Memorial portraits from photographs
Create a lasting portrait of someone important, using one treasured photograph or carefully bringing several people together in a composition that never existed.
A personal portrait, handled with care
A memorial portrait can preserve a familiar expression, bring generations together or create a family scene that was never photographed. CommissionIt helps you develop the composition, choose the right artist and approve the direction before the final artwork begins.
The artwork shown on this page comes from existing CommissionIt artist portfolios. Unless stated otherwise, it demonstrates an artist’s style and suitability, rather than claiming that the original work was commissioned as a memorial.
Explore our wider range of memorial art commissions, including portraits, sculpture, urns and other personal remembrance pieces.
One photograph
Work from a favourite photograph and ask the artist to refine the background, clothing, colour or atmosphere while preserving the person’s likeness.
Several photographs
Bring relatives together from separate photographs, including grandparents and grandchildren who were never photographed together.
Difficult source images
We can assess faded, damaged or low resolution photographs and explain honestly what can be reconstructed before you commit.
Portrait styles from our artists
A portrait that brought comfort
Anthony Oakes commissioned a portrait of his late wife. The artist’s task was not simply to reproduce a photograph, but to retain the expression and familiar details that made the image feel unmistakably personal.
“I am sincerely grateful to CommissionIt for the exceptional service provided. Your team listened attentively to my needs and exceeded my expectations at every step, demonstrating remarkable compassion and empathy. The beautiful portrait of my late wife has brought profound comfort during this time of great loss, capturing her essence with extraordinary detail and emotion. Please extend my deepest thanks to the artist and everyone involved in this project. I am forever grateful for your contribution to preserving my wife’s memory.”
Ant Oakes, 5 star Google review
A father, a son and Fulham Football Club
The son had only a very old photograph of a moment that mattered deeply, his father taking him to their favourite place, Fulham Football Club. The original image could not provide every detail needed for a finished artwork, but it held the emotional truth of the memory.
The artist rebuilt the scene in black and white, using the entrance, the figures and their movement towards the ground to create a stronger composition. The result does more than record how two people looked. It preserves the feeling of walking beside his father towards a place they loved together.
This is where a commissioned memorial portrait can go beyond straightforward reproduction. An old, faded or incomplete photograph can become the starting point for a carefully reconstructed scene, with the setting helping to tell the person’s story.
Pet memorial portraits
A portrait is also a popular and deeply personal way to remember a pet. Dogs, cats, rabbits and other companions can be painted from one favourite photograph or several references, capturing the expression, markings and personality their family remembers.
How the process works
1. Share your photographs
Tell us who should appear, what matters about them and how you would like the portrait to feel.
3. Approve the direction
Where composition work is required, you review the proposed arrangement before the final artwork begins.
2. Develop the composition
We assess the source images, recommend an artist and agree the arrangement, medium, size and presentation.
4. Create and deliver
Your artist creates the portrait, shares progress as agreed and prepares it for safe delivery.
Choose the right medium
- Oil, rich colour, depth and a traditional physical presence
- Acrylic, versatile, durable and suitable for both detailed and contemporary work
- Watercolour, softer, lighter and especially suited to an understated portrait
- Pencil, charcoal or pastel, intimate detail with a restrained finish
We can also discuss a digitally developed composition before it is recreated as a completely hand painted portrait.
Pricing and timescales
Every memorial portrait is different. Price depends on the number of people, source photograph quality, composition work, medium, artist, size and framing. Smaller drawings and watercolours may begin from a few hundred pounds. Detailed family paintings and complex compositions cost more.
Most hand painted portraits require several weeks. We will confirm a realistic price and schedule before asking you to proceed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you create one portrait from several different photographs?
Yes. The artist can bring several people together in a new composition. Differences in lighting, scale, angle and image quality must be assessed first, and composition development may be needed before painting begins.
Can someone be included who was never photographed with the rest of the family?
Yes, when suitable individual reference photographs are available. We will help arrange the figures naturally and explain any limitations caused by the source material.
Can you work from an old, faded or damaged photograph?
Often, yes. Results depend on how clearly the facial features and important details can be seen. We assess the photographs before recommending an approach.
Will I approve the portrait before it is finished?
The exact approval stages depend on the artist and medium. For a newly assembled family scene, the composition is agreed before the final work begins. Progress reviews and amendment terms are confirmed in the commissioning agreement.
Can you arrange framing?
Yes. Framing should be considered early because it affects the final dimensions, materials, delivery and budget. We can advise on stretched canvas, tray frames, traditional frames, mounts and glazing as appropriate.
Tell us about the person you would like to remember
You do not need a finished brief. Share the photographs you have and tell us what you hope the portrait will capture. We will guide you through the options sensitively and without obligation.
