Best Size For A Portrait Painting & Drawing

Choosing the right size for your portrait is a really important part of the commissioning process, and it’s something I’m always happy to guide you through. Every portrait is different, and the perfect size depends on what you want from the piece, how much detail you’d like, and of course, the quality of your photos. My aim is always the same: to create a portrait that looks natural, detailed, and absolutely right for your space.

The Sizes I Offer

For my pencil and coloured pencil portraits, I work in four main sizes:

A4 – A lovely compact size, perfect for single head‑and‑neck portraits in Graphite or colour, if you’re not wanting it too detailed.
10×13 – A step up from A4 with more room for detail. Great for 1 subjects.
A3 – My most popular and versatile size, ideal for 1–3 subjects.
A2 – A bold, impactful size perfect for detailed larger pieces or multi‑subject portraits.

If you’d like to explore examples of these sizes, feel free to browse my
👉 Portrait Portfolio.

I also offer custom sizes, which is especially useful if I’m framing your portrait, as I can order bespoke frames to fit perfectly.
More information on framing can be found here:
👉 Professional Framing Service.

How Photo Quality Affects Size

One of the biggest factors in choosing the right size is the quality of your reference photos.

Sharp, close‑up images allow for larger portraits with more detail. Older or low‑quality photos may limit how big we can realistically go. If you’d like help choosing the right images, I’ve put together a full guide with examples:
👉 How to Choose the Best Photos for a Portrait.

Or, you can simply send me your photos and I’ll advise you personally.
You can do that easily through my
👉 Contact Page.

There Is Such a Thing as Going Too Big

A lot of people assume bigger always means better detail, but that isn’t always true. If the reference photo doesn’t contain enough fine detail, going too large can actually work against the portrait. Features may start to appear softer simply because the source image doesn’t provide enough information to scale up.

And Yes — Portraits Can Be Too Small

On the flip side, small portraits naturally limit the level of detail I can include. Fine facial features, hair, fur, and eye texture all need space. If you’re looking for something detailed and expressive, going very small isn’t always the best choice.

If you’re unsure which size suits your idea, you can check my
👉 Price List & Size Guide
for a quick overview of each size’s strengths. There are also examples above.

For One Highly Detailed Subject — My Personal Recommendations

If you’re commissioning one subject and want a truly detailed portrait, here’s what I recommend:

Head & Shoulders:

A3 is the perfect size. It gives me the ideal balance of space and detail.

Full Body:

A2 works best. It allows for proper proportions, shading and all the finer elements that make a full‑body portrait realistic.

This applies to both pets and people, regardless of subject.

For Multi‑Pet or Multi‑Subject Portraits

If your portrait includes multiple subjects, I usually recommend A3 or larger. This gives each subject room to breathe and ensures the composition doesn’t feel cramped.

You can see multi‑subject examples here:
👉 Pet Compilation Portraits.

Canvas Portrait Sizes (Acrylic Paintings)

For acrylic paintings on canvas, I offer:

18×14” – 1 subject, head & shoulders
20×16” – 1 subject, full body or head & shoulders
24×20” – 1–2 subjects
30×24” – 1–4 subjects

More details can be found on my
👉 Painted Portraits Page.

A Final Word

Choosing a portrait size shouldn’t feel overwhelming — I’m always here to guide you. Whether you’re after something small and personal or a large, detailed statement piece, the key is matching the size to the detail level you want and the photos you have.

If you’d like me to check your images or talk through your idea, feel free to get in touch:
👉 Contact Me.

And if you’re ready to begin, you can start the process here:
👉 How to Order a Portrait.