How to get a memorial portrait from an old photo
- Find every photo of the person you can, not only the best one.
- Choose the one that looks most like them, even if it isn't sharp.
- Send a scan or a clear phone photo of the print on WhatsApp.
- Tell us what to change: the background, a dark or blurred face, or someone to add.
- If the print is damaged, we restore it first.
- Our artists paint the portrait, and we confirm the price and date before we start.
The photo matters less than you think
Maybe the only photo you have is a small passport picture. Or a corner of a group photo from a wedding, with the face no bigger than a thumbnail.
Send it anyway. We've painted memorial portraits from the only photo a family had left. Any photo works, including old, dark or blurry ones. A clearer photo gives the artist more to work from, but don't hold back if it's the only one you have.
What matters more is choosing the photo that looks like them. The slightly blurred one where your father is laughing will often make a better portrait than the sharp, formal one where he looks like a stranger.
When the photo needs restoring first
Torn corners, stains, fading, a crease straight through the face: these are the photos that come out of old albums and steel trunks. We restore faded, torn and stained prints, including photos from the 1980s and earlier.
The work is done on a digital copy. A good scan or a clear phone photo of the print often works. For badly damaged photos, bring the original to the gallery and we'll scan it carefully. Restoration usually takes about 5 days. See old photo restoration for how it works.
What our artists can change
Because our artists work on every piece, a memorial portrait doesn't have to look exactly like the photo. We can:
- Replace the background. A crowded room or a cropped-out relative becomes a plain, calm backdrop.
- Fix a dark room or a blurred face.
- Bring someone into a family picture. We can bring people from different photos into one portrait, so a grandparent who has passed away can sit with the family.
Discuss it with us before you order so we can confirm what's possible for your photo.
Digital portrait or oil painting?
A custom portrait from your photo is digitally hand-painted by our artists and printed on canvas. It usually takes about 3 days from when you confirm the order, which matters if you need it for a ceremony.
An oil painting from a photo is painted by hand in oil on canvas, with visible brushwork. It takes about 2 weeks because the paint needs time to dry, so choose it when there's no deadline.
Framing and where to hang it
A portrait on canvas doesn't need glass. Gold frames suit traditional portraits and warm colours, whether the portrait hangs in the main hall or the pooja room. Our guide to choosing a frame covers size, colour and hanging height.
You're welcome at the gallery in Banjara Hills to see finished portraits and frames before you decide.