The photo you choose gives me the starting point for your portrait: the person's expression, the shape of their features and the details that make them familiar. You do not need a professional photograph, but you do need a reference I can read clearly.
Before ordering a custom oil portrait from your photos, use this checklist to put together a useful set of references.
Start with a reference photo checklist
- Choose an expression that feels natural for the person or pet.
- Check that the eyes and important facial features are visible.
- Keep the original image file at its available quality.
- Leave room around the head, hair and any hands you want painted.
- Include supporting photos and a short note about the finished composition.
If two photographs show different strengths, send both and explain which expression you prefer. One might provide the pose while another makes an important detail easier to see.
Check the face, not only the file size
Open the original photo and enlarge it enough to inspect the face. Look at the eyelids, eyebrows, mouth and hairline. Can you distinguish their shapes, or do those areas become a soft blur? A large file can still contain a face that is out of focus or too small in the original scene.
Send the camera or phone file when possible. A screenshot of a photo inside an app adds another layer between me and the reference, and social-media copies may have lost detail. Enlarging a tiny, blurred image does not recover the missing information.
Look for gentle light and natural proportions
A photograph near a window or in soft outdoor light is often useful. Gentle shadows can describe the face, provided the features remain visible. Strong light behind the subject can leave the face too dark, while an intense flash can hide the shapes in bright highlights.
If you are taking a new photo, keep the camera around the subject's eye level and avoid holding a wide-angle lens very close to their face. Step back enough to capture comfortable proportions. Keep an unfiltered version: smoothing filters and face reshaping can remove details that matter to the likeness.
Choose the expression and allow for the crop
The most suitable expression is one you want to live with in the painting. It might be a quiet look or a familiar smile. Tell me which photo best captures the person's character rather than choosing only by the background or clothing.
Include the whole head and the parts of the body you want painted. If hands, an outfit or a pet's ears are important, make sure they are visible somewhere in your references. A close face crop alone cannot explain the rest of a full-length pose.
Think about whether you want a vertical or horizontal composition, then use the oil painting size guide to compare options for your wall. We can discuss how the crop fits the canvas before the layout is agreed.
Plan reference photos for groups and pets
For a couple or family group, check each face individually. A photo that looks fine as a whole can still leave one person's face too small, shaded or turned away. Keep the uncropped group photo as well as any useful close-up references.
If the subjects are in separate photos, send the images together and describe who should appear in the painting. I need to assess whether the angles, expressions and lighting can work in one composition before we agree on the layout.
For pets, look for visible eyes, the shape of the muzzle and clear markings in the fur. A photo taken closer to your pet's eye level is often more useful than a view looking sharply down from above. Add another photo if a distinctive marking is hidden in your preferred pose.
What if your only photo is old or blurred?
Send the original you have and explain why that image matters. Other photos of the same person can help clarify features, even if they show a different pose. Keep the original alongside any sharpened or reconstructed version: enhanced images can introduce details that were not visible in the source.
If you want color added to a black-and-white photograph, mention that request early. The source does not contain the original color information, so those choices need to be discussed. I can assess the references before you commit to a particular composition.
What to send before placing your order
- Your preferred original photo, plus any supporting references.
- The people or pets to include, and the expression or pose you prefer.
- Important clothing, background details or changes you want to discuss.
- Your preferred canvas size and orientation, if you have chosen them.
- Any deadline, so painting and shipping can be considered separately.
Contact me to discuss your photo shortlist. For the full process, read how to order a custom oil portrait, including the composition preview before painting.
RomKart paintings are supplied unframed and shipped rolled in a protective tube. The canvas and framing guide explains how to plan local stretching and framing. You can also meet the artist behind RomKart before getting in touch.
