How it’s made
Is this AI, or does Lily paint it?
It’s AI. The model was learned from Lily’s own commissioned paintings — around two hundred of them, at $500 to $1,500 each — and on nothing else. Nobody is sitting at an easel with your photo. We’d rather tell you that on the way in than have you work it out afterwards.
Then why not just commission a painting?
You can — tell Lily what you have in mind and she’ll come back with a price and a realistic date. Commissions are priced individually, usually $500 to $1,500, and the waiting list runs to about two years.
That’s no use if your dog is thirteen, or if you wanted something for Christmas, or if you simply don’t have five hundred dollars for a picture. This exists for everyone the waiting list can’t reach — the same style, in about a minute, from $7.49.
Then why not just use any AI art tool?
Because most of them learned from everything, and it shows — you get a generic “watercolor look” that could have come from anywhere. This one learned one painter’s palette, her edges, and the way she handles fur and eyes. The reviews on this site are for the paintings that taught it.
Does a person look at it at all?
Not before it reaches you — your portraits are generated and delivered automatically, which is what makes them fast and cheap. Lily reads every email that comes in, so if what you get isn’t right, replying gets you a person.
Before you order
Is it really free to see my portraits?
Yes. Upload a photo and you get three watercolor portraits of your dog — no card, no account, no obligation. They arrive watermarked, and you only pay if you want to keep one clean and at full resolution.
What kind of photo works best?
Daylight, eye level, and close enough to see their face clearly. A photo straight from your camera roll is perfectly good — most of what we work from was taken on a phone.
The ones that struggle are very dark photos, heavy motion blur, and shots taken from directly above. If yours won’t work you’ll see that within a minute and can simply try another.
Can you do more than one dog?
Yes. Upload a photo with both of them in it and add a note saying how you’d like them arranged — that note is used when the portrait is generated. If you’d rather have them as separate portraits, order one at a time.
Do you paint cats and other animals?
Regularly. The form says dog because that’s most of the work, but cats, horses, rabbits and one memorable parrot have all been through it.
Can I order a portrait of a dog who has passed away?
A great many of these are memorials, and older or lower-quality photos are usually workable. Because seeing the portraits costs nothing, you can find out before committing to anything at all.
Your order
How long does it take?
The three portraits take about a minute. After that:
- Digital download — emailed the moment your payment clears.
- Prints and framed prints — 4–10 days anywhere in the US, shipped free.
What exactly do I get for the digital file?
A 4,096-pixel JPG with no watermark, yours to keep. That’s big enough to print yourself at up to 24″ × 36″, and it makes a very good phone lock screen or desktop wallpaper. Buy a print or a framed piece and the same file is included free.
What if none of the three are right?
Ask for another three — there’s a button for it and it costs nothing. If you’re still not happy, reply to your email and Lily will look at it herself.
Can I change my order after paying?
Reply to your confirmation email. Nothing has been printed in the first few hours, so sizes, frame colours and delivery addresses are all easy to change. Upgrading from a digital file to a print is just the difference in price.
Practical things
How are the prints made?
Prints are produced on heavyweight archival, acid-free paper and shipped rolled. Framed pieces are assembled by hand and arrive ready to hang.
Do you ship outside the US?
Not at the moment. The digital file works anywhere in the world, though — and it’s the same artwork.
Who can see my photo?
Only Lily. Photos are used to make your portrait and nothing else: never published, never sold, never used to advertise without asking you first. See the privacy policy for the detail.
Something has gone wrong and I need a person
Reply to any email we’ve sent you, or use the contact page. Lily reads everything herself.