The most common first-time mistakes are sending a weak reference photo, under-sizing the portrait for the number of faces, leaving the order too late, and paying in full before seeing anything. Almost all of them are fixed in the five minutes before you order — not after the drawing arrives.
Commissioning artwork is an unfamiliar purchase. People apply the logic of buying a product to something that is actually being made for them, and that is where it goes wrong.
Mistake 1: Choosing the Wrong Photo
Blurry images, low-light selfies, screenshots taken from social media, heavy beauty filters. The artist can only draw what the photograph shows, so soft eyes in the reference become soft eyes on paper.
The fix: send the original file rather than a forwarded copy, choose soft natural light, and check the eyes are sharp before you send. If your only photo is poor, ask the artist before ordering rather than hoping.
Mistake 2: Under-Sizing the Portrait
The most expensive small mistake. A couple portrait ordered at A4 leaves each face about the size of a matchbox, and the fine detail you are paying for disappears.
The fix: let the headcount decide the size, not the budget. One face suits A4, two suit A3, three to five need A2. Decide who is in the portrait first, then size to fit them properly.
Mistake 3: Ignoring the Artist’s Style
Every artist has a hand. Some work tight and photographic, others looser and more expressive. Commissioning a loose artist and expecting photorealism ends badly for everyone.
The fix: look at five or six finished pieces, not one. If they all look recognisably like one person made them, that is the style you will receive. If the portfolio varies wildly, ask why.
Mistake 4: Expecting Instant Delivery
A detailed handmade portrait takes 5–7 working days to draw, plus 2–4 days in transit. Anyone promising a finished portrait in 24 hours is printing, filtering, or cutting corners.
The fix: order two to three weeks before the date, and three to four weeks for festival periods like Raksha Bandhan and Karva Chauth when artists’ slots fill early.
Mistake 5: Not Discussing Custom Requirements Upfront
Adding a date, combining two photographs, changing a background, removing an ex-partner from a group shot. All of this is normal and most artists will do it — but only if they know before they start.
The fix: write the full scope into your first message. Size, style, number of faces, background, any text. Changes requested mid-drawing cost time; changes requested after it is finished may not be possible at all.
Mistake 6: Choosing on Price Alone
Below roughly ₹300 for a handmade portrait, the materials and hours do not add up. Something else is happening — usually a filter or a print.
The fix: compare what you are actually getting. A 20-minute street likeness and a 10-hour archival portrait are both called sketches and share almost nothing. Ask how long the drawing will take.
Mistake 7: Not Checking Reviews and Trust Signals
First-time buyers often check nothing beyond the website, then pay in full to an account they cannot trace.
The fix: look for reviews that live outside the artist’s own site — Google Business, Instagram comments, tagged customer photos. Ask for work-in-progress photos. Pay a partial advance and settle the balance after seeing a preview.
Mistake 8: Forgetting Framing and Shipping
The quoted sketch price is rarely the final price. Framing and delivery are usually charged separately, and a ₹900 portrait can land closer to ₹1,400 once it arrives framed at your door.
The fix: ask for the all-in figure before ordering. Also decide framed or unframed early — framed presents better on the day, unframed ships far more safely, especially internationally.
Mistake 9: Not Telling the Artist the Occasion
The mistake nobody warns about. Buyers send a photo and a size and nothing else, when the single most useful piece of information is why the portrait exists.
The fix: say what it is for. A memorial portrait, a 25th anniversary, a farewell for a colleague retiring after thirty years — each one changes how an artist approaches the drawing, what to emphasise, and what to leave out. It costs you one sentence.
The Five-Minute Pre-Order Check
- Zoom into your photo at full size — are the eyes genuinely sharp?
- Count the faces, then choose the size to match.
- Check the artist’s portfolio looks like one consistent hand.
- Write out the full scope: size, style, faces, background, any text.
- Say what the occasion is and when you need it in hand.
- Confirm the all-in price including framing and shipping.
- Pay a partial advance, not the full amount.
Seven questions, five minutes, and nearly every problem on this page disappears.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common mistake when ordering a portrait?
Sending a poor reference photo. The drawing can only be as good as the image it is drawn from, and out-of-focus eyes cannot be recovered.
How far in advance should I order a portrait sketch?
Two to three weeks for most occasions, three to four weeks for festival periods when artists are busiest.
Should I pay the full amount upfront?
No. A partial advance of roughly a third to a half is customary, with the balance paid after you see a preview.
Can I ask for changes once the portrait is finished?
Some, if a revision policy was agreed beforehand. Structural changes — size, composition, who is included — usually cannot be made after the drawing is complete.
What should I tell the artist when I place the order?
The occasion, the deadline, the number of faces, the size and style you want, and anything you want added or left out.
Order Without the Guesswork
Most first-time worries come down to not knowing what to ask. Anil Raikwar Arts confirms scope, size and timeline in writing before starting, shares work-in-progress photos on request, and sends a preview before the balance is due — 7+ years of experience, 500+ commissions, shipping across India and worldwide. Send your photo on WhatsApp or email anilraikwararts@gmail.com and say what the occasion is.
