Turn Any Photo Into a Realistic Oil Painting Online
Ever wondered what your favorite photo would look like as a classic oil painting? With BeFunky’s AI-powered photo to painting effects, you can create masterpieces in seconds – no brushes, palettes, or studio time required. Whether you want to craft wall-worthy art, give your social feed a signature style, or simply explore your creative side, our tools offer the perfect way to turn digital photos into timeless works of art.
In this guide, we’ll explore the Oil Painting category, show you how to apply these effects to your images, and share creative ideas for using your new artwork with the rest of BeFunky’s creative suite.
Explore BeFunky's Oil Painting Effects
BeFunky’s Oil Painting effects span a wide range of artistic styles – from smooth and serene impressionist looks to bold, textured impasto-inspired transformations. You’ll find these effects categorized under two areas in the Artsy tab.
- Oil Painting Classic: Our OG collection in the Oil Painting category are colorful and abstract – utilizing texture and contrast to create something unique and original.
- Oil Painting DLX: This effect, located in the Digital Art category, produces refined and dynamic images with smooth brushstroke textures and a more muted color palette.
- Oil Painting GFX: These effects in the Oil Painting category are AI-powered and deliver the most realistic painterly results with a fine-art feel. They allow for extra control over fidelity and variation, making them perfect for detailed customization and more authentic painting textures.
Each effect can be customized using advanced settings, including Fidelity and Variation sliders, which give you deeper control over the final outcome.
Step-by-Step: How to Turn a Photo Into an Oil Painting
You can go from a standard photo to an expressive oil painting in just a few clicks. Here’s how to get the best results, with step-by-step guidance.
Step 1: Open Your Photo
To get started, head to the Oil Painting category and upload a photo of your choice. You can do this by clicking the Open button at the top of the canvas or by dragging-and-dropping it directly onto your workspace.
If you’re already in the Editor, you’ll find the Oil Painting effects by clicking on the Artsy tab in the left-hand menu.
Step 2: Choose an Oil Painting Effect
When you hover over any effect thumbnail, you can preview the transformation before applying it. Use the slider on the thumbnail to adjust the intensity right away. Aiming for a lifelike result with visible brushstroke details? If so, Oil Painting GFX is a great place to start.
If you're happy with the results as-is, click the checkmark icon. But we're going to customize it a bit more.
Step 3: Fine-Tune With Advanced Settings
Once you’ve selected an effect, click the Settings icon (represented by a slider symbol) on the thumbnail. This is where you’ll unlock fine-tuned controls like:
- Amount: Adjust the strength of the overall effect.
- Fidelity: This slider determines how closely the result resembles your original image. Lower settings create a looser, more interpretive painting; higher settings preserve more detail.
- Smoothness: Customize the texture of each brushstroke.
- Variation: This generates alternate stylistic versions based on the same effect – great for experimenting with composition, brushstroke placement, and tone.
To isolate the effect to certain areas of your image, click on the Select tab and use the Paint Brush or Apply To dropdown.
Once you're satisfied with the results, click Apply.
Pro Tip: Combining multiple effect layers with Select mode lets you create complex compositions – like making only the background look painted while keeping your subject crisp and realistic.
Step 4: Save or Print Your Oil Painting
Once you're happy with the transformation, click Save at the top of the screen. You can save your artwork as a high-quality JPG or PNG file, upload directly to social platforms, or even export as a PDF for printing at home.
And that's it! Now you have a one-of-a-kind oil painting – no mess or artistic abilities required. And don't forget that you can see your creation come to life on canvas, cards, t-shirts, and more by using our integrated printing partner for high-quality, made-to-order results.
Creative Ways to Use Your Oil Painting Photo Edits
Looking for ideas on how to put your new oil painting creations to good use? Whether you're designing for personal projects, gifts, or digital content, here are some versatile ways to showcase your AI-powered masterpieces – with tips and tool recommendations to help you go even further.
Create Frame-Worthy Wall Art
Transform travel memories, pet portraits, or nature photography into gallery-ready canvas prints using the Realist GFX effect. For best results, combine these effects with BeFunky’s image enhancing tools to perfect your image before printing. Need a guide? Our home printing tutorial has tips on preparing files for canvas or fine art prints.
Enhance Your Social Media Feed
Give your content a painterly twist with oil painting-style posts that stop the scroll. Pair consistent Fidelity and Variation settings to create a visual series or brand aesthetic. Use the Text tab to overlay quotes or captions and take it further by combining your artwork with Graphic Designer templates for carousels, Pinterest pins, or story highlights.
Add Flair to Invitations and Cards
Custom cards and invites look elegant with oil painting-style imagery as backgrounds or portrait features. Use a painting effect to add texture and dimension to any Card Maker template, or start from scratch in the Graphic Designer. Whether you’re making thank-you notes or wedding stationery, it's easy to create artistic cards and invitations.
Customize Your Digital Workspace
Upgrade your virtual workspace with custom oil painting-style backgrounds. Use a serene nature photo or an abstract image and apply Oil Painting GFX effect for a refined, artistic touch. For added functionality, overlay your calendar, to-do list, or motivational quotes.
Go From Photo to Oil Painting in Seconds
With BeFunky’s photo to painting effects, you don’t need years of practice to create stunning artwork – just a photo and a few clicks. Whether you're designing art for your home, elevating your brand visuals, or exploring a new creative outlet, the tools are right at your fingertips.
Explore our Oil Painting and Digital Art categories to find the style that best fits your vision – and start turning your photos into paintings today.
