Help - Frequently Asked Questions(Q) and Answers(A)

Q: What's about your oil painting reproductions? Are they really hand painted ?
Q: Can you do paintings from photographs, or paintings that are not on your site ?
Q: How much will the painting cost ?
Q: I want to order more than one painting. Do you offer discounts ?
Q: How do I place an order ?
Q: What are my payment options ? Is it safe to use my credit card ?
Q: What is the delivery period ?
Q: Do I have to pay for transport ?
Q: Do I have to pay international import duties and taxes ?
Q: Are your oil paintings stretched and framed ?
Q: I would like to order a custom size. Do you do this ?
Q: How will my artwork be packed for shipment ?
Q: What if my painting damaged when it arrives ? Or if it goes missing before it reaches me ?
Q: What happens if I don't like the photos you send of the painting ?
Q: Do you offer any guarantees or warranties?
Q: What your customers are saying ?

Q: What's about your oil painting reproductions? Are they really hand painted ?

A: We do NOT sell posters, photographs, giclee prints, canvas transfers, art prints or prints that have been glazed. We only sell paintings 100% handmade in the traditional way by real artists and are done in oil on linen/cotton canvas.

PaintingsPal treats each order with the same care and attention, no matter how big or small an order, or what promises for future orders.  We are not prepared to compromise on the quality by offering cheap paintings. We do NOT offer oil paintings at different quality levels. Each oil painting reproduction is painted to the highest quality standard that our artists are able to do.  We are so confident and proud to display a larger number of samples than other sites- over 400 sample pictures of our actual oil painting reproductions. You can browse below pages to see how PaintingsPal artists reproduce masterpieces or process custom orders, and judge our quality for yourself.

Reproduction Examples
How We Paint
Oil paintings in stock
Oil Portraits and Paintings from Photos
Art solutions to corporations, interior designers, academic institutions, hotels and retail outlets

Please do NOT let anyone talk you into expecting 100% similarity between the reproduction and original artwork. It isn't humanly possible. Slight detail loss and minimal color variance is a possibility when recreating paintings especially modern styles like abstract, impressionism or contemporary artworks, however every feasible step is taken to insure the integrity and accuracy of the final image to its original.

You have the option to tell us how you would like your commissioned masterpiece to be tailor-made for you. We can try to create a faithful replica of the painting of your choice, or we can create a customized reproduction with color or size modifications. If you have another image or color version of the painting that you would like the artist to work from, please let us know in advance (NOT at the final stage) and email us your picture as an attachment.

Pictures of the same artwork always look different in the public domain or from one site to another. Frequently the color of pictures distributed by the actual owner of a painting such as a museum are intentionally inaccurate because they may don't want the artwork reproduced accurately.

Below is an example of how PaintingsPal artists reproduced Vermeer's "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" in different color versions:

Original pictures available in the public domain with different color versions	Reproductions by PaintingsPal artists with different color processing Click image to enlarge.

Click Here to view another example of Van Gogh's Almond Blossom, 1890 (Blossoming Almond tree) in different color versions or tones reproduced by PaintingsPal artists..

- There are a number of websites speak badly of China art reproductions on their sites. They profess that only their paintings are handmade and reproduced by European professional artists with finest materials - UK made Winsor & Newton paints, Belgium linen. However, the fact that some of them have been reselling handmade reproductions from China or Southeast Asia.

PaintingsPal artists use high quality painting materials all made in China including Winsor & Newton paints made under British license.

- A few websites selling reproductions display pictures of original art work with wording like:

"This masterpiece is hand-painted by a real artist";
"This is a photo of actual oil painting";
"These are not posters, They are 100% completely hand painted works of art on canvas".

Do NOT be misled by the wording to think that is a REAL REPRODUCTION.

- Every supplier, whether good or bad, classify their oil painting reproductions as "Museum Quality". Most of the oil painting reproductions advertised on the internet do not even remotely conform to these standards. Sadly we must conclude that the term "museum quality" is very misleading and certainly not a hallmark of the quality of handmade art reproduction. You should ask to see prior pieces of artwork reproduced by the supplier. By viewing these samples, you will be able to make a more informed decision if this company is going to provide you a reproduction that you will be happy with.

For quality comparison and art commission, try to get a highest possible quality picture of the original artwork yourself in the public domain, do NOT just rely on sellers sites. Go to our Art Resources page or browse Google Images for quality images or a color version you prefer. For example, you may get more pictures of Van Gogh's Starry Night here:

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Q: Can you do paintings from photographs, or paintings that are not on your site ?

A: Yes. We paint from customer's photograph or digital image, the subjects include but not limited to: family portrait, wedding portrait, children portrait, pet portrait, automobiles, still life, house, landscape and so on.

Any photo can be reproduced in oil, but only the best photos will translate into quality portraits when painted. If you are undecided as to which photo would make the best oil portrait, then send more than one in and let us help you decide. There is NO cost or obligation to send us photos to look at.

We offer up to 10% off pets & animals and house/landscape paintings from photos. Please see our Oil Portraits and Paintings from Photos for details and some examples of just how good these paintings can be.

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Q: How much will the painting cost ?

A: Below chart is a price indication of our average prices (close to the prices of impressionism flowers or landscape paintings without figures)

Size (inch)	12 x 16	16 x 20	20 x 24	24 x 36	30 x 40	36 x 48	Click here for Oil Portrait Prices
Size (cm)	20 x 25	41 x 51	51 x 61	61 x 91	76 x 102	91 x 122
Painting Price	USD59	USD66	USD98	USD148	USD159	USD258
*Gallery wrapped canvas (single colour)	USD4	USD7	USD10	USD14	USD18	USD24
*Gallery wrapped canvas ( Extrapolated to borders )	Add USD9-USD43 depending on sizes and complexity within reason

• Ex Works(PaintingsPal Studio) / unstretched / unframed / 100% hand painted in oil on linen canvas.
• *Gallery wrapped canvases have a 2 " profile and are painted out to the edges on all four sides (single colour or extrapolated). It is intended to be hung unframed. You may also frame them through your own framing source, should you wish to do so.
• The sizes in the chart are for pricing purpose only. We can reproduce oil paintings in any size format you may prefer (within reason ).

To work out equivalent amount in your currency please use current exchange rate at   https://www.xe.com . The rate is for reference.

Each commissioned work is individually priced, considering the complexity and size of the original artwork, commensurate with the price indication of other similar artworks on PaintingsPal website. Please refer to Reproduction Examples, Oil paintings in stock and Oil Portraits and Paintings from Photos.

As you browse other sites that offer oil painting reproductions, don't be fooled into thinking that because their prices are two to five times ours that their quality is better. Suppliers may quote a higher or lower prices but that does not mean they can provide the same or better quality and services, and you'll have to judge for yourself.

NO bargaining please. For price and quality comparisons, search the web

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Q: I want to order more than one painting. Do you offer discounts ?

A: Yes, we offer discounts starting three pieces per order. Buy more save more.

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Q: How do I place an order ?

A: Most customers have questions that need direct response and we feel that we provide a more customized and personal service by answering your questions and taking your order via email or phone.

Email: service@paintingspal.com or paintingspal@163.com
Phone: +86-15302680961 (you can talk to David in English or Chinese. Email support is preferred when place order).

If you find a painting that you like Email Us the picture (or its URL in the public domain), painting name, artist name and size you prefer, for which there is no restriction - within reason! Or simply tell us what what you are looking for. Also let us know your postal code and country for a quote on actual shipping cost (on this page). We will give you a price quote (usually within 24hrs) with a full breakdown of your purchase. If you have another image or color version of the painting that you would like the artist to work from, please email us the picture as an attachment (prefer NOT to include it in the email text body).

Advise your preferred format, styles, technique and size, for which there is no restriction - within reason! Or simply tell us what what you are looking for. We will advise what we can do. We can then also give guidance regarding lighting, exposure, cropping, background, colors etc., though the final choice would be yours.

Please be assured that as a professional studio, we would not take on a commission for which our artists would not be fully confident of producing an excellent, high quality artwork for a completely satisfied customer. So please don't be offended should PaintingsPal not be able to accept your request.

Please note that all the prices are valid for 30 days from the date of the quote via our email and are subject to change without notice. You may have to inquire again about delivery time if you have not confirmed your order in 7 days.

We provide stock oil paintings for sale, please check out Oil Paintings in Stock Section.

For oil portraits and paintings from photographs or digital images, please visit Oil Portrait Section.

You are able to order any paintings by any artists with any sizes you like. Please Email Us your desired motif or use the form below to ask for a FREE quote. We have more than 40,000 different paintings and boasts the artwork of more than 3,000 different masters and artists. Check out Artist Information.

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Q: What are my payment options? Is it safe to use my credit card ?

A: Shopping with PaintingsPal, you pay WITHOUT exposing your bank or credit card information to us.

1.  PayPal.  PayPal is free for buyers. You can securely and instantly send payments on line using a credit card, bank account, Echeck, or PayPal balance. Using this method, you do not need to give your credit card or bank details to PaintingsPal. In addition, YOU DO NOT NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT. Once you decide to go ahead with your purchase we will email you a PayPal link or email you a money request via Paypal which will guide you step by step through the payment process. (payment by Echeck / bank transfer via PayPal would take 7-12 days to clear and we will start work when your payment is confirmed).

To pay your total through PayPal, please click

2. Bank transfer: Bank transfer can be paid directly into our bank account.  We provide full details when we receive your purchase order. We prefer a wire transfer for order with amount over USD2,000. We will start work when your payment is confirmed. As soon as we receive notification that the transfer has arrived, your order will be processed.

3. Western Union:  Money transfer (please email us and get our confirmation before making a payment).

If the painting and portrait price is less than US$4,000, we shall receive the full payment before production. For price more than US$4,000, 50% of the painting price as a deposit before production and the rest 50% and shipping cost get paid upon approval to the emailed reproduction images.

For stock paintings, full payment is expected within 48 hours of our email confirmation unless other arrangements are made.


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Q: What is the delivery period ?

A: To get an accurate idea of the total delivery period for your order, take note of this simple equation:

Delivery period = Processing Time + Shipping Time

Processing Time:  Work on your commission begins the day payment is verified. Each painting is reproduced or created by hand and usually takes 4-5 weeks to complete before image preview depending on complexity and size (these can vary during peak periods and do NOT include drying time and customer approval period), and subject also to the workload of individual artist who specializing in the styles and techniques for your order. A new painting usually takes 3-9 days to dry before wrapping and shipping depending on the thickness of oil paint. More detailed information on terms will be provided and confirmed after you have made your order and specified special requests on your order.

Heavy textured paintings would take longer to dry. So the longer(2-3 weeks), the better to allow sufficient hardening for shipping.

Stock paintings - we will ship your order normally within 48 hours after your full payment is verified.

Faster reproduction service - add 20% of the painting price for an expedited service.Upon receipt of your payment a photo will be available for your approval within 2-3 weeks depending on its complexity and size. It would take another 2-4 days to dry before shipping with normal thick oil paints. Courier service usually takes 3-6 business days to arrive depending on destinations. We would NOT take on an expedited order for which we'd have to sacrifice quality, and that is not something we are willing to do, or it would depend on our current workload

Shipping Time:  We send our canvases world-wide using express mail service (DHL, UPS, Fedex or TNT) or sea-shipping for bulk order. International air courier service usually takes 3-6 business days to arrive depending on destinations. Ocean shipping for large-volume orders may require extra time to arrive.

An online tracking number will be emailed to you once your order has been shipped.

Note: Your physical postal address and contact phone are required for courier service. We are unable to ship to P.O. Box addresses.
Most courier services like DHL or UPS can't deliver on holidays.

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Q: Do I have to pay for transport ?

Yes. You pay only for what it costs us to ship the painting. It would save your shipping cost if you have two or more paintings shipped together.

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Q: Do I have to pay international import duties and taxes ?

A: Most countries do not levy an import tax on hand-painted reproduction paintings. However, customers are asked to make inquiries in their country of residence if this is a concern. The customer is responsible for the international import duties and/or taxes due upon entry into the destination country.

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Q: Are your oil paintings stretched and framed ?

A: We do not stretch or frame the oil paintings, because every house has its style and design and the frame of a painting has to suit the specific interior and you can make the best choice for it. Another reason is because the high packing and shipping costs. It's really not very cost-effective for you to place an order with a package less than one cubit meter and shipped by courier service. Courier shipping frequently costs as much (or even several times more!) than the painting costs on mall orders of stretched or framed paintings. We recommend our customer use local frame shop to complete stretching and framing. For framers in your area please see:

Google Framers Directory
Professional Picture Framers Association
Picture framer in the USA

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Q: I would like to order a custom size. Do you do this ?

A: Yes, We can paint reproductions in all sizes, for which there is no restriction (within reason). Custom sizes are a common request for us, however, sometimes certain works can require cropping (image loss) to reach exact measurements or proportions. Keep this in mind when ordering your custom piece. We can also give guidance regarding the revised proportion. Not all the artworks are fit for the change. There will be extra charge if artistic creation (rather than mere a copy and cropping) is required like below reproduction example of The Lady of Shallot.

PaintingsPal is prepared to scale of the original work of art in any size (within reason). When you place an order, we recommend keeping the original painting's aspect ratio (original proportion). You will have the entire scene of the original artwork. However you can request a larger or smaller size rather than the original artwork but maintain the original proportion. Just tell us the WIDTH or HEIGHT you would prefer and then we will work out the proportional size for you and quote a price accordingly.

Examples of revised proportion size (usually acceptable for landscape paintings)

Water-Lily Pond by Claude Monet Original painting (left) and reproduction by PaintingsPal with revised proportion (right).  Click the image (right) to view the large picture of our reproduction.

The Lady of Shallot 1888 by John William Waterhouse Original painting (left) and reproduction by PaintingsPal with revised proportion (right) that required extra artistic creation(rather than mere a copy) and will cost a little more.  Click the image (right) to view the large picture of our reproduction.

Below are a few regular sizes of oil paintings for your reference:

16 x 20 inch (40 x 50 cm) 20 x 24 inch (50 x 60 cm) 20 x 30 inch (50 x 76 cm)

24 x 30 inch (60 x 76 cm) 24 x 36 inch (60 x 90 cm) 30 x 40 inch (76 x 102 cm)

36 x 48 inch (90 x 122 cm) 48 x 72 inch (122 x 183 cm)

We offer oversized paintings in a variety of styles especially contemporary, abstract or impressionism styles. We can make a tri-panel painting for you. A tri-panel painting is a sequence of three one-theme paintings. We can also make gallery wrapped canvases that have a 2 " profile and are painted out to the edges on all four sides. It is intended to be hung unframed. You may also frame them through your own framing source, should you wish to do so.

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Q: How will my artwork be packed for shipment ?

A: Your paintings are sent rolled through DHL courier service. The painted surface of the canvas itself will be covered with a thin plastic sheet. The paintings are carefully rolled up with tube support to prevent bending in transit and packed into several layers of bubble wrap. This type of packing is safer and practical especially larger paintings, and reduces the shipping costs.

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Q: What if my painting damaged when it arrives ? Or if it goes missing before it reaches me ?

A: Please check the package before you sign with the courier. If your package is in any way visibly damaged or looks damaged (bent, torn, crushed), please note the type of damage on the delivery bill, even before you open the package to examine the contents. If you can not open & inspect the damaged package in front of the courier, you must sign for the package delivery note noting "Damaged package; goods not yet inspected" or something similar, this will warn the courier that a claim may be forthcoming.

If no damage disclaim was indicated on the waybill and you have accepted the package, keep the package(s) which contained the damaged paintings and make a claim with the shipping company as soon as you can.

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Q: What happens if I don't like the photos you send of the painting ?

A: When your painting is finished , we will send you a photo of our actual painting as email attachment for your approval, allowing us to offer you our 100% satisfaction before shipping.

The photos would serve a useful role in quality control as they enable customers to see if there are any problems with the painting that need to be fixed. If so, we make modifications at no extra cost. Again, please remember that photos do not accurately portray the painting especially colors. We are in the same place as the paintings, alongside the artists, and can let you know when the problems are real or just a result of photography (usually refer to colors).

Please note that if there is no reply to our last email attached with repro image for approval, we will keep your painting(s) for 6 months before disposing.  Hope this never happens.

Q: Do you offer any guarantees or warranties ?

A: Yes. Even after approving the photo of the painting (INCLUDING portrait from photo), If you are not fully satisfied with art reproduction you have to send us back the painting in good condition (unframed/undamaged) in 30 days for further amendments at no extra cost or refunding your payment.  Any refunds will not be made until the painting is safely back at PaintingsPal and with PaintingsPal being happy that the returned painting is in the same condition as it was sent.

The refund will NOT include shipping costs, duty or customs fees, PayPal and banking charges.

You may send back paintings to us for amendments at no extra cost but will be responsible for all the shipping costs, duty or customs fees, PayPal and banking charges.

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Q: What your customers are saying ?

A: Read customer's feedback / testimonials, Click Here.


If your question is not answered here, please Email Us or  Submit Your Questions Online Now


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