How Much Does a Custom Portrait Cost? Prices Compared

Prices vary a lot, and for good reasons

Ask ten portrait artists for a price and you will get ten different answers. That is because a custom portrait can mean very different things: an oil painting by an established artist, a hand-painted portrait from an online service, or a painted-style portrait created with AI and printed on canvas. This guide explains what each option typically costs and what you get for it.

Hand-painted portraits by an artist

A portrait painted by hand takes an artist many hours, sometimes days. Prices depend on the size, the medium and the number of subjects. Online services that work with painters often start somewhere around a hundred dollars for a small portrait with one person or pet, with prices climbing quickly for larger sizes and more people. Independent portrait artists commonly charge from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Delivery usually takes weeks, because the painting needs to be made, dried and shipped.

AI-painted portraits

With an AI-painted portrait, your photo is turned into a painting in a chosen style and then printed. That makes it far more affordable, and much faster. At Paint Your Family the prices at the time of writing are:

Digital file: $29, delivered right after payment
Fine art print: from $59
Canvas: from $119
Framed canvas: from $164

The preview is always free, so you see the result before you pay anything. Check the products page for current prices and sizes.

What drives the price

Size: larger paintings take longer to paint and cost more to print and ship.
Number of subjects: for hand-painted work, every extra person or pet adds hours. With AI, it makes no difference to the price.
Medium and finish: oil on canvas costs more than a drawing; a framed canvas costs more than a print.
Timing: rush orders for hand-painted portraits often cost extra.

Which option is right for you?

If you want a unique object with real brushstrokes and have the budget and a few weeks, commission an artist. If you want a beautiful painted portrait at a lower price, or you need a gift soon, an AI-painted portrait is the practical choice, and because the preview is free, you can see the result first.

Frequently asked questions

Why are hand-painted portraits so expensive?

An artist spends many hours on a single painting, and the price also covers materials, experience and often shipping of a fragile original.

What does a portrait from Paint Your Family cost?

At the time of writing: $29 for a digital file, from $59 for a fine art print, from $119 for a canvas and from $164 for a framed canvas. The preview is always free. See the product pages for current prices.

What makes a portrait more expensive?

For hand-painted work: size, the number of people or pets, the medium and the artist's reputation. For printed portraits: mostly the size and whether you choose a frame.