Pitbull owners ask for two different things. Some want a handsome dog of the breed on the wall. Others want their dog, with the notch in the ear and the one white toe. The store has an answer for each, and they cost the same. Here is what each gives you and how to decide between them.

The Noble Pitbull kit

Noble Pitbull is the catalogue portrait: a portrait of the breed. Pitbulls are short-haired, which makes them an easier dog to paint than most: short-haired dogs have large, smooth regions where a retriever or a husky has strands. The work is in the face, where the muscle of the cheek and the fold of the brow are picked out in close tones, and in the eyes. A good first dog portrait for exactly that reason. It sits in the pet portraits collection with the other breeds.

The custom portrait

The custom pet portrait kit takes a photo of your own dog, cat or rabbit and turns it into a numbered canvas with acrylic paints matched to the coat. For a pitbull, that matching is the point. The breed comes in brindle, blue, fawn, red and a dozen patched combinations, and a catalogue kit cannot carry all of them. Your dog's exact grey, with the exact white blaze, is what arrives in the box.

Choosing the photo

The kit can only be as good as the photo, so this is where to spend ten minutes.

• Daylight, outdoors or by a window. Flash flattens the coat and turns the eyes green.
• Eye level. Crouch. A photo taken from above gives a big head and a tiny body.
• Face in focus. The eyes and the nose carry the likeness. If they are soft in the photo, they will be soft on the canvas.
• Resolution. At least 1500 pixels on the short side, and 2500 for the 20x26 inch canvas. A phone photo at full size is fine; a photo saved from a messaging app usually is not.

The file is checked before anything is printed, so a photo that will not work comes back to you with a note rather than a disappointing canvas. The guide to working with the photos you have goes into more detail, including what to do with an old or imperfect picture.

Colors and size

Both routes come in 24, 36 or 48 colors. For a dog portrait, 36 is the minimum that keeps the mid tones in the coat; 48 is worth it on a brindle, where the coat is a pattern of close browns. Size: the 16x20 inch canvas is the standard recommendation. A pitbull's head fills it well. The 12x12 square is tempting for a small wall but makes the eyes very fine work.

Time

The Noble Pitbull kit is one of the quicker dog portraits because the coat is smooth: a few evenings or two weekends. A custom portrait depends on the photo. A plain background keeps it to the same; a garden behind the dog adds a weekend. Catalogue kits leave the workshop in one to three business days; custom kits add the photo check first. If this is a Christmas present, the custom kit order-by dates are the ones to read.

Which route to take

Take the catalogue kit if the picture is for you and you like the breed as much as any one dog, or if it is a gift for a pitbull owner and you do not have a good photo of their dog. Take the custom portrait if the dog is yours, or if you can quietly get a sharp photo from the person you are buying for. Both arrive with the same brushes and the same numbered pots; the only difference in the box is the picture on the canvas.

Questions people ask

Can the custom kit do two dogs in one photo?

Yes, as long as both faces are sharp and the photo is large enough. The 20x26 inch canvas gives two heads enough room.

My dog has passed away and I only have old photos.

Send the sharpest one you have. The file is checked before printing and you will hear back if it will not hold up at the size you chose.

Is the Noble Pitbull kit good for a child?

It is a portrait, so the eyes need a steady hand. For a younger painter, the kids and family kits are a better fit.