Tank & Domino — Custom Engraved Pet Memorial Slate

This project began with one goal: create a memorial for Tank and Domino that felt worthy of the memories attached to them.

I started with their individual photographs and built the composition around their portraits. Rather than creating a simple photo engraving, I wanted the entire 12 × 24 slate to feel intentional, so I incorporated the landscape, ornamental scrollwork, paw-print elements, their names, and a remembrance verse into one continuous design.

Preparing the artwork for slate became one of the most important parts of the project. With this much detail packed into a single engraving, I had to balance the photographs, fine lines, lettering, highlights, and shadows so they would survive the engraving process without disappearing into the black slate.

Before engraving, I thoroughly cleaned the slate with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth and allowed it to dry completely. I then positioned it on the large conveyor and carefully aligned the artwork.

I engraved the main design first using the Blue Laser on my xTool F2 Ultra. Once that pass was complete, I followed it with the Fiber IR laser as a cleanup and refinement pass, helping bring additional definition to the detailed artwork.

When I removed the slate and cleaned away the engraving residue, the design was there—but I knew I could push the contrast further.

That's when I decided to experiment with white chalk paint.

I worked the chalk paint into the engraved areas and carefully removed the excess from the surrounding slate. That completely changed the appearance. Tank and Domino's facial details became more defined, the fur texture emerged, the lettering became stronger, and the tiny details throughout the ornamental border suddenly stood out against the black slate.

Once I was satisfied with the finish and everything had completely dried, I applied a clear polyurethane protective coat to seal the chalk paint and protect the finished memorial.

What started as two photographs ultimately became a completely custom engraved memorial—and the unexpected chalk-paint finishing technique ended up being one of my favorite parts of the entire process.