portraits-by-nc.com

What is Portraits and Miniatures by NC?

Portraits and Miniatures by NC is the studio site of Enzie (NC), a Southern California–based multi-disciplinary artist who sells commissioned hand-painted portraits and handmade miniature dioramas, shadow boxes, and room boxes. The work splits into two tracks: life-sized pet and people portraits painted from photographs, and 1/12, 1/24, and 1/6 scale miniatures built largely from handmade components.

What you can commission

• Pet portraits — dog, cat, and horse/equine art offered in oil and digital formats across several styles, painted from your photos.
• People portraits — life-sized commissioned work in the same photo-reference approach.
• Miniature dioramas, shadow boxes, and room boxes — custom-made scenes, priced from $249.99 USD, aimed at dollhouse enthusiasts and collectors. A payment plan page is available.

Who it suits

Two fairly different buyers. A pet owner who wants a painted memorial or gift and has clear reference photos is the natural fit for the portrait side. A miniature hobbyist or dollhouse collector — or someone hunting a distinctive gift for one — is the fit for the diorama side. If you need a fast, off-the-shelf product, this is the wrong place: both tracks are made to order by one artist.

How to judge whether to commission

The practical question is reference quality. Portrait painters working from photos can only render what the photo shows, so gather several sharp, well-lit images at different angles before you inquire. For miniatures, decide the scale first (1/12 is the common dollhouse standard; 1/24 and 1/6 read very differently in a room) and confirm the scene you want.

A useful next step is to browse the dog, horse, or cat portrait galleries to see which painting style matches your taste, then check the payment plan page if budget timing matters. You can compare the artist's approach with other miniature and portrait sources such as Miniatures.com or Etsy if you want a sense of the wider market.

How do I commission a custom pet portrait from a photo?

Commissioning a custom pet portrait from a photo is usually a short back-and-forth: you send a good reference image, agree on size, style, and medium, pay a deposit or first installment, then approve a sketch or progress photo before the final painting is finished. On Portraits and Miniatures by NC, the artist Enzie works from photos in oil or digital formats, offering dog, horse, and cat portraits, so the process is built around photo references rather than live sittings.

What to prepare before you inquire

• Two or three sharp, well-lit photos of your pet, ideally at eye level and without heavy filters.
• A close-up of the face plus a full-body shot if you want pose options.
• Your preferred size, orientation (portrait or landscape), and whether you want a plain or detailed background.
• A realistic deadline and budget range, since handmade work takes weeks, not days.

How the commission typically runs

1. Contact the artist with your photos and what you have in mind.
2. Confirm medium, dimensions, number of subjects, and any special details like a collar or favorite toy.
3. Agree on price and schedule; the site lists a payment plans page, which is useful if you want to split the cost.
4. Approve a sketch or early progress image before the final layers go on.
5. Receive the finished piece, usually with guidance on framing or display.

Practical trade-offs Oil portraits give depth and a traditional, heirloom feel but cost more and take longer. Digital portraits are faster and easier to reproduce for cards or prints. If your only photo is blurry or taken from an odd angle, ask upfront whether the artist can work from it or whether you should supply alternatives; this is the most common reason commissions stall.

A useful next step Visit the site’s dog, cat, or horse portrait pages to compare styles, then send your best photo and ask what size and medium suit it. If budget is the deciding factor, ask about the payment plan before choosing a larger canvas.

What sizes and scales are available for custom miniature dioramas?

Custom miniature dioramas from Portraits and Miniatures by NC are made in 1/12, 1/24, and 1/6 scale, according to artist Enzie Shahmiri's own description on the site. Those are the three scales she names as her specialty, covering the standard dollhouse scale (1/12), a smaller half-scale (1/24), and a larger collector or display scale (1/6).

What each scale means in practice

• 1/12 scale — one inch equals one foot. The most common dollhouse scale, so furniture, figures and accessories are widely available if you want to add to the scene later.
• 1/24 scale — half-inch scale. Roughly half the size of 1/12, useful when shelf or cabinet space is tight but you still want a furnished, detailed interior.
• 1/6 scale — one inch equals six inches. Large and highly detailed, closer to fashion-doll or figure-collector proportions, and the best choice when the piece is meant to be a standalone display object rather than part of a dollhouse.

How to choose

Size is usually decided by where the piece will live and how much detail you want visible. A 1/6 scene reads clearly across a room; a 1/24 scene rewards close looking. If the diorama must match an existing dollhouse or collection, match that scale rather than picking by size alone. Dioramas, shadow boxes and room boxes appear to start from $249.99 USD on the site, though the final figure will depend on scale, complexity and the number of handmade items inside.

Practical next step

Before commissioning, measure the exact display space (including height for a room box or shadow box) and decide which scale fits it. Then ask the artist what level of interior detail is realistic at that scale for your budget — smaller scales hide less-than-perfect detail, but they also limit how much can be included. The site's studio blog, which documents how custom portraits and dioramas come together, is a reasonable place to see the working process before you commit.

Can I pay for a portrait or diorama in installments?

Yes. The site lists a Payment Plans page, which indicates installment or staged payment options are part of how commissions are handled. The page evidence does not spell out the exact terms, so treat the plan details as something to confirm directly before committing.

Portraits and Miniatures by NC

H3 Practical next step

Open the Payment Plans page and check:

• Deposit amount and when it is due
• Number and timing of remaining payments
• Whether payments are tied to milestones (sketch approval, painting progress, completion)
• What happens if you pause, change scope or cancel
• Whether the plan applies to both portraits and miniature dioramas, or only one category

H3 Who this suits

Installments are most useful for higher-ticket commissions, such as a life-size pet portrait or a custom diorama with many handmade components, where paying in stages matches the slower production timeline. If you need a small gift quickly, a single payment may be simpler.

H3 Decision criterion

Choose a payment plan if the total cost would otherwise delay your order or strain your budget, and if you are comfortable with a schedule tied to the artist's progress. If you prefer no ongoing obligations, ask whether full payment at order time is possible instead.

What is the process for turning my pet photo into a hand-painted oil portrait?

The process is a commission: you send a pet photo, the artist uses it as the reference, and you receive a hand-painted portrait rather than a print or a digitally generated image. According to the page, Enzie Shahmiri works from photos and offers oil and digital portraits for dogs, cats, horses and people, plus handmade miniatures and dioramas.

What to expect, step by step

1. Choose the portrait type and size. The site groups work by subject (dog, cat, horse/equine, people) and by medium (oil or digital). Decide whether you want an original painting or a digital piece, and whether it is life-sized or a smaller format.
2. Select a photo. A clear, well-lit image where your pet's face and markings are visible gives the artist the most to work from. If you have several, send more than one so pose and expression can be discussed.
3. Discuss the composition. You and the artist agree on pose, background and any details such as a collar, favourite toy or setting. This is where a photo becomes a painting rather than a copy.
4. Confirm the commission and payment. The site has a payment plans page, so ask how deposits and instalments are handled before work begins.
5. The painting is created. The artist describes her work as hand-painted in a variety of styles, and the studio blog documents how custom portraits and dioramas come to life.
6. Approval and delivery. Ask about progress photos, revision points and shipping, especially if the portrait is a gift with a deadline.

A practical scenario

Suppose you have one good photo of a dog that has died and a blurry phone snap of the two of you together. A portrait artist can often combine references, but the final painting will only be as detailed as the source allows. Send the sharpest image of the face and be explicit about which photo should drive the expression.

Decision criteria

• Oil or digital: oil gives you a textured original; digital is easier to resize and reproduce.
• Life-sized or miniature: life-sized suits a wall or memorial piece; miniatures in 1/12, 1/24 or 1/6 scale suit dollhouse and diorama collectors.
• Photo quality: strong lighting, no motion blur and visible eyes matter more than a dramatic setting.
• Timeline and budget: confirm both before the commission starts, and ask what happens if you want changes after the first draft.

For the artist's own account of the process, start with the studio blog at Portraits and Miniatures by NC, then use the payment plans page to understand scheduling. If you are also considering a different style or a larger studio, compare a few artists' pet portrait galleries before committing, since style varies widely and is the hardest thing to change later.

How do I care for and display a handmade miniature diorama?

A handmade miniature diorama is best treated like a small piece of furniture plus a delicate object: keep it out of harsh light, keep dust off it, and handle it as little as possible. Because these pieces are built from many small, hand-crafted parts, most damage comes from sunlight, moisture, dusting, and moving—not from age.

Display

• Put it behind glass or in a closed cabinet if you can. A shadow box or room box with a front panel is ideal; an open shelf invites dust into tiny crevices.
• Keep it out of direct sun and away from bright windows. Fading and brittle adhesives are the usual long-term problems.
• Avoid spots above radiators, near kitchen steam, or in damp basements. Stable indoor temperature and moderate humidity are kinder to paper, fabric, and paint.
• Place it at eye level or slightly below, where you can see into the scene without leaning over it.
• If it sits on an open shelf, consider a clear acrylic or glass cover rather than a fabric drape, which can snag delicate parts.

Cleaning and handling

• Dust with a soft, dry artist's brush—the kind used for watercolors—working gently around small items. A camera lens blower helps in tight corners.
• Never use household spray polish, wet wipes, or a vacuum brush attachment near the piece.
• Lift by the base or outer box only, with both hands. Never pick it up by a roof, tree, or figure.
• If something comes loose, resist the urge to press it back immediately. Photograph the spot first, then reattach with a small amount of the appropriate adhesive, or ask the maker.

Moving and storing

• For transport, pad the interior with acid-free tissue or foam, then pack the whole piece in a rigid box with cushioning on all sides.
• Label the box "this side up" and store flat, not on its side.
• Keep the maker's care note or contact details with the piece. A commissioned artist can often advise on repairs and may offer restoration.

A practical decision criterion If the diorama contains fabric, paper, or hand-painted figures, treat it as light- and humidity-sensitive and enclose it. If it is mostly wood, resin, or metal in a sealed box, dust control matters more than humidity, and a simple covered shelf is usually enough. For scale-specific handling—1/12, 1/24, and 1/6 miniatures are all mentioned by the artist—the smaller the scale, the more the piece rewards enclosure and minimal touching.

For a concrete example: a dollhouse-scale room box displayed on a living room shelf will collect dust within weeks, so a glass-front cabinet or acrylic cover saves you from frequent cleaning. A shadow box hung on a wall away from a sunny window needs only occasional brushing.

Portraits and Miniatures by NC