How I paint your custom portrait from photo

Custom portrait painting based on a photo.

I do not try to create a carbon copy of your photo. There are plenty of other Artists or technicians that do that. What I do is give you a warm, colorful, happy and symbolic painting based your photo.

My style can at times be considered “kawaii” or naive Art.

What is the significance of the plants?

I always ask what plant or flower you would like to add to the portrait painting. My thought is that the plant becomes like a protection for the person.

There has been cases were a person has not known what plants to choose. In those cases I ask the person what their date of birth is and their complete name. Based on that information I try to search if there is a plant connected to the name of the person or see what kind of plants are connected to the persons Zodiac sign.

How can I order a custom watercolor portrait?

The easiest way is to click on the “Order your custom portrait” link in the sidebar or below this post in the page footer.

You will then be asked for an image of you or the person that you want me to paint and to give a description or note telling me what plants, flowers or pet you would like me to include in the custom portrait.

You can checkout with a Credit/Debit card or if you prefer with Paypal. Please contact me if you have questions or have something else in mind.

Why watercolors?

Using watercolors gives the custom portrait paintings a more etheric feeling. I feel that this medium makes the custom watercolor portraits feel more alive than with oil based colors or acrylic. The blending of the watercolors makes it easier to show the morphing of the person with the plants.

Back in art school I once had professor who told me that the idéa of watercolor was to create a blend of colors with excessive use of water.

Think of Georgia O’Keeffe’s watercolor studies with big blocks of color or the etheric scenes of water and fire meeting in the evening horzion.

Although I agreed with her that watercolors were idéal for that kind of landscaping I always felt that I could do so much more with watercolors.

Watercolor is alive and will shape the custom portrait paintings in a way were you can see how paper, color and the artists thoughts all blend together.

Personally I feel that watercolors are more alive than for example oil based colors or acrylic. When I paint with watercolor I can see how the color is absorbed by the paper. There is really no way of going back once you have started adding or painting a line. You have to commit to the painting and if something is not turning out how you wanted you have to adapt in the moment.

While the paint is still fresh you have still some chance of making corrections to the custom watercolor portraits but you can not undo or go back on your choices, like you can with oil, acrylic or pencils. This makes the painting process perhaps more demanding but I feel it also let’s me develop my concentration and attention to detail.

I also feel that by using watercolor as the medium for my custom portrait paintings the portrait itself get more connected to the elements.