Custom Oil Painting vs Canvas Print: Which Is Right for You?

You've got a photo you love: a family portrait, a favourite holiday view, your dog on the beach. Now you want to see it on your wall. Two options usually come up: a canvas print or a custom hand-painted oil painting.

From a distance they can look similar, but they're very different products. Here's an honest comparison to help you decide.

What's the difference?

A canvas print is your photo printed by machine onto canvas fabric with ink. It's a reproduction of the photo, just on a different surface.

A custom oil painting is created by an artist, brushstroke by brushstroke, using oil paint on canvas. Your photo is the reference, but the result is an original artwork, and no one else in the world has the same one.

Side-by-side comparison

Canvas print Custom oil painting
How it's made Printed by machine Hand-painted by an artist
Texture Flat surface Real brushstrokes and layers of paint
Uniqueness Can be reprinted endlessly One-of-a-kind original
Flexibility Shows the photo exactly as it is Artist can remove, add or combine elements
Turnaround Usually a few days Usually a few weeks
Price Lower Higher, reflecting hours of skilled work
Feel Decorative Heirloom piece

Texture and depth: the biggest difference

Walk up close to a canvas print and you'll see a flat image, sometimes even the print's dot pattern. Walk up to an oil painting and you'll see brushstrokes, layers of colour, and the way light catches the raised paint. That texture is what makes an oil painting feel alive, and it changes subtly throughout the day as the light in your room shifts.

An artist can improve on the photo

This is the advantage most people don't think about. A print can only show exactly what's in your photo, including the bin in the background, the stranger walking past, or the closed eyes.

With a custom painting, the artist can:

  • Remove distractions such as cars, people or clutter
  • Combine people or pets from separate photos into one scene
  • Add back details from another photo, for example how a place was decorated on a special day
  • Adjust colours, lighting or the background to suit your room

That's why custom oil paintings are so popular for occasions like weddings, engagements and memorials, where the moment matters more than the exact snapshot.

When a canvas print makes sense

To be fair, a canvas print is a good choice if:

  • You need it within a few days
  • You want an exact, photographic reproduction
  • You're decorating on a tight budget or filling a lot of wall space quickly

When a custom oil painting is worth it

Choose a hand-painted oil painting if:

  • It's a meaningful gift, such as a wedding, anniversary, milestone birthday or memorial
  • You want something that will be treasured, and maybe passed down
  • Your photo needs a little "help": a messy background, multiple photos to combine, or a moment you want recreated
  • You want texture and character that a print can't give

How long does a custom oil painting take?

Because every piece is painted by hand, allow a few weeks. As a guide, a detailed portrait usually takes about two weeks to paint, plus a few days for the oil paint to dry, plus delivery time. Landscapes and places can often be completed sooner. If you have a date in mind, such as a wedding or birthday, let us know when you order and we'll plan around it.

Create your own custom oil painting

At EKM Art Studio, every custom painting is hand-painted in oil on canvas by our own artists. We send you a photo of the finished painting for approval before it ships, and revisions are free. Paintings arrive unframed and rolled in a tube, ready for framing.

Have a photo but not sure if it will work? Send it to us through our contact page and we'll let you know. Or browse all our custom paintings.

New to EKM Art Studio? Sign up on our website to get 15% off your first order.

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