Our illustrators draw every portrait by hand, starting from your photo. That means the better the photo, the more faithful and detailed the result: we capture your features, your hair, your expression more accurately. The good news is that you do not need a professional camera — just follow these simple rules with your phone.
The golden rule: your face has to be clearly visible
It sounds obvious, but it is the number-one mistake. Full-body shots where the face takes up 5% of the image, selfies with sunglasses, photos from behind "because I like that one"... The illustrator needs to see your features clearly: eyes, nose, mouth, face shape and hair. If in doubt, upload several photos — one close-up of the face and one of the full look you want.
Natural light, whenever you can
The best photo is one taken during the day near a window or outdoors in the shade. Natural light shows the real colors of your skin, hair and clothes. Avoid: backlighting (the window behind you), direct flash at night, and neon lights that tint everything one color.
Resolution: the original photo, not a screenshot
Send the original photo from your gallery, not a screenshot or an image re-forwarded twenty times through a messaging app (every forward compresses and loses quality). If the photo is pixelated, the fine details — freckles, stray hairs, clothing textures — are lost to the illustrator.
Group portraits: one photo per person beats a distant group shot
For portraits of several people you do not need everyone in the same photo. In fact, it is usually better to send one clear photo of each person separately and tell us in the instructions how you want them grouped and posed. The same applies to pets: one good photo of the dog looking at the camera works magic.
What you can ask for even if it is not in the photo
The portrait does not have to be an exact copy of the photo. Want to appear in different clothes, in your favorite shirt, with an accessory from the show, or hugging your partner even though the photos are separate? Write it in the special instructions on your order. The photo defines your features; the instructions define the scene.
With a good photo and clear instructions, the result arrives in 48 hours and the included revision covers any fine-tuning. It is that simple.