costs
On GetStepSnap your first 1K image is free. After that a portrait takes 1 credit at 1K or 2K, and 100 credits cost $9.90 (plus local tax where it applies), about $0.10 each, with no subscription. Ours took 18 to 20 seconds each. More for pets: Halloween costumes, Christmas cards and toys and plushes.
Questions
How do I turn a photo of my pet into a royal portrait?
Attach a clear photo, start with "Use the cat in this photo and keep it looking exactly like this cat" (or the dog), then describe the outfit, the background and the frame. Our royal cat prompt is above; swap the cape for a crown or a uniform.
Does it work for other pets?
We tested a cat and a dog. For another animal, change "cat" or "dog" in the prompt to the animal in your photo; we haven't tested other animals yet.
Can I print it?
Yes. Choose 2K for printing; it still takes 1 credit. Ours were made at 1K for this page.
Is it free?
Your first 1K image on GetStepSnap is free. After that a portrait takes 1 credit at 1K or 2K, and 100 credits cost $9.90 (plus local tax where it applies), about $0.10 each. No subscription.
What happens to the photos I upload?
We store them so the model can read them and so your results stay in your account. We don't sell them or use them for anything else. To have them deleted, email support@getstepsnap.com.