Frequently Asked Questions

Our Studio is located in Tennessee, and we ship daily to clients around the World.

Yes, each Portrait is painted by a Certified Professional Portrait Artist, and starts with a clean white canvas, where only the best oils and materials are used to produce your Original Oil Portrait.

We have Artists around the world and have hand selected a group of Professionally Trained Artists, which specialize in Portrait Painting. Most all of our Artists work from their studio, and work exclusively for us.

All orders usually take between 8-12 weeks to complete. This time frame is an estimate only, as some can be quicker and some may take longer. It is impossible to gurantee a ship time, as every portrait is hand painted and varies with our work-load and order complexity. Holidays and Special Occasions such as Graduation, Mothers Day, Valentines Day, Christmas, etc. may require a little more time. We encourage orders around these occasions to be sent in as soon as possible.

We have designed a very simple automated system to keep you posted on the status of your order. You will receive two emails throughout the process. They are:

1. A confirmation of your order acceptance.
2. A confirmation your Portrait has been shipped, and a tracking number will be emailed to you.

No, we have chosen not to offer this service, as history has shown us this does not assist in a better Portrait. We do not believe it is a good idea to try to describe, in words, what changes you might want an Artist to make, to an already completed work of art. Our Artists are the best in this Trade, and each has in excess of 20 years of Portrait Painting experience.

First, you can simply send us the photo, slide or negative, and we will scan it into our system and make a copy as noted in Section 21 below. You may also go to your local photocopy shop and make a High Resolution color copy of your photograph, slide, or negative, or you can scan the photograph, slide, or negative and email the photo to us through our secure website Ordering System. If you elect to photocopy and mail your order, you may want to enlarge the copy, if clarity is an issue. Then simply mail the copy, with your order form and payment.

The quality of your Portrait is a direct result of the quality of your photo. It does not necessarily need to be a Professional Photograph to be able to make a beautiful Portrait. Sometimes the best Portraits are from casual and un-expected poses and photographs.

Yes. We return all Original Photographs we receive. Should you make a copy to send to us, we will keep this on file; in case you choose to order another Portrait.

Yes, we can and often do make minor changes. When ordering, there is a Comment Section for you to note any minor change you might want. For example, "remove the boat in the background," or "center me from the photo to the Portrait". Or, we can even take people from different photos and combine into one portrait.

It is your responsibility to make sure you own the photograph copyright you are sending to us. If unsure, please contact the Professional Photographer who took the picture, to receive permission. If you took the photo, then you own the right to it.

Yes, we can take an old black and white or sepia toned photograph, and paint a beautiful Hand Painted Oil Portrait. Any obvious damage and/or age blemishes on the photograph will be removed when the Portrait is painted. In addition, we can colorize the Black & White Portrait. It is important to note that the colors chosen are at the discretion of the Artist. Please note the Black and White Section on the Web Site, or in the Brochure, to see an example of a Black and White Photo, which has been colorized. If you have basic color request, please note these in the Comment Section on the Order Form.

Yes, we can. Simply upload the main photo you wish to have painted, and email the additional photos to customerservice@oilportraits.com.

Yes, you can. Just email us a request, and we will price accordingly. The cost is $75, per added subject.

When painting people and/or animals (pets), each are considered a Subject. For example, a couple with 2 dogs would be a total of 4 subjects. If they were standing in front of their home, then their home would not be an added subject (it is part of the background). If, for example, you wanted a Portrait of your Antique Car with you in front, then this would be considered 2 subjects (The car and you). Don't worry, if you are not sure just use or best judgment, or email us and we will be glad to assist.

A Realism Portrait will be painted to look as closely like the actual photograph as possible. Impressionism, is a painting process that, once complete, gives the overall impression of the photograph, with less detail and importance to facial expressions, etc. Please look under our Pricing and Features Section to compare these 2 styles.

This is how we stretch your canvas Portrait onto the stretcher bars. A 3/4" thick stretcher bar is used for each Portrait. We have our Artist paint the background color of the Portrait larger than the actual "shown" size, so that when we stretch the canvas around the stretcher bar, the painting actually goes completely around the side. Then we staple the canvas to the BACK of the stretcher bar, and not on the side. This will allow you to possibly hang your beautiful Portrait without a frame. Please look at our Pricing and Features Section, which will show you a sample of Museum Wrapping.

No, all of our Portraits are carefully inspected and Museum Wrapped (stretched) in our US Studio, just before shipping. This service is included in the prices noted on the Pricing Chart.

Not at this time. The frame is so specific to the Portrait, room, and décor, we think it should be chosen after the Portrait is complete. We recommend you use your local framer to assist in choosing the perfect frame to match the portrait and décor in your home.

We take special care and pride in inspecting, stretching, and especially packaging each and every Portrait. After Museum Wrapping, each Portrait is carefully placed into a custom made and embroidered fitted fleece lined, protective bag. We then package and ship via Federal Express, in a Federal Express approved shipping box.

There are actually 3 known competitor groups, which we do not believe offer the quality, pricing, and/or combination of both, with a total emphasis on painting an actual Original Oil Portrait from blank canvas, 100% painted by hand, which can be handed down for generations to come.

1. "Printed" and/or "Artist Enhanced": You will see or hear this terminology from time to time. This process is simply scanning a photograph, and then printing the photograph onto canvas using Large Format Printers. Some companies will use the term "Artist Enhanced," or actually say "Artist Painted." The truth is, that this process actually uses individuals to apply heavy paint strokes during, or immediately after, the printing process. This process is quite simply an enhanced print. This is a less expensive process and is not an Original Oil Portrait.
2. US Based "High Priced" Portrait Artist: These are US based Professional Portrait Artists, who paint actual Original Oil Portraits. The difference is that these Artist require 3-4 personal sittings, takes 3-6 months to produce, and cost from $5000-$50,000 each.
3. Mass Production Painting Factories: You may run across very low cost "Original" portrait sites, which quite simply, offer prices less than the cost of the canvas and materials. These are usually mass production facilities, located in China and Indonesia, and paint using inferior materials and unacceptable working conditions.

We take your photo and carefully review it for obvious flaws and/or items that need correction or adjustment. Unlike some Portrait Companies, we do not email the photo directly to the Artist. We actually use a High Resolution Scanner (for photos mailed in), and then carefully review each photo. We then print a professional 8x10 photograph, which will be sent to our Portrait Artist and used to paint your Portrait. This assures the Highest Quality Portrait at the lowest possible cost.

Yes, we offer a Guarantee, if, within the first 3 days after receipt of your Portrait, you are not satisfied with the Portrait, and we will issue a refund, less the shipping charge. You will be responsible for contacting us to receive a Return Authorization Number, and pay for return shipping in the Original Packaging. If you happen to return your Portrait, it must be returned in the Original Packing Materials to receive a refund. This refund DOES NOT APPLY AS NOTED BELOW.

We will do what we can to make sure all customers are happy with their Portrait but there are cases where the 100% guarantee does not apply:

We can combine photos of different persons, change backgrounds, and often make major changes at the request of the customer. When changes are requested, and since these are 100% custom, the 100% return guarantee will not apply. The 100% return guarantee also will not apply to orders placed with discount codes, discount coupons, or discounted gift certificates.

In addition, if you order using a photo of a half or full length subject, in a small size, then the faces cannot be perfect due to the size variation. In this circumstance, the guarantee will not apply.

We accept all major Credit Cards which can easily be processed on our secure website. This will allow your Portrait to be processed immediately upon receipt. Of course, if you prefer, you can simply print an order form, and mail a check with your order. We require 100% payment, before your Artist will be assigned and order processed.

Yes, we maintain Secure Server Certificates, and it is perfectly safe to order online with your credit card.