One of the first questions people ask us — after “will it actually look like my dog?” — is how a clay figurine gets made. It’s a fair question. You’re sending photographs of a family member to a studio you found online and trusting strangers with his face.
This is the honest, step-by-step version of what happens after you click order: what our artists do, when you’ll hear from us, and the point in the process where you get to say “his ears aren’t quite right yet.”
Quick answer
Every custom pet figurine ($129) is sculpted by hand, one piece at a time, from the photographs you send — never moulded, never machine-printed. Production takes 2–4 weeks, you approve progress photos before the piece is sealed, then it ships in 7–15 days within the United States (free over $99). Total: roughly 3–6 weeks.
Step 1: You send the photographs
The photos are the raw material for everything, so this step matters more than any other.
- Best single photo: a clear, front-facing shot taken at eye level — not looking down at a pet on the floor.
- Also useful: one or two side views, so the artist can read the depth of the muzzle, the set of the ears, and the way your pet carried their head.
- Old or scanned photos are fine as long as the features are readable. A lot of our most meaningful commissions come from photographs taken years before.
- What doesn’t work: heavily filtered images, extreme close-ups, or photos where important markings are in shadow. If we can’t honestly capture your pet from what you sent, we’ll tell you before we start — not after.
Step 2: The artist sculpts by hand
Your figurine starts as raw clay and an artist who works from the photos outward — building the body, then refining the face, the markings and the pose that belong to your pet alone.
This is the difference between sculpted and printed that our customers point to most: a printed figurine is one of many, identical apart from the surface image. A sculpted piece is built around your pet — the slightly crooked ear, the way the fur parts on the chest, the head tilt from the photo you couldn’t stop taking. For the same reason, long or heavily textured coats are interpreted rather than reproduced hair-for-hair; the artist focuses on silhouette and character so the piece reads as your pet from across the room.
Step 3: Progress photos — and your approval
This is the step we’d want to know about if we were buying: before your figurine is sealed and finished, we send you photographs of it and wait for your approval.
Why it matters:
- Clay is forgiving before sealing; after sealing, it isn’t. That’s why we check in at the stage where adjustments are still possible.
- You get to course-correct while it costs nothing — “the muzzle is a bit too long” or “her expression was softer than that.”
- You see the piece before it arrives, so there’s no unwrap-and-hope moment.
Step 4: Sealing, certificate, and packing
Once you’ve approved the piece, it’s finished with a non-toxic matte sealant, which protects the clay and gives it that soft, natural finish. Every figurine includes:
- One hand-sculpted figurine on an integrated base
- A certificate of authenticity
- Protective packaging designed for transit — because the journey from our studio to your shelf should be the least memorable part
Step 5: Shipping
7–15 days for delivery within the United States, and orders over $99 ship free. Combined with production, plan on 3–6 weeks from order to doorstep. For Christmas orders, that makes mid-November the safe order-by date for sculpted pieces — our Christmas gift guide lists the deadlines for every product line.
Choosing a size: 4, 5 or 6 inches
- 4 inch — a small, quiet piece for a desk or bedside table. Suits cats and small breeds.
- 5 inch — our most requested size. Enough presence to hold a shelf without dominating it.
- 6 inch — for larger dogs, or when the piece should be the focal point of a room.
Figurine or head bust?
If the whole pet is what you miss — the pose, the sprawl, the way he filled a doorway — choose the full figurine. If what you remember most is the face, the clay head bust ($129) goes deeper into the details that make a pet recognizable: the set of the eyes, the shape of the muzzle, the tilt of the head. Busts concentrate on the face, so send your sharpest portrait for those.
What it costs and why
Both the figurine and the bust are $129. If you’re comparing options across studios, our 2026 pricing guide explains what actually drives the price of a hand-sculpted piece — and why suspiciously cheap “custom” figurines usually aren’t.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sculpt a pet that passed away years ago?
Yes — and it’s one of the most common reasons people order. Old photographs are workable as long as the features are readable. Send us what you have and we’ll confirm honestly whether we can do it justice.
Can you sculpt two pets in one piece?
For multi-pet households, the simplest path is one figurine per pet, displayed together. Message us with your photos and we’ll tell you honestly what will work.
Can I request changes after I see the progress photos?
That’s exactly why we send them. Adjustments are easiest before the piece is sealed — tell us what looks off and the artist refines it before finishing.
How do I care for the figurine?
Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from damp rooms; dust with a soft, dry cloth. Clay is durable but not unbreakable — treat it as you would any handcrafted object.
What if I only have one photo?
One clear, eye-level photo can be enough. More angles help, but don’t let a single good photo stop you from asking.
Ready to start? Order your hand-sculpted figurine or head bust, send your photos, and the first progress pictures come to you before the piece is anywhere near finished. If you’re still exploring, see how we capture pets in other media in our glass portrait guide and portrait ideas guide.
A note from our studio
We are a small studio, and everything here is made to order — from a hand-sculpted clay portrait to a printed keepsake that carries a single photograph. Nothing on this site is stock waiting in a warehouse. That is why a piece takes two to four weeks instead of two days.
It also means we are the ones who open the emails. If you write to us about a pet you lost, you are not reaching a support queue — you are reaching the people who will be holding the work in their hands.
And if you have a story you would like to tell, whether or not you ever order anything, there is a place for it here: Share your story. We read every one ourselves, and nothing is published without your permission.
If you are reading this in the first hard weeks: we are sorry. Take the time you need.
— Fingking Studio