The Paintru Journal

The history of portraiture is inextricably wrapped in everything it means to be human. The portrayal of a person - or people - has, for millennia, acted as political propaganda, shaped religious and social beliefs, and fostered collective opinion and imagination among communities.

How a person is portrayed is as important as the who: think of Alexander the Great and you will be hard-pressed to picture anything but heroic, leonine hair and a serene expression evocative of Golden Age Greece. It was carefully planned artistic rendering, as well as an astute awareness of the history of Hellenistic art, that transformed Alexander from leader of men to demi-god.

Karl Lagerfeld once said, “What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” It’s no secret that this is where the pull of Instagram lies.

Whether you are an avid photo poster or not, the attraction of curating images of your best moments is obvious. Studies of the most popular hashtags show that Travel is a stalwart topic: #travel, #travelgram, #instatravel, #wanderlust consistently hit the top of user lists, out-shined only by Design and Food, and outperforming Fitness and Inspiration.

It’s time to talk types of painting styles. The best thing about commissioning a Paintru artwork is that you have full control over the stylistic appearance of your painting. When it comes to artistic preference, we know that one size does not fit all – however, we have a few pointers to ensure your style choice suits you.

Now 2020 has drawn to a close, the world takes a collective sigh as we look to the future and decide how best to heal, commemorate, and continue on. We ask two of our Paintru artists how they see the art world moving forward and to speak to the 2021 art trends we can expect in the coming year.

There isn't anything quite like owning your own piece of fine artwork, and why artwork can be so seemingly priceless. How do you begin this journey to find an artist to create your masterpiece? Learn more about the options and how to commission artwork in our guide.