Custom Art & Portraits · Australia
Your photo, hand-painted on canvas
People, pets, weddings, children and the places you love — our professional artists turn a favourite photo into a 100% hand-made portrait in oil, watercolour, charcoal or coloured pencil. Just 20% to start, free delivery Australia-wide.
For more than ten years Direct Art Australia has made custom portraits painted from photos for Australian families. Not a digital filter, not a print: a real artist working by hand, in oil paint on canvas or in watercolour, charcoal or coloured pencil on paper. Send us the photo and we paint it by hand — you follow the progress, ask for any changes, and only pay the balance once you love it.
What would you like painted?
Oil, watercolour, charcoal or coloured pencil?
Every portrait is made by hand from your photo, with a free proof, unlimited changes to the drawing and the same 20% deposit. Choose the medium that suits your photo and your wall. Checked against our live prices on 19 October 2026.
| Medium | Look | Best for | Sizes | From | Arrives | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil on canvas | Rich colour and texture; realism or impressionist | Statement pieces, families, big walls | 40 x 50 to 100 x 150 cm | $449 | Stretched (gallery wrap) or framed, ready to hang | 21 to 28 days |
| Watercolour | Soft, light and airy | Children, pets, bright and gentle photos | 40 x 50, 50 x 60, 60 x 90, 75 x 100 cm | $379 | Framed with mat board and Perspex, or flat and unframed | 21 to 28 days |
| Charcoal | Black and white, strong light and shadow | Single faces, memorials, old black and white photos | 40 x 50, 50 x 60, 60 x 90, 75 x 100 cm | $379 | Framed with mat board and Perspex, or flat and unframed | 21 to 28 days |
| Coloured pencil | Fine detail, true-to-life colour | Pets with fur and whiskers, close-ups | 40 x 50, 50 x 60, 60 x 90, 75 x 100 cm | $379 | Framed with mat board and Perspex, or flat and unframed | 21 to 28 days |
Prices in AUD for 40 x 50 cm with one person or pet, including GST and free delivery Australia-wide. Paper portraits are ready for a standard frame.
Which medium suits my photo?
Bright, colourful photo or a big wall: choose oil on canvas.
Soft light, a child or a gentle mood: choose watercolour.
Strong light and shadow, or an old black and white photo: choose charcoal.
A sharp close-up with lots of detail, such as fur or hair: choose coloured pencil.
Still unsure? Upload your photo with any medium and we will tell you honestly if another would suit it better.
Watch our artists at work
Every Direct Art oil portrait is painted by a professionally trained artist, stroke by stroke, on stretched artist's canvas. Watercolour, charcoal and coloured pencil portraits are made the same way, by hand, on artist-grade paper. We photograph the painting as it develops and send the progress shots to you, so you see your portrait come to life and can ask for changes along the way.
When it's finished, we send a high-resolution photo for your approval. Only when you say "that's exactly what I want" do you pay the balance.
Choose your style
Pick the look that suits the photo and the room it's going in. Realism is our most popular; impressionist gives a looser, more artistic feel (both in oil); charcoal is timeless for a single face.
Every portrait began as a photo
Phone photos are fine. Our artists work from the photo you send and can combine several shots, tidy a background, or set the subject in your own room or garden. Before you choose, read which photos work best for an oil painting.
Family · Realism
Your photo
Couple · Realism
Your photo
Child · Realism
Your photo
Pet · Impressionist
Your photo
From our archive: real customers, real photos
A few favourites from our early years. Genuine customer photos and the paintings our artists made from them, with the background changed on request.
Your photo
Finished painting, new background
Your photo
Finished painting, new background
How it works
Why Australians choose Direct Art
Simple, honest pricing
Oil portraits start from $449 for a 40 × 50 cm canvas with one subject, and go up to a statement 100 × 150 cm piece; every oil size includes hand-painting, stretching and free delivery. Watercolour, charcoal and coloured pencil portraits start from $379 and come in 40 × 50, 50 × 70 and 60 × 90 cm, framed with a mat board and clear Perspex, or shipped flat and unframed. The price depends only on the medium, the size and the number of people or pets. See every size and price on the custom portrait page, or send us your photo for a free quote.
Not sure which size? Open the size guide to see every size drawn to scale beside a sofa, a bed and a person before you choose.
The gift that comes from the heart
Searching for something personal, affordable and impossible to buy in a shop? A hand-painted portrait from a favourite photo is a gift that stops people in their tracks — for anniversaries, weddings, new babies, retirements and remembering the ones we've lost.
Start a portrait →Custom portrait FAQs
How long does a custom portrait take?
Allow 21 to 28 days from your deposit to delivery. That covers the artwork, your approval rounds, stretching (oil only) and shipping anywhere in Australia. Need it for a date? Tell us at checkout and we'll do our best.
What photo should I send?
Any clear, well-lit photo where faces and eyes are visible. Phone photos are fine. We can combine several photos into one painting, remove people or clutter, and change the background. If a photo won't paint well, we'll tell you before we start. Our guide to which photos work best for an oil painting covers light, focus and the shots that cause trouble.
How much does a hand-painted portrait cost?
From $379 for a 40 × 50 cm watercolour, charcoal or coloured pencil portrait with one subject, or $449 in oil on canvas. Price depends on size and the number of people or pets. You pay a 20% deposit to begin and the balance after you approve your finished artwork, before it ships.
Is it really hand-painted?
Yes — 100%. Oil portraits are painted on artist's canvas, watercolour portraits are painted on artist-grade paper, and charcoal and coloured pencil portraits are drawn by hand on heavyweight drawing paper, all by professionally trained artists. We send progress photos as it develops, so you see the brushwork for yourself. Read more about our painting process.
Where should I hang a family portrait?
Anywhere guests will see it: above the sofa or fireplace, the wall opposite the front door, the hallway or staircase, or the dining room. Our portrait page lets you preview a size on your own wall before you order.
Is a custom portrait a good gift?
It's one of the most personal gifts you can give. Because it takes a few weeks to paint, it also shows real thought went into it. Order early for Christmas and big anniversaries, or ask us about a gift voucher.