Photo to Painting Questions

I was considering having a painting done, but I am obviously apprehensive as it is a lot if money to risk if I am not happy with the result.

That is understandable, as whilst we offer the best service for the lowest price, the cost of an oil painting is a lot of money due to the amount of time that goes into creating your masterpiece, (2 to 3 weeks) but we do try to minimise the risk as we involve you in every step of the process, and only if you are happy do we continue:

1. You send in your photograph, or photographs so that our designer can come up with a mock-up.
2. We produce for you a mock-up of how your painting will look, (completely free of charge with no obligation to purchase)
3. You view the mock-up, (on our website) and you can ask for as many changes to be made to it, until you are totally happy with it
4. Then, and only then do you make your order.
5. We will then start your painting, which usually takes 2 to 3 weeks.
6. Once your painting is finished, we will email you a photo of it for your approval.
7. Only when you are happy with the finished painting will we 'finish' it, and ship it out to you.

So, it isn't a case of you sending us your photo along with your order, and then you wait nervously for your painting to arrive. We pride ourselves on our customer relations, (as our customers frequently tell us) and we communicate many times, during the process so that the painting we deliver is exactly what you want.

How long will the painting take to create?

Some services offer a 2 week turnaround - something that we do not do.  Each painting takes between 2 and 3 weeks to paint, then the painting is professionally finished with high quality lacquer to make your painting last a lifetime.  Once dry, it is stretched onto canvas, (if requested) then securely packaged and shipped.  If you want a quick service then we are not for you, we do not compromise on quality for the sake of speed.  For us, every painting that we send out has got to be a masterpiece, and this takes time. Generally, allow 1 month from the date you place your order, to the painting arriving at your door.

I have a photograph of my subject, but I want it painted in different surroundings?

That is fine, in fact, that is our speciality! We want to create a masterpiece that you has been designed for you taking pieces from different photos and making one beautiful painting. Just send in all the images that you want, and let us know what you are thinking and our designer will work with you to create a painting that you will love.

I have some old photographs that I want making into a painting, but they are not in very good condition?

Don't worry, we know how special it can make your painting if we can restore old and damaged photographs that you thought were useless into a new and vibrant painting - we do need to have the photos in digital format and they need to be clear and sharp, please read the next paragraph which explains how to do this.

I have the photographs, but they are not in digital format

We need to have the photos in digital format and they need to be clear and sharp to make this possible. This is even more important on older photographs that are damaged. The best way to take these photos is to use the 'timer' setting on a camera so that the camera is absolutely motionless when the picture is taken. Stand your photograph up, and position your camera so that the picture fills the frame with just a little gap around each edge. Also, turn the flash off and use natural light to avoid a flash-back or an over-exposed image. You will find that the photograph is crystal clear and perfect for us to use.

If you would rather, send us the photograph, and we will digitally capture it and send you back your photograph along with your painting.

Do I have to have my painting stretched?

Yes. All oil paintings must be stretched over a wooden frame called a stretcher before they can be hung or framed, however you do not have to use our service for stretching your painting. We offer this as part of our service at a very competitive price. Most professional picture framers charge between £35 and £50 for standard sizes, and up to £100 for the larger sizes. We charge £30 for our standard sizes, through to £60 for our giant size, so that your painting is ready to hang as soon as you have remove the packaging.

I think I would like to have my painting framed?

It is important that oil paintings are not framed under glass as this can cause a number of problems as the canvas needs to breathe. Framing an oil painting under glass can cause the oil to touch the glass which can make the paint stick and smear. Also, this can cause mold to grow due to a lack of air flowing around the paint.

However, some people do add a traditional frame on top of the painting to give the painting an ornate and much grander appearance. If you would like to do this you must remove the glass from the frame, or add ‘spacers’ between the glass and the canvas giving at least a quarter of an inch between the two to allow air to flow and preserve the lifetime of your painting.

What happens if the delivery comes while I am out?

We only use World Leading shippers, (either UPS or DPD) therefore, if you are not in when your painting arrives, they will post a delivery slip through your door where you can ring them to arrange re-delivery, or you can pick it up from their depot.