Our Final Verdict
We give PortraitFlip a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars.
Quality: 5/5
Options: 5/5
Value: 4.75/5
Who doesn’t have a favorite picture of their dog on their phone? Or, more likely, a couple of hundred favorite pictures.
If you’ve dreamed of turning one of your favorite pics into a portrait you can hang in your home, I say, don’t stop at just getting the photo blown up. Why not truly make it into a work of art by having the photo turned into a handcrafted painting?
This is exactly the service that PortraitFlip provides.
They take photos of pets (as well as humans) and use them to make real hand-painted portraits. You can choose from a variety of mediums and even ask for customization to change the background or remove things from the picture.
I had a PortraitFlip painting done of my kitten a few months ago and I could not have been happier with the results. Recently, I decided to test the consistency of this offering by getting a new painting done of my senior Chihuahua, Papyrus.
Keep reading to find out how this painting turned out and to see my full PortraitFlip review.
What Is PortraitFlip?
PortraitFlip has been in operation since 2018. When they first started, they employed just a handful of artists who worked diligently to turn photo memories into brilliant pieces of art.
Today, the company employs over 250 artists from across the globe. Each is skilled in a specific medium, from oil painting to watercolor.
While the company has grown, its commitment to 100% hand-crafted portraits has also not been compromised. You won’t find any digital retouching or filter work here. These are real paintings made by real people.
Where Are PortraitFlip Paintings Produced?
PortaitFlip employs artists from around the world. Most live in the US, Canada, India, China, and Indonesia. These artists receive your photo digitally and then create a handpainted work of art based on it.
Once the piece is finished and approved, it’s shipped directly to you.
What Products PortraitFlip Offer?
The company offers a long list of different products, all centered around turning your photos into real works of art.
You can choose from seven different mediums and nine print sizes. You also have the option of having the photo painted as it is, or doing a compilation portrait which can include up to 15 different people or pets from various photos.
In addition to their typical portrait offerings, they also offer reproduction paintings of classic art, stylistic pet portraits, and memorial paintings.
What Kinds of Pets Do They Paint?
Most of the examples on the PortraitFlip website are of people, dogs, and cats. But I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t submit a photo of any type of pet, from horses to parrots.
Be it a dog, cat, horse, rabbit, cow, or parrot, all are welcome in PortraitFlip.
This service is a great option for just about any pet owner who loves their furry family member enough to immortalize them in art. It’s an especially great option for memorializing pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge.
Overview
Here is an overview of what you can expect when you use PortraitFlip to create a painting of your dog. We’ll go over the process for ordering, your portrait options, pricing, and expected processing times.
Ordering Process
To get started with PortraitFlip all you need to do is hop onto their website. Start by choosing their Pet Portrait option.
Next, you’ll choose your portrait medium. Here, your options are:
- Oil
- Pencil
- Charcoal
- Watercolor
- Colored pencil
- Acrylic
- Pastel
Once you’ve chosen which type of medium you want, you need to select the number of characters (pets or people) that will appear in your portrait.
After that, you’ll choose the size of the canvas or paper. Here, you have nine options:
- 12″ x 12″
- 12″ x 16″
- 16″ x 20″
- 18″ x 24″
- 20″ x 30″
- 24″ x 36″
- 30″ x 40″
- 36″ x 48″
- 48″ x 72″
The final step is to upload your photo and include any notes for the artist. For example, I asked my artist to remove the yellow toenail covers from Papyrus’ paws.
Once the order is submitted, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
Pricing
The cost of your portrait is determined by three factors: the medium you choose, the number of characters in the picture, and the size of the paper or canvas.
Each medium has a different minimum and maximum price. For instance, charcoal and pencil portraits have a minimum cost of $89. Watercolor and colored pencil products are slightly more expensive, while true paintings are the most expensive, with a minimum cost of $129.
If you were to choose one of the most costly medium, 10 characters, and the largest size, you could expect to pay about $914. For any other option, expect to pay something between this maximum and the given minimums above.
Expected Processing Times
Within a few days of submitting your order, you should receive an email containing a digital proof of your photo. This proof is cropped to your specified size and altered according to any notes you provided.
Once you approve the proof, the image will be sent to your artist to begin their work. The actual painting can take up to 15 days. After they’ve finished, you’ll receive an email with a proof of the completed product.
Any issues can be addressed if needed. Once approved, the completed portrait will be shipped to you. Shipping typically takes between five and eight days.
You do have an option to pay extra for expedited service. This drops the painting time down to 10 days and the shipping time down to four days.
My first portrait took 18 days from ordering to arrival on my doorstep despite being placed the week of Black Friday. This portrait took just 16 days to arrive.
In Summary
Pros
- Truly hand-made artwork
- Great quality
- Can add customization
- Many medium and size options
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Cons
- Pricey
- Quality may vary by artist
- Not the quickest turnaround
Key Features
Real Artwork
We’ve all seen advertisements from companies that turn photos into works of art. The vast majority of these use digital filters to create their final products. Not PortraitFlip.
With this company, you get truly hand-painted portraits. They smell like paint, they look like (and are) genuine pieces of art, and that authenticity makes all the difference.
So Many Options
Not only do you have options when it comes to how many photos to upload, which pets to include, and what size the portrait will be, but you also have seven choices when it comes to the medium used.
These choices make the final artwork that much more personal. Choose your medium based on your preferences, the aesthetic in your home, or, do like I did, and choose based on what will look best for the photo you picked.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
PortraitFlip goes out of its way to make sure you’re satisfied with your artwork. They send you a digital proof before they begin work and a second proof once it’s done. If you aren’t happy with something in the second proof, the artist will fix it for free.
If, for any reason, you still aren’t happy when you receive the painting, you can email the company for a full refund.
Is PortraitFlip a Good Value?
You may balk at PortraitFlip’s pricing at first. After all, many other companies offer photo-to-art products that aren’t nearly as expensive. But don’t forget, those companies don’t create real works of art from your photos, they simply run them through a digital filter and print them.
Considering that it generally costs upwards of a thousand dollars to commission a portrait painting—which is what you get from PortraitFlip—I’d say this product is an incredibly good value.
FAQ
Will my portrait come with a frame?
You have the option to add a frame to your painting once the photo proof has been approved. You can do this through your customer portal on the website.
Can I change the background of my portrait?
Yes! You can make a variety of customization requests, including changing the background. You can upload a second photo with your preferred background, choose from some preloaded options, or just explain to the artist what you would like.
Can I request a specific artist?
Unfortunately, no. However, all artists PortraitFlip partners with are experts in their specific medium, so the quality is high no matter who you get. As a two-time customer with different mediums each time, I can attest to the overall quality offered.
Our Experience With PortraitFlip
As I mentioned above, I have tried PortraitFlip before. I ordered an acrylic painting of my kitten, Makoa. I was still skeptical back then that I would get an actual hand-made painting. But the second it arrived I was proven wrong—and absolutely blown away by how much I loved the product.
So when I had the opportunity to get a second portrait done of my Chihuahua, Papyrus, I jumped at the opportunity.
Papyrus turns 15 today! While I hope he’ll be around for many years to come, it was important for me to immortalize him in art while he is still here with us.
I chose oil paint as my medium this time and submitted one of my favorite pictures of Papyrus standing in the garden. I took this picture for another product review and requested that the artist remove the yellow toenail grips from his feet.
I chose the 16” by 20” size, which my husband says is too big, but I love it!
As was the case with the last order, when this one arrived I was overjoyed. The details are so perfect and so clearly made by a real paintbrush.
I love that the background is a bit faded and abstract but still captures the colors and beauty of the garden. Those details make Papyrus pop off the canvas.
His nails, which I requested the photo edit for, look great. You’d never know the original photo looked any different. I love the details of his face and how realistic those puppy-dog eyes look.
If I have to come up with a negative, I’ll say the whisker spots look like they might have been added as an afterthought. But I don’t have any complaints about how this portrait turned out.
After the first order, I thought I just got lucky with the artist. But after this one, I feel confident that PortraitFlip is working with a deep well of awesome talent. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another and plan on getting my whole furry and feathery family done eventually.
Conclusion
Whether you have a dog so handsome he deserves to be made into a work of art or a former companion you want to remember forever, I can’t recommend PortraitFlip enough. Yes, this service is more expensive than the digitally filtered options out there, but it’s well worth it for a true piece of handcrafted art.
Not only do these paintings look better because they’re authentic, but they come with a range of choices in terms of medium and sizing so you get exactly what you want. Plus, they’re highly customizable allowing you to create the perfect portrait even if the reference photo is less than perfect.
