Pinned
New site and sale!
I have decided to consolidate all my websites and blogs in one place. This past month, with the help of a pro web designer, we migrated and redesigned everything and I am now on the Shopify platform.
I will no longer be posting doggiedrawings.net updates here but on the new website! (Look under Blogs: What's New)
Visit me at: www.doggiedrawings.net
Also, it's holiday-gift-shopping time! From now until the end of November 2024, use the code MAMBO to take 10% off your order. (min order $25)
Thank you for supporting a small business! It means a lot to us!
- Lili xxx
Goodbye, heatwave
We've just been through a heatwave in Los Angeles with temperatures over 100 degrees. The air is smokey from wildfires to the north (Altadena) and south (Orange County ) of us. Meanwhile, my daily internet feed is full of unfunny memes about ethnic immigrants eating pet dogs and cats, the ongoing US-funded deaths and horrors in occupied Palestine, and what November will bring. I envy all creatives who can maintain focus and optimism!
Well, there is one thing I am looking forward to: My new book - Dogs of the World now has a cover, publication date, and can be preordered!
Meet more than 600 types of dogs in this captivating canine gallery, from the English Springer Spaniel and Moroccan Aïdi to the Thai Ridgeback and New Guinea Singing Dog. Packed with fascinating tidbits and hundreds of illustrations, Dogs of the World also shines a welcome spotlight on the world's 85 percent of dogs who are no breed at all, including mutts and village dogs.
You'll learn about different dog types and their working roles, such as herding, livestock guarding, scent detection, dog sports, and companionship, and understand what terms like purebred and landrace mean. Trace the history of our modern dogs through a vibrantly visual timeline, and pick up insights on breed health risks, personality traits, and how breed ancestry DNA tests work.
Featuring adorable artwork and research vetted by dog history experts, behavior professionals, and veterinarians, Dogs of the World is a loving and accessible guide to the diversity of our canine companions.
Dogs of the World: A Gallery of Pups from Purebreds to Mutts is Published by Ten Speed Press, Penguin Random House - April 01, 2025.
[This is a mockup of the book cover, not the actual book. Approved by my cat Shimmy!]
PREORDER LINKS: www.doggiedrawings.net/dogsoftheworldbook
I can't wait.
Dogs of the World - an update
I spent all of 2023 and early 2024 immersed in my Dogs of the World book project and if I've been relatively quiet and boring on social media for the past year, this is why.
This month, my publisher has sent me a document that combines all the words and illustrations (750!) I am looking at it now. It's so exciting to see this book come to life, becoming a real thing.
#dogsoftheworld #dogbreeds #doglandraces #mutts #dogart #dogillustrations
Kitty Coats is a NEW 18"x 24" poster of domestic cat coat colors and patterns.
My main reference was Joumana Medlej's poster "Guide to Housecat Coat Colors and Patterns" which happens to be a thing that Mambo (our longhaired black cat with a white locket) is obsessed with. For some reason he visits this poster every day, sniffs and licks it.
My version of domestic cat coat colors and patterns is a simpler and more stylized version, does not include every possible variation, but covers the most common colors and patterns. I was inspired by the amusing and endearing nicknames that go with some of these coat markings. (e.g. "calico" and "mask and mantle" are informal names rather than a scientific ones)
Two things worth mentioning:
- These coat colors are not synonymous with breeds even though people often make the mistake of conflating the two. For example, Siamese cats (breed) are identified by their seal point coats and Burmese cats by their seal sepia coats. However, these two colorpoint coats could also belong to any no-breed domestic cat. In other words, a Siamese is always a seal point but a seal point is not always a Siamese!
- An interesting tidbit: ALL cats are genetically tabby! Even solid colored cats. We don't always see a cat's tabby markings due to the presence of other genes that mask their tabby patterns. Our cat, Shimmy has very faint tabby markings on her tail, but she would be classified as a solid gray and white tuxedo kitty.
Interesting, right?
Kitty Coats is now available to purchase from both my etsy shop and website. $17 each. I will also be selling this poster at CatCon 2024.
See you at Catcon
I had an amazing time at Catcon in 2023 and will be back this August with more copies of my illustrated book on cat body language - Kitty Language for sale. I will also have Play With Your Cat for sale, which is a wonderful book by Dr. Mikel Delgado on cat behavior with lots of tips on how to make play enriching and fun for your cat. This new book also has my illustrations in it.
***Mikel Delgado will be at Catcon on Saturday August 3rd, to sign copies.***
Catcon's early bird prices for tickets end on JUNE 1st. so don't wait too long. Last year, all tickets were sold out by the time the event started.
[Kitty Language and Play With Your Cat - available at CatCon 2024]
I will also have limited quantities of cat pins and a new cat poster for sale. Here is a preview:
[©Lili Chin - Coming soon in Summer 2024]
2024
[edited to add images]
Happy New Year! I know I'm a little late but my excuse is that I have been busy working on my book project and I've not been able to think about anything else or create anything new over the past 12 months.
Today, I emailed my manuscript and 300MB of illustration files to my publisher. The process is not yet over but at least I get to take a break and draw a dragon or something else.
[Mambo and Shimmy wish you Happy New Year of the Dragon!]
Dogs of the World won't be published for another year (I can't wait!) but Play With Your Cat! is here! This is a new book by cat behaviorist Mikel Delgado, with my illustrations.
Lili x
NEW PRINT at Wonderpets Art Show 2023!
"Mambo and Shimmy Go Wild" is a digital illustration of my cats in a BMW Isetts - 8x10 framed - and there is only ONE of these.
WHERE: Leanna Lin's Wonderland SHOW RUN: April 6 - May 18, 2019
Kitty Language book, winning awards, and other news
BUY MY NEW BOOK
Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat (published by Ten Speed Press, June 2023) is now available from all your local booksellers and major bookstores. This is gift book full of cat illustrations and a fun introduction to learning cat body language.
Support some of my favorite independent bookstores by ordering from:
- Dogwise (yes, this treasure trove of dog-related books sells my cat book!)
- Stuart Ng Books (most amazing collection of illustration & animation books)
Endorsements by Jackson Galaxy and Hannah Shaw aka The Kitten Lady.
Please do me a favor and share your review on Amazon or by tagging @kittylanguagebook or #kittylanguagebook on instagram/social media!
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DOGGIE LANGUAGE WINS TWO AWARDS
The Dog Writers’ Association of America competition results for 2020-2022 are out!
I am very grateful and humbled that my first book - Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend (Summersdale Publishers, 2020) has won two awards: Best Series of Illustrations and Best Book in Behavior, Health, and Care.
The other books in the same category are by dog advocates and authors I really respect so to be honest, I received this news with some mixed feelings. The fact that a small illustrated book that is relatively light on text has won a Best Book award next to these amazing other nominees tells me that pictures can communicate very important information. Art can be useful and effective in helping people connect with their animals.
Thank you to everyone who has supported my through the years! I am by no means an expert on anything and am always passionate about sharing what I am learning through my art. The learning doesn’t end!
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TWO NEW INFOGRAPHICS
Illustrated by me.
1. What Is Pet Enrichment? - by Pet Harmony Training
2. LIFE Approach to Animal Training - by Dr. Eduardo Fernandez
You can also find the links to these downloads on my website at doggiedrawings.net/freeposters
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LAST BY NOT LEAST.... Pet Portrait Commissions
I have been receiving numerous emails asking me when I will be doing pet portraits again. This is a tough question to answer.
My work schedule has changed radically in the past 2 years, and I am still figuring out how to juggle being a new author (all the time needed for research, drawing, writing, and deadlines!) with managing online retail & wholesale shops, AND doing commissioned work. There is also the matter of work-life balance. What this means is that I have less time that I used to.
It is likely that I won’t be doing portraits again until 2024 when my next book - Dogs of the World - has been submitted to my publisher.
Thank you for understanding,
Lili x
Dogs of the World - book project
Based on my original poster series, my next book Dogs of the World (2024) will be a colorful gift book of illustrated dog breeds, landraces, mutts, and street dogs. (Yes, these terms will be defined :))
My drawing of YOUR DOG could be in this book! Here is how you could help, and I welcome dog lovers from anywhere in the world.
1. Do you live with a mutt/mixed breed dog with DNA results that are surprising to you? Please share your dog’s photo, name, and DNA results!
2. Do you live with a Village Dog (street dog, island dog, free-ranging dog) from any part of the world? Please share your dog’s photo, name, and which country they are from.
THANK YOU!
lili.chin@gmail.com or @lilita_yaya on IG/twitter
BOOK NEWS!
I apologize that I have not updated this blog in forever. I have some BOOK NEWS!
KITTY LANGUAGE
I have been busy writing and illustrating Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat (Ten Speed Press) a gift book on cat body language, and we now have a cover reveal! It has been an amazing adventure for me, learning about cats and drawing cats, and I cannot wait for this book to be available in Summer 2023. Website (in progress): www.kittylanguagebook.com Preorder link: http://bit.ly/kittylanguage
* PLAY WITH YOUR CAT (Tarcher Perigree, 2024) is a new book by cat behaviorist Dr. Mikel Delgado. I am thrilled to be creating illustrations for this. Something else exciting to look forward to!
WHAT’S UP PUP?
What’s Up Pup? (FSG, Macmillan Kids) is a picture book for young readers, written by Kersten Hamilton, and illustrated by me in 2021. It was born into the world on November 18th, 2022 and is available now! It has been receiving some lovely reviews. Link: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374389192/whatsuppup Also available on Amazon and at your local bookstore.
DOGGIE LANGUAGE
Doggie Language was published in 2020 and it is heartwarming that it is still getting a lot of press, and that people are still talking about it. It was recently listed on the WSJ’s list of Top 11 Gifts for Dog Lovers. I agree that it will make a great holiday gift. :) Book website: www.doggielanguagebook.com Instagram: @doggielanguagebook
Did you know that Doggie Language has been translated into multiple languages? Recently, French has been added to this list!
DOGS OF THE WORLD - my new book project
Last but not least, I am working on my third book! Dogs of the World: Illustrated breeds, landraces, mutts, and street dogs (Ten Speed Press, 2024) is an expansion on my Dogs of the World poster series . This is a chunky little coffee table book with illustrations of over 400 dogs.
If you are with:
- a breed rescue (anywhere in the world)
- a working breed of dog (ie, a dog bred from working lines)
- a mixed breed/mutt dog with DNA results that are surprising to you
- a “new” breed of dog from an ethical breeder
- a dog who is happily and successfully doing something their breed was not created to do (eg, a pug that does agility)
Please reach out! You can tag me at @lilita_yaya on instagram or twitter (yes, I’m still there). I am especially interested in stories from outside the USA and UK!
- Lili x
Cat Care infographics
What an honor to have been contacted by International Cat Care to illustrate these infographics for them! I also designed their two mascots: Domino and McTatters for International Cat Day (August 8th).
A wealth of information here: www.icatcare.org
LIVE 8.8.2022 - https://www.facebook.com/icatcare
THE FLEHMEN RESPONSE - a new illustration/print!
While researching photo references for KITTY LANGUAGE (my new gift book which will be published in 2023) and drawing flehmening cats, I went down a rabbit hole of looking at other animals doing the flehmen response. This was fun and fascinating!
The Flehmen Response is a facial grimace, lip curl, gaping mouth that happens when an animal is “smelling” (processing scent messages) with their vomeronasal organ (VMO) which is located on the inside roof of their mouth. When cats do this, their facial expression is often misinterpreted as “angry” or “displeased” when they are simply “smelling”!
Scent communication and VMOs are all over the animal world and many species do this! Even amphibians and reptiles have VMOs but they don’t flehmen (look funny) the way that mammals do!
P.s. Dr. Eddie Fernandez has pointed out that my tapir’s teeth are too perfect and looks like he has had braces! 😂
A few days ago when I found out about the first ever Canine Conference In Color organized by Sandy Sharma and Rachael Forday, I was so excited that I wanted to help in some way. This illustration is my small contribution.
Copied and pasted from their facebook group (where the conference will be livestreaming):
As People of the Global Majority in the animal training and behaviour industry, we are likely to have heard at least a few of these in our lifetime and throughout our career. This industry is not exempt from the harm these racist and microaggressive comments and questions can cause. In this conference, we hope that everyone will enjoy learning more about training and behaviour as well as how to do better for our fellow colleagues and human clients that are People of the Global Majority. 1-7 August will be a big week of learning and we are excited that you’re committed to be here to join us. Thank you.
LINK to Conference: https://www.facebook.com/groups/457583376185825/
Speakers include:
- Hanna Fushihara
- Sindhoor Pangal
- Mayuri Kerr
- Toni Isden
- Michael Shikashio
New Blog & Store Update
Behavior Blog
Last year, I started a NEW (geeky) BLOG. I call it my “Behavior Blog”, and it is where I collect my handwritten notes (with rough sketches) from various online seminars and workshops, and thoughts related to animal behavior and animal training.
Check it out at: doggiedrawings.net/behaviorblog
Store Update
My etsy shop is currently closed / “on vacation”. I am sorry it will continue to be closed for the next month as I am:
1. Busy working on my Kitty Language book project 2. Rethinking etsy as a platform to sell from (read about April’s etsy strike)
Do you know that I also sell the same items from my website store? Custom prints are not available right now but everything else is!
Thank you for your support!
- Lili x
NEW!
References:
“PURR: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy” by Zazie Todd, www.companionanimalpsychology.com
“AAFP & ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines” by Sarah Ellis and Colleagues.
Available for download from www.doggiedrawings.net/freeposters
Copyright 2022 Lili Chin