choosing a photo

Photos need to be in focus with as much detail as possible. This is especially true for portraits. Ideally faces take up most of the picture – a good rule of thumb is that you need to be able to see a persons eyes clearly. Unless they are wearing sunglasses (which incidentally look really good in paintings!)

I can crop a photo to concentrate on one area – but it needs to be large enough to begin with – if you zoom in and the details of faces are lost, then there isn’t enough detail for a painting.

Top tips for pet portraits. Dogs don’t stay still for long so it’s helpful to enrol a friend if you are taking a photo for a painting. While one of you takes the photo the other can hold the attention of the dog with a treat. Most dogs look really sweet when they are asleep so that can be an easier option! Cat photos look great if they are looking at the camera and the head takes up a good amount of space so you can really see their eyes.

The better lighting a photo has, the more colours I can use, giving a richer image. Photos taken in good natural light – either out of doors or in a bright room are great. It’s generally best to avoid direct sunlight for portraits as there can be heavy shadows on the face.

If you are not sure about a photo you can email it to me and I will advise. Sometimes an image that won’t work out as a colour painting will look great in sepia tones or greys.

What is special about Painted by You

  • My kits are totally unlike any other paint by numbers available.
  • I carefully adjust details to make sure the painting is perfect.
  • The templates are printed on specialist oil painting paper and supplied flat in a box so there are no folds to flatten.
  • They are a joy to paint on straight on to, no need for gesso, and easy to mount and frame.
  • No areas have blanks. The colour codes fill all the painting areas to make it easier to follow.
  • The oil paints are all are mixed by me, so no colour mixing for you to do.
  • The paints come in tubes rather than pots so will stay usable indefinitely.
  • If you have never used oils before you will be delighted to find they make blending a breeze as they stay wet for longer.
  • I supply enlarged sheets to refer to the fiddly bits, and if you still can’t make out an area I'll email an even bigger version.

  • These painting kits will provide hours of relaxing painting and amazing finished artworks on your wall.
  • I understand how much time and love our customers put into their paintings, and I want every minute to be a pleasure.