My cousin has a cat named Boudica, and I painted her as her legendary namesake: Boudica, Queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe (also known as Boudicca, Boadicea, Boudicea, or Buddug).

You can compare cat Boudica’s expression with the photograph in the progression montage.

The head and paws in the painting belong to cat Boudica, whereas the helmet, clothes and posture are that of Queen Boudica from the painting “Boadicea Haranguing the Britons” by John Opie.

Top: The oil painting portrays a black-and-white cat wearing a cream-coloured tunic with a brown band under the chest. Over the tunic is a red cloak with a gold lining. The cat is wearing an iron helmet with a metal crest with her ears sticking out on either side (whilst this is unrealistic, it is cute).

Bottom: a montage composed of eight panels:

1. “Boadicea Haranguing the Britons” by John Opie

2. a rough PowerPoint mockup of the final picture (cat head and paws, Queen Boudica’s robes and helmet)

3. a traced outline

4. transferring the image to low tack Frisket film

5. the painted background after the Frisket has been removed (leaving the cat silhouette)

6. colour blocks for each major area (e.g. black and white for the cat’s colours)

7. adding detail to the robes and 8) adding colour depth and detail to the cat’s features.