5 reasons to commission an oil portrait
An oil portrait is not an everyday purchase. It is usually commissioned for a specific reason: a parents' anniversary, a family milestone, the memory of a person or of a pet. Here are five reasons people still choose a painted portrait over a photograph printed on canvas, along with the practical things worth knowing before you order — the price, the timeline and the photographs required.
1. A portrait exists in a single copy
A photograph can be reprinted any number of times, and every copy is identical to the first. Painting does not work that way: even the same subject painted twice comes out differently, because the brushwork falls differently and the light gathers in another place. An oil portrait stays unique, and that is its main difference from any print.
2. Painting carries character, not just appearance
A photograph captures one hundredth of a second. A painter looks through a dozen images, listens to how the person is remembered, and assembles a single face from all of it — the face the family recognises. That is why a portrait painted from photographs often resembles the subject more closely than any of the source pictures: it keeps the habitual expression rather than an accidental one.
3. Oil lasts for decades
Oil on canvas is a material tested over centuries. Under ordinary domestic conditions a painting outlives several generations: it does not fade the way a print does, it does not flake, and it does not yellow with age as long as it is kept out of direct sunlight. The rules are simple, and we collected them separately in our guide to caring for paintings.
4. Size, palette and format are chosen for your wall
A ready-made print is bought as it comes. A portrait is painted for a particular place: for the width of the wall, for the light in the room, for the colour of the walls and furniture. A portrait hung above a sofa in the living room calls for one size and one palette; one placed at the head of a bed calls for another. Our guide to choosing a painting for an interior helps with the format.
5. This is a gift that cannot be repeated
A portrait of your parents, a family portrait for an anniversary, a portrait of someone who has passed away painted from an old photograph, a portrait of a dog or a cat — none of these can be bought in a shop or ordered a second time. What to consider when the painting is specifically a gift is covered in a separate article, "A painting as a gift".
What an oil portrait costs in Almaty
The price depends on the size of the canvas, the number of people in the portrait and the complexity of the background:
- portrait of a person from photographs — from 80,000 ₸;
- portrait of a pet — from 80,000 ₸;
- commissioned painting with your own subject — from 60,000 ₸.
The exact figure and the deadline are given before the work starts and do not change afterwards. The full list of sizes and prices is in the Prices section.
How the work goes
It all begins with a message on WhatsApp: a few photographs and a line about who the portrait is for. We then agree on composition and palette through references — examples you like. I do not draw a separate preliminary sketch: it is effectively a second piece of work, it stretches the timeline and adds nothing to the certainty. Instead, photographs arrive from the stages of painting, so anything can be adjusted while the picture is still unfinished.
A portrait normally takes two to three weeks, plus drying time for the oil. Within Almaty I hand the finished work over in person; to other cities in Kazakhstan it goes by courier. The full ordering procedure is set out in the guide "How to commission a painting".
Frequently asked questions
How many photographs are needed for an oil portrait? Three to five pictures in good light and from different angles are enough. The sharper the photographs, the more accurately the character comes through, not merely the features. If there is only one good shot, we still work with it — we simply discuss in advance what is and is not possible.
How long does a portrait take? Usually two to three weeks of painting plus drying. If the portrait is needed for a particular date, write ahead: when time is short I say so straight away rather than promising to make it.
Can I order a portrait from another city in Kazakhstan? Yes. The whole conversation happens on WhatsApp, the photographs are sent there too, and the finished work travels by courier.
Do you paint portraits of pets? Yes, and they are commissioned just as often as portraits of people. How it works and which photographs of a dog or cat are needed is described in the article "A pet portrait on canvas".
Can a portrait be painted from an old or low-quality photograph? Often yes — portraits from family archive pictures are painted regularly. Send the photograph on WhatsApp and I will tell you honestly what can be made of it before you pay anything.
How to order
Write on WhatsApp: a couple of photographs and one sentence about who the portrait is for. I will reply, ask a few clarifying questions and give you the price and the timeline. All contact details and the address of the studio in Almaty are on the Contacts page.