A few lines, sometimes awkward:
“I’m not sure how to explain this…”
“I don’t even know if this is a good idea…”

And that’s completely fine.
You’re not supposed to have the perfect words for “I want to keep something of this person, this bond, this moment that matters.”

If you’re wondering how to order a custom portrait from a distance – without an automatic platform or AI-generated image – this is how it actually works with me.
In real life, not in a polished marketing version.

Step one: a simple message for your long-distance portrait

Practically, everything starts with an email or a message through my contact form.
You tell me whatever you can:

• who the person is (or the animal, the couple, the bond)
• why this portrait matters to you right now
• what you roughly have in mind… even if it feels unclear

You can be precise or vague, talkative or very brief.
My work is to read between the lines, to feel what really matters for you, and to help you find the right form.

From there, we simply talk.
I ask questions if needed, I offer a few directions.
We’re not “filling out a form”, we’re opening a human conversation.

Choosing the right form for your custom portrait

Once we understand what is at stake for you, a simple question shows up:
how does this intention want to exist in the physical world?

A portrait is not just an image.
It is a gesture, a texture, a way to stay present.

This is where my trio of options comes in – not as “marketing packages”, but as three very different ways of saying something:

• Character (Originality Pack)
  A raw, nervous ballpoint pen line, printed on FSC-certified wood.
  It’s alive, contrasted, a little rough – for faces that don’t smooth out and stories that don’t fit into neat boxes.
• Softness (Love Pack)
  The whisper of graphite pencil, sometimes combined with words, for those who love gentle, quiet, understated things.
  This is often chosen to celebrate a precious bond, support a soft grief, or mark a transmission.
• Embodiment (Incarnation Pack)
  The energy of alcohol markers, comic-book style, printed on organic textile.
  It’s for passions, scenes of life, inner characters, something that almost wants to step out of the frame.

And if what you have in mind doesn’t fit any of these – a wedding or birth announcement, an illustration on a specific eco-friendly object, a very particular idea – we can invent something else.
I also work on truly custom projects when your request calls for a unique format.

A clear framework for your portrait commission

At some point, we both need simple, concrete things: size, timing, and price.

Before I start drawing, we write everything down clearly:

• the format you chose
• the medium / support
• the estimated timeframe
• the price

No fine print, no hidden options popping up at the last minute.
You know exactly what you’re committing to – and so do I.

Most importantly, I tell you how I work.
When you confirm your portrait commission, you know that:

• the artwork is 100% hand-drawn, by me
• in the quiet of the studio
• on paper, with ink, graphite, or markers
• with no tablet, no software, no filter, no algorithm

You are not buying an image generated in bulk by an AI.
You are buying time, attention, and a focused presence on your story.

The making: what you don’t see, but feel

After that, I disappear a little.
I go back to the studio and work within the timeframe we agreed on.

I choose my materials according to what I stand for:
FSC-certified wood, certified organic textiles (GOTS-type), natural and durable materials whenever possible.
I let the line, the graphite, the colour search for their place until the image holds.

Sometimes I stay stuck on an eye for a long time.
Sometimes everything comes in one single flow.
You don’t see this time, but it is part of what you receive: an object that carries human time inside it.

From the studio to your home

Once the portrait is finished:

• I prepare the parcel carefully so it travels safely
• I pack it securely, without unnecessary extra packaging
• shipping is free within Europe and North America

You receive the portrait at home, and often, that’s when I get the most important message:
the one where you tell me what it does to you.

I don’t have a sales funnel, automated follow-ups or “optimized” email sequences.
I have your words, sometimes your silence, and that’s more than enough to know this work matters.

Simple, but never standardised

A custom portrait ordered from a distance, with me, is simple in how it works – but it is not standardised.
It’s not a derivative product, not a generic wall decor, not an AI-generated image.

It is a deeply human, handmade and as-eco-friendly-as-possible process, with a clear framework to protect you and to protect my work too.

If you feel you’d like to keep a trace of someone, of a bond or a moment that matters, and you need someone to give it form, we can start with this: a message, even an awkward one.
We’ll build the rest together.

See the different portrait options

If you want to see the different styles, materials and examples of portraits I create, you can explore my custom portrait options here -> The trio of possibilities.

And if you’re still unsure, a simple message is enough: contact@edpunezpicco.com
We’ll figure out together if it’s the right moment for you.