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Turn Your Photo into a Painting: AI Oil Painting and Watercolor

Upload a photo of people, a pet, or a place. Pick oil or watercolor, and get a painting of the same picture.

The same two women as an oil painting with visible brushstrokes
Older woman and young woman sitting together on a porch
BeforeAfter
Example · drag to compareUpload to try it on your photo

Photo to painting examples

Oil and watercolor on two portraits and a cat. Every after side is a real result. Drag the slider and read what changed.

Try this photo
The same two women as an oil painting with visible brushstrokes
Older woman and young woman sitting together on a porch
BeforeAfter
Real result

Mother and daughter, oil

Both faces and smiles stayed close to the photo. The porch and the flowers became thick, visible brushstrokes.

The same woman as a watercolor painting on white paper
Woman in a pink dress against a pink wall
BeforeAfter
Real result

Portrait, watercolor

The pose and face stayed the same. The plain pink wall became a loose pink wash with white paper around the edges.

The same cat as an oil painting with a brushy green background
Black-and-white cat resting its paws on a wooden ledge
BeforeAfter
Real result

Cat, oil

The black ears and the green wall stayed. The white of the face came out a little creamier than the photo.

The same cat as a watercolor painting
Black-and-white cat resting its paws on a wooden ledge
BeforeAfter
Real result

Cat, watercolor

The black face markings and green eyes stayed. The background became soft green washes.

The same woman as an oil painting with a brushstroke background
Woman in a pink dress against a pink wall
BeforeAfter
Real result

Portrait, oil

The same pose, hand, and face. The flat pink wall became short, layered brushstrokes.

How to turn a photo into a painting

  1. Step 1

    Pick a style

    Oil painting gives visible brushstrokes and rich color. Watercolor gives soft washes on textured paper.

  2. Step 2

    Upload one photo

    A JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 15 MB. The run starts as soon as the photo is uploaded and uses your daily free credits when you still have them.

  3. Step 3

    Compare and download

    Drag the slider, check faces and pet markings, then download. Each run is a little different, so run it again if something looks off.

What the photo to painting tool does

It repaints your whole picture in the style you pick. The people, the pet, the pose, and the framing stay the same; the surface becomes brushstrokes or watercolor washes.

There is no prompt to write and no style to describe. Pick oil or watercolor and upload.

The result is a 2K image (2048 px on the long side), large enough for a small print. For a bigger canvas print, run it through the Image Upscaler afterward.

For a black-and-white version, try Photo to Sketch. For an old, damaged print, repair it on Photo Restoration first.

Photos that work well

Portraits, couples, family photos, pets, and travel shots with a clear subject. Each card below is a real result and says what changed.

A painting of the photo you already have

One upload, one style, one painting. The subject stays; the surface changes.

  1. 01

    Oil painting

    Visible brushstrokes, rich color, and a painted background. It reads as a canvas, not a photo filter.

  2. 02

    Watercolor

    Soft washes, gentle color bleeds, and white paper showing through at the edges.

  3. 03

    People and pets stay recognizable

    The prompt asks the model to keep faces, hair, age, and fur markings. Check every face and pet before you print.

  4. 04

    Free 2K export

    A free run exports a JPG up to 2048 px on the long side, with no watermark. A Pro subscription uses the same model at the same credit cost.

Photo to painting examples

Every after side is a real run, not a retouched picture. Each card says what changed.

The same two women as an oil painting with visible brushstrokes
Older woman and young woman sitting together on a porch
BeforeAfter

Mother and daughter, oil

Both faces and smiles stayed close to the photo. The porch and the flowers became thick, visible brushstrokes.

The same woman as a watercolor painting on white paper
Woman in a pink dress against a pink wall
BeforeAfter

Portrait, watercolor

The pose and face stayed the same. The plain pink wall became a loose pink wash with white paper around the edges.

The same cat as an oil painting with a brushy green background
Black-and-white cat resting its paws on a wooden ledge
BeforeAfter

Cat, oil

The black ears and the green wall stayed. The white of the face came out a little creamier than the photo.

The same cat as a watercolor painting
Black-and-white cat resting its paws on a wooden ledge
BeforeAfter

Cat, watercolor

The black face markings and green eyes stayed. The background became soft green washes.

The same woman as an oil painting with a brushstroke background
Woman in a pink dress against a pink wall
BeforeAfter

Portrait, oil

The same pose, hand, and face. The flat pink wall became short, layered brushstrokes.

How to get a better painting

These are tips for the photo you upload. They are not a promise about the result.

01

Start with a sharp photo

A blurry face becomes a blurry painted face. Fix soft photos with the AI Photo Enhancer first.

02

Crop to the subject

A tighter crop gives faces and fur more pixels, so more detail survives the repaint.

03

Pick the style for the room

Oil reads well large and on canvas. Watercolor suits light, airy prints and cards.

04

Run it again

Each run is different. If one face or marking is off, run the same photo again before you change anything.

What it does not do

  • It is a digital painting made by an image model, not a hand-painted canvas. Nothing is shipped.
  • Faces are repainted, not copied. In our tests they stayed recognizable, but small faces and fine details can shift. Compare before you print or gift it.
  • Pet markings can change. In an early watercolor test, a cat's black face patches turned cream; the current prompt keeps them, but check your own pet.
  • It does not add a signature, a frame, or text.
  • Uploads and results are deleted after 24 hours. The photo is sent to the model provider so the edit can run.

Need further adjustments?

If you're happy with the result, it's ready to save. If you also want to upscale, extend the edges, or refine other details, you can continue with:

  • BeforeAfter

    Image Upscaler

    Enlarge the painting for a canvas print.

    Try with this photo
  • BeforeAfter

    Photo to Sketch

    Try a pencil version of the same photo.

    Try with this photo

Photo to painting FAQ

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