Our friends--we share our deepest secrets with them and they keep them safe; we tell them our hopes and dreams and they encourage us; we admit our fears, and they comfort us. They make us laugh and offer us a shoulder in times of need. In turn, we offer them the same support and love, and, oftentimes, we wonder how we might ever share with them and the rest of the world just how important they are to us. Think of a gift, a unique gift such as friend's portrait. Just like in times past, if someone was exceptionally cherished to a person, they would commission a sculpture or painting of that individual and display it as a sign of their loyalty and affection. Perhaps you think the days of such antiquated lavishness are long past. Think again! Now you can immortalize your most cherished relationships in a work of art as timeless as the busts and paintings of old-a friend's portrait painted from a favorite photograph or photographs.

With a photo to painting transformation, your friend's portrait will require little effort on your part. All you need is internet access, a photo of you and your friend, and an artistic vision you can share with one of the many professionally trained artists ready and waiting to take on your project. Websites such as www.yourartnow.com provide custom made, hand painted work by skilled artists at a fraction of the cost you may be expecting. Choose from a multitude of sizes and several mediums (water color, oil paints, or colored/charcoal pencil) and your project artist will ensure that he or she meets or exceeds your expectations every step of the way in the creation of a friend's portrait that will be admired and displayed for years to come

Do you, after years of gift giving; often struggle to find the perfect, most unique gift for your friend during holidays or birthdays? Instead of the same old, mass-produced department store gifts, why not present your best buddy with something as unparalleled as their friendship itself—a friends portrait rendered in exquisite detail from one of the many photographs you undoubtedly have of the two of you. The gift of a friend’s portrait could be particularly meaningful for friends who are separated by a long distance. Thanks to the skill of your project artist, distances can be spanned with the stroke of a brush or the scratch of a pencil. Make the need to say “wish you were here” obsolete. With a photo to painting transformation, you can commission a friends portrait that will place your friend at your side no matter if you live next door or in a foreign country halfway around the world. Photographs can be combined, so even if you don't have a great picture of you and your friend together, you can provide the artist with two separate photos and let the magic of artistic inspiration do the rest for you.

Whatever the reason or occasion, a custom made friends portrait can bring you and that most important person together in a way you might never have considered to be within your grasp-a gallery-worthy painting or drawing that stands not only as a priceless work of art, but as a testament to the value you place upon your friendship.