Desk size
Small Hand-Painted Portraits, About 15 × 15 cm
Small enough to stand on a desk, a shelf or a bedside table. Painted by hand from your photo by the same painters as the large pieces, with the same proof before it ships.
Most portrait studios only quote wall sizes. A desk-size piece is a different thing to own: it sits where you actually are, it travels, and a row of them reads as a set rather than as one statement.
What the format suits
A head, not a scene
At this size the head should fill most of the painting. A head-and-shoulders photo works; a full-body shot across a garden does not, because the face would come out about a centimetre wide.
A set of three or five
The most common order. Same size, same frame, hung in a row or stood along a shelf — children, grandchildren, a pair of dogs, four generations. Quoted together.
A pet on a bedside table
For a pet that has gone, a small piece beside you is often what people want rather than a large one on the wall. It is also the easiest subject to get right from a phone photo.
At this size
Small does not mean loose
A small canvas is less forgiving, not more. There is no room for a passage of brushwork to carry the picture, so the drawing has to be right and the eyes have to be right — the two things that decide whether a portrait looks like the person.
The crop beside this is from a full-size painting, reproduced at roughly the scale a desk-size piece is painted at. That is the level of handling a small portrait is built from.
How an order runs
- 01
Send the photo
A close one, eyes in focus. We say honestly whether it will carry at this size.
- 02
Agree size and frame
About 15 × 15 cm is the usual; we confirm the exact size and the frame with you.
- 03
Approve the proof
A photograph of the finished painting, before anything ships.
- 04
It ships
Boxed, to you or straight to your recipient — worldwide.
Prices are not published. Trade buyers receive the full list on request; private customers get a quote with the reply.
Desk-size portraits: questions
How small is a desk-size portrait?
About 15 × 15 cm of painted surface — a postcard with a frame around it. It stands on a shelf, a desk or a windowsill rather than hanging on a wall. Larger and smaller are both possible; tell us where it will sit and we will suggest a size.
Is it painted by hand like the bigger pieces?
Yes — same painters, same materials, same proof step. A small canvas is not a quicker job per square centimetre; the face has to carry at a size where there is no room to hide, which is why we usually suggest a head-and-shoulders crop rather than a full figure.
What photo works best at this size?
A close one. At 15 cm the head should fill most of the painting, so a head-and-shoulders photo works and a full-body shot in a garden does not — the face would end up a centimetre across. Eyes in focus matters more here than anywhere else.
Can I order several as a set?
Yes, and it is the most common way they are ordered — a row of three or five on one wall or one shelf, each the same size and frame. Tell us how many and we quote them together.
Who orders them?
Private customers as gifts, and trade buyers as a lower price point beside the larger portraits: gift shops, galleries and online sellers who want something that sells without a wall to hang it on.
Do you paint pets at this size?
Often. A pet at desk size sits on a desk or a bedside table, which is where people want a pet they have lost rather than on a wall.
Ask about a desk-size portrait
Send the photo and say where it will sit. We reply with a quote and tell you honestly whether the photo will carry at this size.
Thank you — we have your inquiry.
We reply within 24 hours on business days. Want an answer sooner? Message us on WhatsApp and mention your name.
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