How long does a custom pet portrait take?

Painting takes 7–20 days depending on size and complexity (single pet vs. multiple pets), plus 4–7 days express delivery worldwide. Rush painting is available for an additional fee.

What photo should I send for a pet portrait?

A sharp, well-lit photo taken at your pet's eye level, with clear eyes and natural fur color. The photo's quality determines the likeness — send several if you can, and we'll recommend the best one before quoting.

Can you paint multiple pets in one portrait?

Yes, even from separate photos. Our artists compose them into one harmonious portrait with matched lighting and background.

Can you paint a memorial portrait of a pet that passed away?

Yes, and it's one of the most meaningful orders we paint. We work carefully from your favorite photos to capture their character, and can combine features from several images if needed.

Custom Guide · No. 3

Custom Pet Portrait Oil Paintings: From Photo to Canvas

By Dafen Art Hub · Updated September 2026 · 7 min read

Cat sitting by a gallery window beside an oil painting in Dafen — Studio cat supervising the inventory, as usual.

A custom pet portrait is the most personal piece of art you can own — and one of the most gifted. But between the photo on your phone and a hand-painted oil on canvas, there's a real craft process that determines whether the result looks like your dog or a generic dog. Here's exactly how we paint them in Dafen, and how to get the best possible likeness.

Why Oil on Canvas (Not a Digital Filter)

Oil paint can move between thin transparent layers and thicker visible brushwork. That matters in a realistic pet portrait: soft transitions can describe the turn of a muzzle, while a sharper or slightly raised mark can catch the light on an eye or whisker. The finished look is shaped by the artist's decisions, not by one automatic filter.

App filters and printed "portraits" are flat, reproducible, and dated within a year. A hand-painted oil portrait has physical brushwork, real texture, and genuine longevity — oils hung properly last generations. Pets' portraits especially benefit: fur rendered in layered oil strokes has a softness and depth that no printer reproduces. And because it's painted by a person, the artist captures character — the head tilt, the mischievous eye — not just shapes.

The 5-Step Process

Send your photo. WhatsApp or email. If you send several, we recommend the best one and explain why — before any payment.
Get an exact quote. Based on size, number of pets, and background style (simple tone, classic studio backdrop, or your own setting). 50% deposit starts the painting.
Sketch & block-in. The artist maps the composition and confirms proportions — this is where likeness is won or lost.
Painting in layers. Oils build from thin to thick over several days: base tones, mid-layers of fur, final highlights on eyes and whiskers.
Preview & adjust. When the finished portrait is ready, we photograph it and send it to you before shipping. If something needs adjusting, tell us and we adjust it.

Typical timeline: 7–20 days of painting (depending on size and complexity) + 4–7 days express delivery with tracking. Rush painting available — tell us your date and we'll confirm honestly whether it's doable.

Choosing the Right Photo

The photo is 80% of the portrait. Our artists can improve composition and background, but they can't invent detail the camera missed. Ideal photo checklist:

Sharp and high resolution — eyes in crisp focus especially.
Natural daylight — fur color reads true. Avoid heavy flash and strong filters.
Taken at your pet's eye level — looking slightly up or down distorts the face.
Shows the markings you love — that one white sock, the crooked ear stripe.
Personality moment — head tilt, tongue out, favorite pose. That's the portrait.

If your best photos each have something good (great face in one, great body in another), send both — our artists combine references, matched for lighting and angle.

Sizes & Layouts

Canvas size	Best for	Suggested placement
30×40 cm / 12×16 in	Single pet, head study	Shelf, small wall, gift
40×50 cm / 16×20 in	Single pet, head & chest	Entryway, bedroom
50×70 cm / 20×28 in	Full body or two pets	Living room, staircase
60×90 cm / 24×36 in+	Multiple pets, portrait with owner	Statement wall above sofa

Popular options: single-tone background (most timeless), classic warm studio backdrop, or painted into a scene from a second photo. We can also paint you together with your pet — from two separate photos.

Real Before & After — Pets We've Painted

Each pair below is a real commission: the photo you sent us on the left, the finished oil painting on the right. Styles we paint regularly include Starry-Night-inspired swirls, open-field impasto, and vibrant single-tone backdrops.

Border Collie original photo sent by customer — Border Collie — painted in open-field impasto style, 50×70 cm. The original photo was a casual phone shot; our artist recommended the pose, then painted the grass and sky to lift the composition.

Custom oil painting of the same Border Collie in impasto style with grass — Border Collie — painted in open-field impasto style, 50×70 cm. The original photo was a casual phone shot; our artist recommended the pose, then painted the grass and sky to lift the composition.

Long-haired orange tabby cat with red scarf — Orange tabby in his lucky red scarf — painted into a swirling Starry-Night-style night sky, 40×50 cm, white frame. The cat's markings were the focal point; the swirly sky came from the customer's brief.

Custom Starry Night style oil painting of the same cat, framed — Orange tabby in his lucky red scarf — painted into a swirling Starry-Night-style night sky, 40×50 cm, white frame. The cat's markings were the focal point; the swirly sky came from the customer's brief.

Grey and white short-haired cat reference photo — Grey-and-white shorthair — painted at 50×70 cm with impasto grass and a Van Gogh–inspired sky. The bigger canvas lets the brushwork show; this is also a great example of our "celebration of life" memorial style.

Custom oil painting of the same grey cat under a Starry Night sky — Grey-and-white shorthair — painted at 50×70 cm with impasto grass and a Van Gogh–inspired sky. The bigger canvas lets the brushwork show; this is also a great example of our "celebration of life" memorial style.

Memorial Portraits

Some of the most meaningful orders we paint are for pets who have passed away. If the only photos are old or blurry, send what you have — we'll tell you honestly what's achievable, and can combine features from several images to capture them. Take your time deciding; there's no rush on these.

Care of Your Portrait

Simple: hang away from direct sunlight and humidity, dust with a soft dry brush. The varnish we apply protects the paint layer for decades. Rolled shipping available for the tightest budgets; stretched or framed for ready-to-hang delivery.

Have a photo ready? Send it on WhatsApp — we'll recommend the best crop, size and background, and reply with an exact quote within 24 hours. Single painting, no minimum order.

Send My Pet's Photo

FAQ

Can you match my interior colors?

Yes — send a photo of the wall or a color reference and we'll tune the background tones to your room.

What if I don't like the preview?

When the painting is finished, we photograph it and send it to you for preview — anything that needs adjusting, we adjust. And every portrait is purely hand-painted: not hand-painted, refund. See our order terms for the details.

Do you paint humans too?

Yes — family portraits, wedding portraits, children's portraits, all hand-painted in oils from your photos.