Choose a photo that helps the portrait

Look at each face

Start with the original photo and inspect each face at a comfortable viewing size. Can you see the eyes, the outline of the face and the expression clearly? A beautiful setting cannot replace missing facial information. If several people appear, check everyone individually; a photo that is sharp for one person may be blurred for another. Keep more than one candidate until you have compared them.

Choose the expression you actually want in the portrait. A technically clear image may still feel wrong if the smile, gaze or posture is unlike the memory you want to keep. Write a short note about what matters, such as a particular smile or a familiar pair of glasses. Avoid asking the artist or image system to guess which detail is emotionally important.

Use references consistently

If people come from separate photographs, compare the viewing angle and the way light falls on their faces. A straight-on face and a strongly side-on face require a deliberate composition. State whether the final portrait should follow one source photo or combine them. Number the images and identify each subject clearly so there is no ambiguity about whose appearance comes from which reference.

Do not assume that a screenshot, a social-media download and the camera original contain the same detail. Preserve the best file you have and keep an untouched copy. When an old photo is the only source, explain which details are uncertain. A new artistic rendering may look convincing while inventing information, so review it as an interpretation rather than a recovered record of the person.

A useful reference note can be short: image one is the main composition, image two shows the preferred glasses, and the blue jacket should remain. If a supporting photo shows a different age or hairstyle, explain which version you want. Do not leave the system to reconcile contradictory details on its own. Before submitting, remove duplicate or irrelevant files and open each remaining image once. This last check helps prevent a low-quality copy or an unintended photograph from becoming the basis of the finished portrait.

Prepare a small, clear handoff

Select a primary reference, then add only supporting images that answer a specific question. Too many contradictory references can make the brief harder to follow. Describe the desired arrangement, the details to preserve and anything to omit. Keep personal documents or unrelated people out of the upload when they are not needed for the artwork. Ask permission when appropriate before sharing someone else’s photo.

Finally, compare the chosen reference with your intended format. A tightly cropped selfie may not provide enough surrounding space for a wide family composition. Decide whether extra background is acceptable as an artistic addition. You should finish with a clear source choice and a list of uncertainties, not a promise that every missing detail can be reconstructed faithfully.

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