Instapainting Custom Oil Painting Review 2026: Turning Your Pet’s Photo Into a Work Of Art

My dog is my entire world. I adore anything that has my pup Lorelei’s face on it! When Instapainting came across my radar, the idea of getting a custom-painted portrait of her sweet bug-eyed face was really appealing. Acquiring a custom painting has been challenging in the past, as it involves finding an artist and finding something within your price range. Instapainting acts as the middleman to make your artwork dreams come to fruition as efficiently as possible!

Overview

Our Experience

I have always been a big admirer of traditional art, and as mentioned in the intro, art of my dog is absolutely what I’d like hanging in my home! I wouldn’t even know where to begin with that for myself, so Instapainting was something I was eager to try.

I started by selecting the kind of painting I wanted, and although all mediums produce great work, oil painting is something I wanted to use to capture my pup’s personality. I also really like how smooth and vibrant that medium is, as I planned to provide a very colorful reference image that matches with the decor of my home. Instapainting made the ordering process very simple, providing a few options to choose from.

The options I selected were:

• Size - 16" x 20"
• Number of subjects - 1 Subject
• Artist Location - Global Artists & Studios
• Finishing Option - Rolled
• Methodology - Enhanced Accuracy
• Can we use this as a portfolio piece? - Yes
• Delivery Deadline - Standard Delivery (approx 3 weeks)

Once the order was placed, I received an email from Instapainting stating that several artists would offer their painting styles up for me to choose from. Once the artists had populated the Artist and Studio Responses page, I was able to scroll through them all, view their portfolios, and see if they would charge an additional fee to use or not.

Instapainting automatically highlighted the artist that they felt fit my criteria the best, and that was Peter Lin, whom I ended up selecting! After selecting Peter, the correspondence started. He asked me if I had any requests for him, if I wanted the painting adjusted in size to fit the composition, and more. I found Peter to be very communicative, and the platform was easy to use.

Although I liked this hands-on approach, my only little critique would be that I had no idea that this would be the process. Based on the website, I didn’t catch the fact that you need to wait for artists to apply, and then you have to spend time selecting them. This did make the painting process longer because I had assumed that Instapainting would automatically match me with someone and the painting would have already been started. Had I missed their email, I would have been confused about why no progress was made!

At a midpoint in the process, Peter sent me a photograph of the painting he had done. From here, Instapainting created a fantastic platform to better explain to an artist any changes you may want to be made. I was fortunate to like what Peter did and not request any changes. However, for those who want to make changes, Instapainting allows you to create annotations to make your adjustments very clear to the artist.

When I considered the painting finished, I marked it on the website and told Peter I was ready for it! He responded that the painting would be shipped as soon as it was dry. This process took 7 days for him to ship it. I was definitely not in a rush, but be aware that this can add significant time to your order’s process.

The painting arrived very carefully packaged, with a lot of attention to detail to ensure nothing was damaged in the process. I was beside myself with how much I loved the painting, it was absolutely beautiful! Even more detailed in person, with Peter masterfully capturing my dog’s expression and personality. I quickly framed the canvas and am thoroughly enjoying this gorgeous artwork! I think my pup might be too!

Pros & Cons

Key Features

Variety of Painting Mediums

You can select from the following mediums for your custom painting:

• Oil
• Watercolor
• Colored pencil
• Charcoal
• Pencil
• Digital

Pick Your Own Artist

Instapainting has an extensive network of artists, all of whom submit bids for your painting proposal after placing your order! These artists apply to be on Instapainting, which already shows a deep love and investment for creating custom pieces for the company’s customers. The artists come from around the world, many based in Dafen Village. Dafen is renowned for its community of artists specializing in oil paintings.

Because the artists submit after they’ve seen your reference material, you can feel confident that they are interested in what it is that you want. You will see a list of artists offering their portfolios to you, and then you can select the artist whose style you like the most.

Fully Customizable Painting Requests

Almost every aspect of your painting is fully customizable, from the size to the number of subjects. You can even adjust the methodology used to create your painting (whether you want something exactly like your reference or a bit more creative freedom). You can also leave notes for the artist on what you’d like added or changed, and keep in full communication.

That being said, as this is a painting, there are limitations, and the artist will inform you of them.

About Instapainting

Is the Instapainting Custom Oil Painting a Good Value?

The short answer? Yes, absolutely!

The long answer? Instapainting is a good value in two key ways:

First, if you’ve ever tried to get a custom painting of your pet, you probably know how complex the process can be. You have to find the artist and hope the artist knows how to run a business professionally. Wait times can be very long for these kinds of paintings. Instapainting has a huge network of artists that connect to you and take on full liability, so all of the above is no longer a part of the process. The simplicity is invaluable!

Second, custom artwork can be costly - I am absolutely for artists charging what they see their work valued at, but this can cause art to be unattainable for many. Instapainting keeps prices very affordable and has a payment plan available.

How We Tested

I went on the Instapainting website and went through the process of ordering a custom oil painting of my pup, Lorelei. This involved:

• Picking the medium (I chose oil)
• Selecting a good size (my selection was 16" x 20")
• Uploading reference material for the artist
• Adding any customizations I wanted
• Selecting my artist of choice
• Communicating with the artist and approving each step

I then received the painting in the mail and compared it to the artist's proof I had digitally received!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are custom sizes available?

Yes! If the size you want isn’t on the list of options, you can request a custom size.

Can I have multiple pets painted on the same canvas?

Absolutely! You can pick up to 7 pets to be painted, ranging in price from an additional $21 to $260. The more pets you need painted, the larger the size of the painting you have to select.

Can cell phone quality photographs suffice?

The clearer the image, the better, but cell phone photographs are perfectly fine. These photos are just for the artist's reference material so that they can see what your pet looks like.

What if you do not like your painting?

Instapainting holds the artists to a high standard, and as such, there should be frequent communication and proofing of the painting prior to the finished product being shipped to you. Should there be any trouble in the process, or the painting you receive does not match the quality you had been shown, Instapainting customer support is happy to help. Contact support@instapainting.com and they will investigate the problem and offer solutions!

Conclusion

I have always wanted a custom painting done, and truth be told, I had no idea how to do it. Instapainting made this a reality for me, easing the process and ensuring I got the exact kind of custom artwork of my pup that I wanted! I would absolutely recommend Instapainting to all of my friends who want their pet captured in a beautiful custom piece!