Can I commission a portrait from a photo?
Yes — most portrait commissions are painted from photographs. Attach your photos and references to the request, and the artist will agree the composition sketch with you before painting begins.
Commission a portrait or an oil painting
Order an original oil painting in the old masters technique — a portrait, a landscape or a copy of a famous painting, created for you by graduates of the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg.
Process
How a portrait commission works
- Step 01
Artists of the Repin Academy
Your commission — a portrait painting or a work in another genre — is carried out by professional artists: graduates of the Repin Academy of Fine Arts (the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture) in Saint Petersburg, the same artists represented in this catalogue.
Name a preferred artist in your brief, or let us suggest one.
- Step 02
Oil on canvas, old masters technique
Commissioned portraits and paintings are original works in oil on canvas, painted in the classical old masters technique of the academic school. Watercolour, tempera, acrylic, drawings and museum copies of famous paintings are possible by agreement.
Oil on canvas by default; other techniques on request.
- Step 03
Sketch first, progress in photographs
The composition sketch is agreed with you before painting begins. As the work progresses you receive photographs of the key stages — the painting takes shape in front of you, not behind closed doors.
You approve the sketch and see every major stage.
- Step 04
Pricing and delivery
The price is set by the size, complexity and artist of your commission. A 30% deposit starts the work; the balance is due once you approve the final stage. The finished painting is packed and shipped after full payment — wherever you are.
Secure, tracked, worldwide.
Payment & guarantee
Secure payment via PayPal
All payments are processed through PayPal, ensuring full buyer protection and transaction security.
You only proceed with payment once all details are clearly agreed.
Selected examples
Completed commissions
Recent portrait commissions, copies of old masters and bespoke oil paintings completed for clients of the foundation.
Questions
Commissioning a painting: questions & answers
How much does a commissioned oil painting cost?
Each commission is priced individually: the size, the complexity and the artist determine the cost. A 30% deposit starts the work, and the balance is due after you approve the final stage — there is nothing to pay until the details are agreed.
Who will paint my commission?
Professional artists — graduates of the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg, the painters represented in the AcademArt catalogue. You can browse their works first and name a preferred artist in your brief.
Do you paint in the old masters technique?
Yes. Classical multi-layer oil painting on canvas is the core technique of the academic school our artists trained in. Museum copies of famous paintings are commissioned the same way.
What can be commissioned besides a portrait?
Landscapes, still lifes, family and ceremonial portraits, religious and historical subjects, and copies of famous paintings — in oil on canvas by default, or watercolour, pastel and other techniques by agreement.
How is the finished painting delivered?
After the final payment the work is carefully packed — larger canvases rolled in a tube, smaller works boxed — and shipped worldwide with tracking.
Start a commission
Reach the foundation directly to discuss availability, pricing, and timelines. You can also browse the gallery first.
Portrait commissions, landscapes, still lifes and copies of famous paintings — in oil on canvas or a technique of your choice, priced to your brief.