How your portrait is made

By Tayson O'Hara, Stillbrook Portraits. Updated October 1, 2026.

1. You choose the photo

Everything starts with your photo. You pick the one that looks most like them, and you choose a style: Watercolor, Royal or Floral.

Before anything else, our system checks that the photo can work: that it's large enough to print, that their face is visible, and that it isn't too blurry. If it can't do them justice, we tell you straight away, so you can try another.

2. AI tools make the illustration

Your portrait is a digital illustration made from your photo with AI tools. We use Google's Gemini image models, with instructions we've written and tested to keep what matters: the shape of the face, the eyes, the ears, the markings and the coat color.

We say "AI" plainly because it's true, and because you deserve to know what you're buying. It is not a painting made with a brush, and we won't pretend otherwise.

Wondering how that compares with a painted portrait? We wrote an honest comparison of AI and hand-painted pet portraits.

What the AI tools are good at: turning an ordinary photo into a warm, finished illustration in a consistent style, quickly, at a fair price.

What they sometimes get wrong: an ear shape, a marking, a patch of color. That's why the next two steps exist.

3. You see it before you pay

You see your portrait before you spend anything. If it doesn't look like them, try again, switch styles, or leave us a note. You only order the version you love.

The order button approves your preview. Right above it, in plain words:

"By ordering, you approve this preview for printing. It's made with AI and covered by our remake-or-refund guarantee."

(If your portrait has a name or dates on it, the line also covers their spelling.) Made just for you, it can't be returned for a change of mind, but you can cancel for a full refund before it goes to print, and our guarantee still applies: a free remake within 30 days if it doesn't feel like them, and a full refund if the remake still isn't right.

Nothing prints until you approve.

4. A person checks it

After you order, a person on our team looks at your portrait side by side with your photo and your approved preview before anything is printed. We check:

• the whole head and both ears are in the frame;
• the eyes, markings and coat color match your photo;
• dark coats sit on a light enough background to see clearly;
• any name or dates are spelled exactly as you typed them;
• nothing important falls on the edge of the canvas.

If something's off, we fix it or write to you. If you left a note asking for a change, we email you a proof to approve first.

We also make a larger, print-ready version of the portrait you approved at this step, so it's sharp at the size you chose.

5. It's printed to order

Our print partner, Printful, prints your portrait at one of its North American facilities (in the US or Mexico), on 1.25 in gallery-wrapped poly-cotton canvas over solid pine bars, on 189 g/m² Epson matte paper in a black wood frame with an acrylic front, or on thick 189 g/m² matte paper as an unframed paper print. Canvases and framed prints are packed in a cardboard box with tissue paper and bubble wrap or foam, and shipped to you ready to hang. Paper prints ship rolled in a sturdy triangular box. Most canvas and framed orders arrive 6 to 10 business days after ordering, and paper prints in about 10.

The best way to judge it is to see it.

Upload a photo. Your preview is free.