White cats are, in theory, the simplest of portrait subjects — one colour, no markings, clean and clear. In practice they are among the most demanding to photograph and the most rewarding to paint. The reason is that white in portrait painting is never simply white — it is a surface that catches and reflects every surrounding tone, warm in amber light, cool in grey light, picking up the colour of the sky, the walls, the floor. A white cat portrait, done well, is a study in light itself, and the result is often something more beautiful than the photograph that inspired it.
Coat colours and how they render
White cats may have blue eyes, gold or copper eyes, or one of each — odd-eyed cats, with one blue and one gold eye, are among the most striking portrait subjects in the cat world. The coat is always white but varies between short, medium and long, each producing different portrait results.
Short-haired white cats produce the most elegant, precise portrait results. The clean, smooth coat surface catches and reflects light clearly, and the portrait builds its tonal variation from the light direction and the features of the face rather than from coat complexity.
Long-haired white cats — Persians, Turkish Angoras, Turkish Van — have the flowing coat volume that gives portrait styles more to work with. The long white coat in oil painting has a quality of luminous richness that short coats cannot quite achieve.
Odd-eyed white cats — one blue eye, one gold or copper — create the most striking portrait focal point. The asymmetry of the eye colour is the defining feature of these cats and should be the centre of the portrait.
Recommended styles for white cats
Oil Painting — finds the warm and cool tonal variation within the white coat. Watercolour — the luminous quality of the medium suits the luminous quality of white cats. Pastel — the softest style for the most elegant cat colour. Renaissance — the formal tradition handles the pure white cat's natural elegance. Impressionist — finds the full colour range that surrounds and creates the white of the coat.
Photo tips
White cats require the same careful photography as all white animals. Never use flash. Natural window light on an overcast day gives the most even illumination without overexposing the coat or creating harsh shadows. The most common problem is overexposure — the camera's metering system tries to render the white as grey, resulting in a photograph that is either washed out or underexposed in the face and features. Slightly reducing the exposure from the camera's automatic setting protects the coat detail. The eyes — in whatever colour they are — must be clearly visible and in focus.