According to the Pet Food Manufacturer's Association, 22% of UK households have a dog and 18% have a cat.
We are a nation of pet lovers.
So, as Christmas and family time approach, this Byte-size Bulletin is about finding your pet's doppelganger in fine art.
Google's free app for Android and iOS, Arts & Culture, is a great way to explore the art world. The latest feature is Pet Portraits, letting you find the closest fine art representation of your pet. Here's how it works.
- Download the free app.
- From the app's Home screen, click on the camera icon at the bottom to activate the photo-interactive elements.
- Select "Pet Portraits" from the menu at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap "Take a photo" and the camera will activate.
- Get your pet to stay still and pose to the best effect, tap "Pet Portraits" again to take a photo.
- Or you can tap the picture library icon to access an existing photo.
- Google will assess your image against thousands of other images and present the best matches it can find side-by-side with your original. Although, of course, your pet is incomparably gorgeous.
- Scroll through the matches and explore each more fully. The app gives you details of the works of art that most resemble your beloved.
- From here you can save or share the resulting images.
The fun doesn't end there. You can use the app to do all sorts of things:
- Do the same, but this time with a self-portrait. Find out what fine art you most resemble!
- Take a photo of your festive gathering and apply to it an "Art Transfer" so you can all be in the style of the Mona Lisa.
- Explore a museum or gallery from the app.
Have fun!