Striped Whimsical Cat Poster

Striped Whimsical Cat is drawn in two colours and almost no detail: a near-black body broken by cream dashes, four improbably long legs and a tail that loops right over the back and away again. The face is tiny by comparison, two eyes and a pair of ears set at the end of a body built mostly from stripes. The cream ground is left completely bare, so the poster rests on the balance between the dark shape and the space around it. The pattern changes as it travels down the legs, from broad bands to small ovals, which keeps the eye moving. It is a cat poster with a graphic, almost woodcut quality.

Black echoes the ink and keeps the whole thing graphic, while oak softens it towards something more playful. It could work well above a desk or in a reading corner, where the long tail has room to travel. Pair it with pale wood, warm white walls and a little brass, since the motif brings its own contrast. A wide mat board in off-white gives the cream ground more air, which suits a drawing this spare.