Top 10 Cute Cat Illustrators for Art Licensing
Few subjects sell quite like a charming cat. From greeting cards and stationery to wallpaper, fabric, and homeware, feline art has a way of turning browsers into buyers — which is exactly why art directors and licensing agents keep coming back to artists who draw cats with real personality. As a cute-cat illustrator and surface pattern designer working in the art licensing world myself, I spend a lot of time admiring the people who do it best.
So here it is: my list of ten cute cat illustrators whose work I love and whose style is tailor-made for licensing. Each one brings something different — kawaii sweetness, witty humor, retro charm, painterly softness — but they all share that rare ability to make a cat feel like a character a brand would want on its products. Give them a follow, study their collections, and reach out if you’re an art director looking for cat art that sells.
1. Cat Coquillette (CatCoq)
Image credit: Cat Coquillette
Cat Coquillette, who works under the brand CatCoq, is one of the most recognizable names in licensed illustration today. Her travel-inspired art blends hand-painted watercolor with intricate vector work, all bursting with bright color, whimsical patterns, and playful flora and fauna. Licensed by retailers including Anthropologie, Target, Disney, Urban Outfitters, HomeGoods, and Nordstrom — and represented by Jewel Branding & Licensing — she’s a masterclass in how a cohesive, joyful brand voice translates across hundreds of products. For art directors, she’s proof that a strong point of view scales beautifully.
Beyond her art, Cat is someone I admire just as much for her heart. She devotes real time to volunteering with street cats in Thailand, supporting TNR (trap-neuter-return) efforts that humanely care for and stabilize the local cat population. It’s a beautiful reminder that loving cats isn’t only about drawing them — it’s about showing up for the real ones, too, and Cat does exactly that.
Website | Instagram
2. Terry Runyan
Image credit: Terry Runyan
If you’ve ever smiled at a cat with mischievous eyes perched on someone’s head, you may already know Terry Runyan. Based in Kansas City, Terry is beloved for her expressive, playful watercolor cats and her gentle philosophy of creating for joy over perfection. She’s the author of Painting Cats: Curious, Mindful & Free-Spirited Watercolors and has built a devoted following through her courses and daily-creating community. Her loose, quirky, instantly recognizable cats are perfect for stationery, wall art, calendars, and books — warm, approachable, and full of character.
Website | Instagram
3. Gemma Correll
Image credit: Gemma Correll
Gemma Correll is a British illustrator and cartoonist (now based in California) whose witty, wonderfully deadpan drawings of pugs, “malicious kitties,” and anxious little characters have earned her nearly a million followers and a client list that includes Hallmark, Chronicle Books, Knock Knock, and The New York Times. Author of A Cat’s Life, she shows how humor and a distinct hand-lettered voice make art endlessly licensable across cards, gifts, apparel, and homeware. Her cats have attitude — and that attitude is exactly what makes them sell.
Website | Instagram
4. Agathe Singer
Image credit: Agathe Singer
French illustrator Agathe Singer has created one of the most distinctive feline worlds I've encountered. Her colorful cats, with their wonderfully expressive faces and enigmatic personalities, feel equal parts charming, elegant, and delightfully dreamy. Based in Paris, Agathe draws inspiration from artists such as Matisse, Rousseau, and Frida Kahlo, blending bold color palettes, lush botanical elements, and a touch of whimsy into every composition. Her clients include L'Oréal, Fortnum & Mason, Penguin Random House, and Maisons du Monde, demonstrating the broad commercial appeal of her work. What I love most is how much emotion she can convey with a simple glance or tilt of a cat's head. Her illustrations invite you into a world that is joyful, sophisticated, and just mysterious enough to keep you coming back for another look. She also has several books available, including Sticky Cats: an adorable sticker collection designed for those who have ever dreamed of taking their feline friend everywhere. Through projects like A Cat for Palestine, she demonstrates how art can be used to support causes she cares about, bringing compassion and purpose to her creative practice.
Website | Instagram
5. Susie Ghahremani (boygirlparty)
Image credit: Susie Ghahremani
Susie Ghahremani, the artist behind the beloved boygirlparty brand, hand-paints in gouache to create some of the most charming animal art in the gift world. Her collection spans more than 300 products carried by Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, ModCloth, and Nordstrom, and her cat-counting picture book Stack the Cats was named a best book of the year by both Amazon and Kirkus. Her textural, pattern-rich style is a natural fit for stationery, fabric, and surface design - a wonderful example of an artist who built a thriving licensing-and-product business around a singular look.
Website | Instagram
6. Marisol Muro (Marisoland)
Image credit: Marisol Muro
Marisol Muro, the Los Angeles artist behind Marisoland, conjures a technicolor dreamland where cats run wild alongside frogs, opossums, and other friendly creatures. Drawing on flea-market finds, vintage trinkets, and the colors of the 1960s and ’70s, her retro-saturated style has already caught the eye of brands like Dr. Martens and Hippy Feet. Her nostalgic palette and playful characters make her a standout for apparel, accessories, and surface pattern collaborations that want to feel joyful and a little offbeat.
Website | Instagram
7. Renata Biasuzzo
Image credit: Renata Biasuzzo
Melbourne-based illustrator Renata Biasuzzo creates colorful, character-driven animal art that feels like a warm hug wrapped in a punchline. Working under the name Gremren Designs, she fills her world with cheerful cats, bears, raccoons, and other charming creatures, each brimming with personality and quirky storytelling. Her playful use of color, expressive faces, and lighthearted humor gives her work enormous appeal for greeting cards, stationery, gifts, children's products, and home décor. Renata's cats aren't just cute, they're characters with entire backstories hiding behind their whiskers, making her portfolio a wonderful example of how personality can turn animal illustrations into unique, memorable art.
Website | Instagram
8. Leeza Hernandez
Image credit: Leeza Hernandez
An English designer-turned-illustrator now based in New Jersey, Leeza Hernandez “sometimes writes and always draws — especially cats.” A recipient of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Tomie dePaola Award, she’s the author-illustrator Catnapped, and has illustrated numerous picture books including Cats in Conductor Hats and Cats in Construction Hats. Her expressive, story-driven cats are a perfect fit for children’s publishing, but her warmth and graphic sensibility translate just as well to cards, fabric, and gift products. She’s a lovely reminder that great cat art often starts with great storytelling.
Website | Instagram
9. Krissy Mast
Image credit: Krissy Mast
Krissy Mast is an illustrator, surface pattern designer, and art licensing strategist whose delicate, whimsical work has been licensed by retailers including Target, Barnes & Noble, and Anthropologie. Beyond her own playful animal illustrations and patterns, Krissy is one of the most generous educators in our field, teaching artists how to pitch art directors and build real licensing businesses. I admire her on both counts — as a designer with a joyful, collectible style, and as someone who’s genuinely lifted up the whole cat-and-critter illustration community.
Website | Instagram
10. Carrie Cantwell
Image credit: Carrie Cantwell
And that brings me to number ten — me! I’m Carrie Cantwell, an illustrator and surface pattern designer who creates artwork with quirk! Think playful illustrations, vibrant color, and a healthy dose of whimsical humor. Cats are my favorite thing to draw, and I think it’s because they’re so relatable — graceful and ridiculous all at once. When I draw a cat doing something silly, fellow cat lovers instantly get it, because they’ve seen that exact quirky behavior in their own pets (or in themselves).
Over the years I’ve been fortunate to license my artwork with brands including Target, Urban Outfitters, Pottery Barn, and Uncommon Goods, and it still delights me every time I spot one of my designs out in the world across home décor, gifts, stationery, and apparel. My mission is simple: to create little moments that make people smile. If you’re an art director or brand looking for charming, character-filled cat art to license — or a custom collaboration — I’d love to connect.
Website | Instagram
Know a brilliant cat illustrator I should be aware of? I’m always happy to discover artists in this wonderful niche — reach out and say hello.
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.
