The Project

A returning client came to us with two PNG references of a personalized keyring featuring Miss Mia, a curly-haired dog. The goal was to recreate the dog illustration as scalable vector artwork that could be shared with a manufacturer.

Although the references included the keyring hardware and pink wrist strap, the vectorization focused only on the dog, with separate artwork for its front and back views.

The Challenge

The original artwork contained intricate details that needed careful reconstruction, while keeping both views visually consistent.

•  Layered, curly fur with directional highlights and shadows
•  Expressive eyes, decorative pink bows and a personalized heart tag
•  A distinctive back view featuring overlapping fur and a curled tail

The challenge was to preserve the character of the reference while preparing clean, editable artwork for the client’s manufacturing workflow.

Our Approach

We recreated both illustrations manually in Adobe Illustrator, building the artwork with carefully shaped vector paths rather than relying on auto-tracing.

Our attention was focused on:

• Smooth curves and controlled fur shapes
• Accurate facial expression and accessory details
• Consistent colors and visual style across front and back
• Clean, scalable vector construction

We also discussed color preferences with the client and refined the artwork to reflect the intended appearance.

From Reference to Vector

The supplied PNGs showed the dog as part of a complete keyring mockup. We isolated and reconstructed the character, keeping the keyring ring, chain and strap outside the artwork scope.

Front View — Before & After

The front illustration retains Miss Mia’s expressive eyes, pink bows, patterned collar, heart-shaped name tag and distinctive curls.

Back View — Before & After

For the back view, we focused on the flowing ear fur, collar detail, layered body shapes and curled tail, keeping the illustration consistent with the front.

The Result

The finished project includes separate front and back vector illustrations of Miss Mia. Both artworks preserve the recognizable details of the reference while removing the surrounding keyring mockup elements.

The client responded positively to the preview and shared the artwork with their manufacturer for review.

Client Feedback

The client praised the artwork during the review process. A supplied five-star Fiverr review also highlights the professional experience and repeat-client relationship.

“Second time using ManualVectorTracing, delivered on time and very professional. Highly recommended for their work and patience”

Final Thoughts

Detailed illustrations do not always need to be redesigned for production. With careful manual vector recreation, their familiar details can be preserved in a clean, scalable format.

Need your artwork recreated as vector? ManualVectorTracing.com specializes in 100% manual vector tracing, logo recreation and raster-to-vector conversion. No auto-trace.