Portraits of people

A painting of them, made from a photo you already have

Upload a photo of someone and have them painted — in watercolor, oil, or charcoal — then framed and hung. It costs nothing to see it first; you only pay if you want it on a wall.

One free revision, before anything is printed. If the portrait doesn’t look like them, tell us and we’ll rework it free — while it’s still a file, not a print. A first pass often needs an adjustment, so there’s no awkwardness in saying it isn’t right.

Start with a photo Browse finished pieces

What the transformation looks like

These are real photos put through this product, with the exact instruction that made each one. None of them is a customer’s portrait — finished portraits belong to the people who ordered them, and we don’t publish anyone’s gift. What they show is what happens to a photograph.

See more portrait examples →

Photo of a man leaning on a rooftop terrace wall in Spain, hills and town behind — Style picked: Watercolor Portrait
Made with this product from a real photo — one click on the style above, nothing typed

Watercolor painting of a man on a rooftop terrace with hills and town behind — Style picked: Watercolor Portrait
Made with this product from a real photo — one click on the style above, nothing typed

Photo of an older couple standing together in the snow, dressed for an occasion — Style picked: Watercolor Portrait
Made with this product from a real photo — one click on the style above, nothing typed

Watercolor painting of an older couple standing together in the snow — Style picked: Watercolor Portrait
Made with this product from a real photo — one click on the style above, nothing typed

Photo of two men in suits on a lawn with a red-rock canyon behind them — Style picked: Watercolor Portrait
Made with this product from a real photo — one click on the style above, nothing typed

Watercolor painting of two men in suits on a lawn below a red-rock canyon — Style picked: Watercolor Portrait
Made with this product from a real photo — one click on the style above, nothing typed

Photo of a woman in her eighties seated in an armchair beside a window — “Turn this into a charcoal drawing”

Charcoal drawing of a woman in her eighties seated in an armchair beside a window — “Turn this into a charcoal drawing”

What a portrait can be for

In memory of someone

A photo of them from when they were most themselves, painted as a piece for the wall. Older and weathered faces hold a likeness especially well, which makes this the thing we do best rather than the thing we do carefully.

Retirement and the end of a career

Thirty years in a uniform, a workshop, a classroom, a cab. A portrait from that chapter says more than a plaque with their name spelled correctly.

Anniversaries and weddings

One photo of the two of you — the day itself, or a Tuesday that mattered more — painted as something that belongs above a mantel.

The trip you still talk about

A person somewhere specific: a beach at sunset, a landmark, the overlook at the end of the hike. The place paints as beautifully as the person, and both stay recognizable.

Military service

A photo from their service years, painted rather than printed. It's the gift our first customer bought — a portrait for a mentor who had been an Air Force Jumpmaster.

Parents and grandparents

An old photograph of them young, or the most recent one you have. Scanned prints and film photos translate especially well into paint.

From customers

“The whole process was really smooth, and the quality of the print and frame is awesome. I gave it to my mentor, and it’s already sitting on his desk.”
Ryan, on the framed poster he ordered for his mentor

A framed canvas painting of a samurai and a monk, hanging on a customer's wall — A customer's 36″×24″ framed canvas, photographed at home. Shared with permission.

How it works

Step 1
Pick a photo where you can see their face
Close enough that you'd recognize them at a glance. A portrait, a good candid, or a photo where they fill a decent part of the frame — the setting can stay in it.
Step 2
Say how it should be painted
Watercolor, oil, or charcoal, in plain words. If you're unsure, start with watercolor — it holds a likeness best. You'll see the result in about a minute, and you can generate again if you want a different feel.
Step 3
Look at it properly, then decide
Preview it on a real wall before spending anything. Order it as a framed canvas, a canvas, a framed print, or a poster — or take the high-resolution file.

Choosing the photo

This matters more for a person than for any other subject. One rule does most of the work: pick a photo where you could recognize their face at a glance.

Close enough to see their face. A portrait, a good candid, or any photo where the person fills a decent part of the frame. If they’re a small figure in a wide shot, there isn’t enough of their face in the picture to paint them as themselves.
The place can stay in it. A person on a beach at sunset, in front of a landmark, at the venue — the setting paints as well as they do. Just keep them near enough to the camera.
Old and scanned photos are welcome. Film grain and age tend to read as character once painted. Lay a print flat, avoid glare, and shoot straight down.
Lines and weathering help. Deep lines anchor a likeness rather than complicating it, so older faces are some of the strongest results this produces.
Ask for what you want left out. A distracting background, a stray object, someone else in the edge of the frame — say so and it won’t be in the painting.

Questions

What if it doesn't look like them?

Tell us and we'll rework it free — while it's still a file, not a print. A first pass often needs an adjustment, so there's no awkwardness in saying it isn't right. On a portrait of a person we would much rather you asked than settled.

What photo should I use?

One where the face is clearly visible — close enough that you could recognize them at a glance. A portrait, a good candid, or a photo where the person fills a decent part of the frame all work well. What doesn't work is a distant shot: if someone is a small figure in a wide landscape, there isn't enough of their face in the photo to paint them as themselves, and the result will look like a different person.

Can the photo include where they were?

Yes, and those are often the best ones. A person on a beach at sunset, in front of a landmark, at the place they got married, on the trail they always walked — the setting paints beautifully and stays recognizable. Just keep the person close enough to the camera that their face reads clearly.

Does it work for older photos?

Very well. Scanned prints, film photos, and pictures from decades ago translate strongly — painting styles are forgiving of grain and age. Deep lines and weathered faces actually hold a likeness especially well, which makes older subjects some of the best results we see.

What styles can it be painted in?

Watercolor, oil, and charcoal are the three we recommend for people — each holds a face well and reads differently: watercolor soft and warm, oil richer and more traditional, charcoal quiet and graphic. Describe what you want in plain words and it follows.

Can you do two people in one portrait?

Yes. A couple, a parent and child, two friends — a single photo with both people in it works, and each face is kept as their own. Combining people from separate photos is much harder and we'd rather tell you that than deliver something that looks assembled.

Is it a painting or a photograph?

A painting. It's made from your photo and it's meant to look like them, but the result is an interpretation in a painted style — brushwork, texture, the softness of watercolor or the grain of charcoal — not a filtered photograph. That's the point of it: a photo shows the moment, a painting treats it as something worth hanging.

Is it AI-generated?

Yes. Your photo and your instructions guide an AI image model, and the result is finished at high resolution for printing. We say so everywhere we sell, because you should know what you're buying — and because it's what makes a one-of-a-kind portrait of a specific person possible at this price.

Can I see it before I pay?

Yes. Uploading a photo, generating the portrait, and previewing it on a wall are all free and need no account. You only pay if you decide to order a print or buy the digital file — so you'll have seen exactly what you'd be getting before any money changes hands.

Start with the photo

Upload it, choose how it should be painted, and see it on a wall — all before paying anything.

Make a portrait

Canvas, framed canvas, framed poster, or poster — your choice

Canvas Print

Poly-cotton canvas, 10.15 oz/yd²
Satin finish, UV-resistant inks
8″×8″ up to 40″×60″

Framed Canvas

Pine floating frame — black, white, or brown
Canvas, 10.15 oz/yd² weight
8″×10″ up to 24″×36″

Framed Poster

Ayous wood frame — black, white, or red oak
Enhanced matte paper (200 gsm)
10″×10″ up to 24″×36″

Poster

Archival pigment inks, matte surface
Enhanced matte paper (200 gsm)
10″×10″ up to 24″×36″

Damaged or misprinted? We reprint it free within 30 days.

Printed on demand · Free US shipping

Nothing prints until you've seen it — you approve the exact image, and previewing costs nothing

Secure checkout via Stripe

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