11 Handmade Portrait Artists
in India
and that love for handmade portraits is still going strong. Infact, in this age of AI, and instant photography – The value, and demand for Handmade Portraits is growing stronger.
In this blog we have compiled a list of the best portrait artists in India. A network of incredibly talented portrait artists who have spent 1000s of hours practicing, and perfecting their craft.
What are Handmade Portraits?
Handmade portrait – The artist takes a picture, and converts it into a handmade sketch. Handmade portraits come in various forms – Black & White Portraits, Color pencil portraits, Oil portraits, digital portraits, and more.
Here’s the list of the top Handmade Portrait Artists in India –
1. Aashi – Realistic Portrait Artist in Delhi
Oil Portraits are royal, and require 1000s of hours of deliberate practice to be able to deliver high-quality paintings.
Aashi is a fine arts graduate of “College of Art, Delhi”, and has painted 1000+ realistic portraits so far, does live wedding paintings, and is an art educator who helps budding artists learn, and build a career as an artist.
Aashi’s specialisation lies in being able to take an image, and transform it into any style you can imagine. If you are looking for a timeless piece of art, then we strongly recommend Aashi’s work.
Interested to get an Oil portrait made, contact Shashank.
2. Arijit Das – Portrait Sketch Artist
One of the best pencil portrait artists in India – Arijit Das is a self-taught artist who learned to draw, and paint from his father while growing up.
Full-time he is an art-teacher in Bengal, but on the sides – He loves painting portraits for people. Be it a colorful wedding portrait, or a classy charcoal portrait – Arijit is a full-stack artist, who specialises in all forms of portraits.
His specialisation is in Charcoal portraits made using charcoal powder, and charcoal sticks.
If you are looking for pencil based portraits – Arijit is the best choice, and how do you get to work with Arjit?
Well, you contact Shashank – +916201162515.
3. Sadashivv Sawant – The Educator
In his own words, Art is not about training only our hands but also our eyes. A true realism virtuoso, Sadashiv Sawant has spent more than 30 years perfecting his art.
More than an artist, Mr Sadashivv is a guru – An educator who has trained 1000s of students, and helped them explore the beautiful world of art, especially portraits.
He is the Founder of Pencil Perception Academy. His work spans from Handmade charcoal portraits to displays of still life through his art.
His play on light, shadows, shades and contrast are the main elements of his artworks, and if you notice his artwork carefully, you will be able to see an unimaginable level of detail.
4. Koushik Mondal – Portrait Painting Artist
Koushik is the oldest Portrait artist working with Stoned Santa – Not by his age, but his experience.
He started sketching portraits at the young age of 4 years, and can draw Portraits at incredible speed. He holds the record of creating 108 hand-drawn pencil portraits in a span of just 10 days, that averages to 10+ portraits per day!
Koushik is unique in his approach towards drawing a Portrait, and often uses colors that may not seem logical from an intellectual perspective. Example – Who imagines using purple color in the hair?
Koushik does, and if you look at the quality of portraits he’s made using such vibrant colors, you will be floored.
He is one of India’s most unusual portrait artists. Want to know why – Just look at his work – It’s magnificent.
5. Portrait Artist Komal Thoria
Trained by the legendary Sadashivv Sawant sir, mentioned in the blog earlier – Komal Thoria is one of the best pencil portrait artists in India.
Komal Thoria has created her own identity in the realm of Handmade portrait artists. She has worked and assisted Sadashivv Sawant in many projects and strives to be an educator like him, and just like her mentor, Komal’s portraits have a play of light and shadow.
The charcoal and graphite portraits that she creates are masterpieces of hyperrealism, and will leave you stunned. She is an artist who has evolved beautifully over the years; from charging just Rs. 250 for a portrait, today she charges Rs. 25,000 and upwards.
If you want to get a portrait made by Komal, you can contact Stoned Santa, and we will help you out.
6. Shruti – Acrylic Portrait Artist
A civil engineer turned artist from Pune, Shruti is a self-taught artist and a master of handmade oil painting portraits.
What makes her special? Her choice of colors, and the way she blends them to highlight the facial features in a portrait.
She started her journey as a freelance oil portrait artist in the year 2015, and it’s been over a decade since she’s been at her craft – Honing it, and working relentlessly towards improving it.
In her words – When I paint, and draw – I achieve a state of flow, and I am lost in deep meditation. It’s a medium of expression for me, that fortunately has also become a source of livelihood.
Looking to get a portrait – Something that mesmerizes you everytime you look at it – We can help you!
7. Ajay Rathod – Acryclic Portrait Artist
In his own words, Ajay Rathod, portrait artist from Hyderabad, is someone who specialises in Acrylic portraits, and often uses mix-media to style his portraits in a very unique manner.
He is a master of photorealism who specialises in creating outstanding family portraits.
His work is so good that clients are often amazed, and surprised to know that the work is actually “Handmade”, or just a printed photo.
His unique ability enables him to make a combined family portrait by simply referring to different pictures. His art is emotional and sentimental in its essence. He not only captures moments, but he creates them for his clients.
8. Chetan Agarwal – Caricature Portraits
Imagine being able to convert photos into fun illustrations, or cartoons – Just like how we’d see in newspapers, and magazines?
Chetan is a yogi, who loves to draw and illustrate when he’s not practicing asanas, or teaching.
His cartoonish, and colorful caricatures are loved by all – From couples who are getting married to corporates. Many of our clients who have purchased portraits from us, have come back to get caricatures made of their loved ones.
If you are looking to convert photos into an artform, but not sure about the idea of getting a portrait – We can help you with caricatures.
They can be made fast, and sent digitally – Clients often prefer caricatures because of this reason.
Get your caricature now!
9. Siddhant – YouTuber
Siddhant is one of the most famous Indian Portrait artists- He’s an influencer with Millions of online followers on Instagram, and YouTube.
Siddhant loves to draw portraits from the scratch, just like Leonardo Da Vinci would – First draw the skeleton, then add the muscles, and other layers of the human anatomy, and finally draw the skin, and the textures to capture a person’s essence in a Handmade Portrait.
Unlike other portrait artists in the list, Siddhant makes portraits for the camera, and if you watch his videos – They are deeply meditative, and beautiful.
He uses techniques like cross-hatching, smooth shading, and scribbling to bring out the softness of the human figure.
Siddhant does not take up commission projects, so if you are looking to get a Handmade portrait, he won’t take it up – But, we can help you.
Just contact Shashank, and he will sort it out for you.
10. P.S. Rathour – Water Color Portrait Artist
If you use Instagram, then you must have seen some of his drawing, or painting videos for sure.
PSR is a master of watercolour portraits, and can draw breathtaking portraits from almost anything – Haldi, Sindoor, Food coloring – You name it, and he can use it.
He started painting at a very early age, and is a self-taught artist. He improved his portraits by studying human anatomy, and spending several hours drawing his fans, and random people.
What stands out in PSR’s style is his “Devotion Collection” – His portrayal of gods, and goddesses is just so mesmerizing, and beautiful. It feels so meditative when you look at his paintings.
Unfortunately PSR does not take commissions anymore, and most of his time goes into practicing, shooting content for his Instagram, and YouTube handles, or teaching.
If you are looking for divine portraits – We can help you.
11. Sushmit – Micro Portraits
Sushmit Kishore is a portrait artist from Delhi like no other – He makes very detailed portraits that are very tiny – Some as big as a coin, or a shirt button.
Portraits he makes have been converted into pendants that people wear close to their hearts, and even though his portraits are tiny – They are rich with minute details that beautifully captures the subject.
Just watch this video to get a sense of his work, and if you’re interested to get micro-portraits made – You know who to contact – Stoned Santa!
At Stoned Santa, we deliver the full-stack experience – From discussing ideas, to finalising the photo, and the artist – We take care of it all. If you are looking for an artwork that will last generations, or more – Look no further, contact us, and Shashank will help you out.
We are the best in the business, and have been around since 2016, and have helped 10,000+ find unique gifts.
Shashank Shekhar
Founder, Stoned Santa
India is rich with people of so many talents, and one of the most interesting talents – The skill of being able to capture people into beautifully painted portraits – Charcoal Portraits, Watercolor Portraits, Oil Painting Portraits, Acrylic Portraits, Digital Portraits, and so much more.
I’ve had a lot of fun writing this article, and I hope you loved reading it, as much as I loved writing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best handmade portrait artists in India?
India has a remarkable pool of portrait artists across different styles and mediums. Some of the finest include Aashi (oil portraits, Delhi), Arijit Das (charcoal and pencil, Bengal), Sadashivv Sawant (hyperrealism, 30+ years of experience), Komal Thoria (graphite and charcoal, trained under Sawant), Koushik Mondal (colour pencil, known for speed and vibrancy), Shruti Kulkarni (acrylic oil portraits, Pune), and Ajay Rathod (photorealistic family portraits, Hyderabad). All of them work with Stoned Santa — you can commission a portrait through us and we will match you with the right artist for your requirements.
What styles of handmade portraits can Indian artists create?
Indian portrait artists are highly versatile. The most popular styles are charcoal and graphite (B&W hyperrealism), colour pencil portraits, oil painting on canvas, acrylic portraits, watercolour portraits, and digital paintings. Some artists like Koushik Mondal combine mediums in unconventional ways. If you have a specific style in mind — or a reference image — share it with us and we will find the right match.
How do I commission a handmade portrait from an artist in India?
The simplest way is through Stoned Santa. You share your photo and brief, we discuss style, size, and timeline, match you with the best artist for the job, and manage the entire process — including work-in-progress updates and revisions — until the portrait is exactly right. We have been doing this since 2016 and have handled 10,000+ orders. Get in touch here and Shashank will guide you through it.
How much do portrait artists in India charge?
Pricing varies widely depending on the artist, the medium, the canvas size, and the number of subjects. A B&W charcoal portrait of one person in A4 is typically the most affordable entry point. A large oil painting on canvas of a family, created by an established artist, will be significantly higher. Komal Thoria, for example, now charges Rs. 25,000 and upwards — a reflection of the level of detail and years of mastery involved. Contact us with your requirements and we will give you an honest quote.
How long does it take for a portrait artist in India to complete a portrait?
Timelines depend on the medium and complexity. A pencil or charcoal portrait can be completed in 4 to 7 working days. Colour pencil portraits typically take 6 to 10 days. Oil paintings require more time — usually 12 to 18 days — because the paint needs to dry between layers to achieve depth and texture. Rush orders are possible for some styles; let us know your deadline when you enquire.
What is the difference between a charcoal portrait and an oil painting portrait?
A charcoal portrait is drawn on paper using charcoal sticks or powder. It is monochrome — typically deep blacks, greys, and whites — and has a dramatic, timeless quality. Charcoal portraits are faster to produce and generally more affordable. An oil painting portrait is painted on canvas using oil-based pigments layered over time. It is rich in colour, depth, and texture, and is considered the most prestigious and durable form of portrait art — the kind that hangs in palaces and is passed down through generations. If you want impact and longevity, oil is unmatched. If you want something elegant and classic with a faster turnaround, charcoal is ideal.
Can I get a portrait made from an old or low-resolution photo?
It depends on the photo. Our artists are experienced at working with imperfect references, and some styles — particularly charcoal — are more forgiving of lower resolution. However, a clear photo always produces better results. If you only have an old or low-quality image, share it with us first. We will honestly tell you what is and is not possible, and which style would work best given the reference you have.
Do Indian portrait artists ship their work internationally?
Yes. Through Stoned Santa, portraits are shipped internationally to the USA, UAE, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Australia, and more. Physical portraits are carefully packed to ensure safe transit. Digital portraits — such as digital paintings — are delivered as high-resolution files instantly after approval. We have served clients across the globe since 2016.
Are handmade portraits still relevant in the age of AI art?
More relevant than ever. AI can generate an image in seconds, but it cannot replicate the deliberate choices, emotional intelligence, and thousands of hours of practice that go into a handmade portrait. When an artist studies your photo and decides how to handle light, shadow, and expression — that is a human act. The result is not just a picture; it is a piece of art that carries intention and craft. In a world flooded with AI-generated images, a handmade portrait stands out precisely because it is rare, slow, and deeply personal. The demand for handmade portraits in India has continued to grow even as AI art has become mainstream.
Which portrait style is best for a wedding or anniversary gift?
For weddings and anniversaries, oil painting on canvas is the most impactful choice — it is large, vibrant, and made to last a lifetime. Colour pencil portraits are a close second: warm, detailed, and more affordable. If you want something quick and elegant, a charcoal portrait of the couple in their wedding attire is always stunning. The key is choosing a style that matches the personality of the recipient. Tell us about them and we will recommend the right one. You can also explore our wedding gift collection for more ideas.
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