When it comes to displaying your favorite and most cherished photos, you have countless options at your disposal. For instance, you can print the photos and display them in frames scattered around your home and work—oh, and don’t forget about screensavers.
It’s so pervasive that you’re greeted by a cherished image whenever you open your phone or turn on your computer. While these are great ways to keep cherished memories close and on display, did you know there’s another option?
You can create unique hand-painted portraits from your photos, and best of all, you don’t need to be a skilled artist. You can send your photo to a service and have a professional artist recreate your photo as a painting. Surprisingly, there are also some unexpected benefits to turning photos into exceptional works of art you may not have readily considered.
Unexpected Benefits of Turning Your Photos into Stunning Paintings
Creates a Family Heirloom
Photos wrinkle, curl, and otherwise age with time. Colors fade, even when the photo is kept in a protective frame. Albums also fall apart, and no one wants to take the time to redo another one.
After a while, the photos can end up in the trash. Paintings are different. Paintings can last for generations, especially oil-based ones. Think of the artwork on display in museums. Some paintings, like Rembrandt’s famed Night Watch, date back hundreds of years.
When you turn your photos into paintings, you’re creating a family heirloom that can be passed down for generations.
Bring a Masterpiece Home
Turning a cherished photo into a painting lets you tell everyone you have a masterpiece hanging on your walls. Yes, this is bragging a little, but there’s nothing wrong with sharing your love of art.
Not only are you handing a masterpiece on your wall, but you may also be improving on the original photo. Even the best photographer doesn’t always capture the perfect shot.
Is there a family picture you love, except for the one person with their eyes closed? Maybe there’s a random stranger in the background. Well thankfully, turning a photo into a painting also allows you to make a few small changes. Suddenly, everyone’s eyes are open, and the background is completely perfect.
You can even change the scenery to match a famous work of art. So instead of having boring normal houses in the background, you can switch it to a more pastoral scene like Monet’s Waterlilies. Feeling more creative? What about replacing the Mona Lisa with your face, for example? By turning your pictures into paintings, your possibilities are almost endless.
Bring Home Something Unique
Everyone, it seems, has framed photos around their home. Why not do something a little different? Instead of glossy- and matte-finish photos, why not go with a watercolor or oil painting?
This is a great way to do something a little different and ensure your cherished photos stand out. Visitors to your home will instantly notice your painting, making it a great conversation starter.
Update Your Décor
Home interior design trends come and go. What’s in one year is out by the next. One design trend that stands the test of time is photographs. Since photography first became commercially available, pictures have graced the walls and table surfaces of most homes.
While displaying your favorite photos is still ‘a thing’, you can take it a step further with professional paintings. Your photos-turned-paintings are considered modern art, and this is a design trend that never goes out of style. Your painting can give your house a more modern feel without taking away from its homey feel.
Highlight Your Appreciation of the Arts
You probably can’t afford a painting by one of the great masters, even at an auction. However, you can still show off your appreciation for great art with a painting of your favorite photograph.
Regardless of whether you choose a watercolor or oil-based medium, your painting will ensure everyone notices your love of art. After all, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and you’re giving a nod to all of the great artists in the world with your painting.
How to Turn a Photograph Into a Painting
As it turns out, you don’t need any artistic skill to turn a photo into a painting. There are actually a few ways you can accomplish this, and some options produce better results than others.
Use an App
A quick, easy, and inexpensive way for you to turn photographs into paintings is to use an app designed to do just that. There are several to choose from, and all of the apps work basically the same.
After downloading the app, simply follow the prompts: you upload your selected photo to the app, select and adjust the filters, and print the finished product. You can choose between watercolor or oil mediums, adjust brushstrokes, and tweak the lighting to produce a painting you’ll be proud to show off.
However, there is a downside to these apps—while the finished product looks like a painting on the device’s screen, it’s a little different after printing. The printed painting looks just like the name implies: a print of a painting. You may also need to find a specialty printer, which can further increase your costs.
Hire a Professional Painting Service
While apps are inexpensive and occasionally even free, there’s still a better method available to get the results you’re looking for. If you want an actual painting of your cherished photos, you need the services of a professional painter.
Finding a professional painter is easier than you may think. Chances are, there’s one close to your location. You can also perform a quick online search and select one from the results.
Using a professional painter is more expensive than relying on the tools in an app, and you’ll also need to wait a few weeks before receiving your painting. With an app, you can often get the results in a single day. However, you’ll get a professional painting that can pass as a masterpiece that you’ll be proud to hang in your home.
Turn Your Memories into Cherished Works of Art
You don’t need to stop displaying your favorite photos, but some mean more to you than others. Why not turn these photos into cherished works of art that will last for generations?
With a professional painting service, you’ll get a masterpiece you’ll be proud to pass down to the next generation.
