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Featured Art & Custom Portraits by Varun Rao

byVarun N RaoShips from Bengaluru across IndiaStarts from₹2,000 Per Digital FileView full gallery

From detailed color pencil sketches to unique paintings on ceramic plates, this collection highlights the range of styles I explore. Whether you're looking for a personal keepsake or a quirky caricature, here is a glimpse into the art I create from my studio in Bangalore.

This is one of the most satisfying portraits I've had the joy of creating. Capturing the innocent smile and chubby cheeks of a baby with color pencils is a special process. I use high-quality Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils to bring out the soft textures and warm tones, creating a timeless keepsake for the family.

Turning a family into a fun, sweet caricature is always a delight. This digital artwork was created on an iPad, imagining the family as ice cream cones to capture their fun-loving spirit. It's a perfect, quirky piece for a unique family portrait or a special gift.

I had the wonderful opportunity to create these custom portraits for celebrity journalists Vir Sanghvi and Seema Goswami. What makes them unique is the medium: they are painted on bone china porcelain plates using special ceramic paints. This is a truly distinct way to display a portrait, turning it into a decorative masterpiece.

Watch the process behind my digital tribute to the legendary Ratan Tata. This timelapse video shows how I build up layers, from the initial sketch to the final details, all hand-painted on an iPad using the Procreate app. It’s a look into how a digital portrait comes to life, stroke by stroke.

This painting holds a special story. The couple didn't have a wedding photo, so their family asked me to create one for them. Using old family photos for reference, I painted this acrylic portrait on canvas, imagining them in traditional wedding attire. It was a challenging and deeply rewarding project to bring a cherished memory to life.

Some artworks are just pure joy, like this one capturing the unmistakable bond between a person and their furry companion. This commissioned watercolor painting was created to celebrate that pure, unconditional love. I focus on capturing the emotion and connection that makes pet portraits so meaningful.

I was incredibly honored to receive the first prize for my portrait painting at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens flower show. This acrylic on canvas piece pays tribute to the late Dr. Rajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar. Moments like these inspire me to keep pushing my creative boundaries.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at me working on a portrait with ceramic paints. Using a porcelain plate as my canvas is a unique process that requires a steady hand and different techniques than paper or canvas. It's a medium I've grown to love for the beautiful, glossy finish it produces.

About Featured

I don't just copy a photo; I like to tell a story with it. Whether we are blending memories from old family albums into a new acrylic painting or turning your pet into a watercolor piece, I work closely with you on the composition to get the mood right. If you have an idea, let's chat about how we can bring it to life.

Award-winning artist based in Bangalore — Approved by the tribe
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Varun N Rao

Ships from Bengaluru across IndiaStarts from ₹2,000 Per Digital File

I am Varun—a Bangalore-based artist who balances a day job as an engineer with a lifelong love for drawing. I am entirely self-taught, which means my work is not about achieving perfect, rigid lines, but about capturing real emotions, quirky expressions, and the stories that matter to you.

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This graphite pencil portrait of Shree Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamiji of Sringeri was a deeply meaningful project for me. I focused on capturing a sense of peace and reverence, using careful shading to create depth. It is an honor to draw figures who inspire such devotion.

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This is an example of a Fauvism-inspired portrait I painted. I love working with bold, expressive colors to create a piece that's full of energy and emotion, moving beyond a simple likeness to capture a feeling.6
A custom portrait I created using colored pencils. I focus on capturing the details and personality of the subject, making it a truly personal piece of art. If you're looking for a realistic portrait drawing, this is a great example.
This still life was made with soft pastels, which allow for rich, blendable colors. I can create custom compositions with objects that are meaningful to you, resulting in a vibrant artwork for your home.
An example of my urban sketching work, done on-location in Bengaluru. These pen and ink drawings capture the vibe of a specific place and moment, perfect for remembering a favorite spot.

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Trushi SinghBased in Bengaluru
This is a portrait of the actor Hugh Laurie. I really wanted to capture his intense and iconic expression. This piece was created using Caran d'Ache and Faber-Castell colored pencils on 220 GSM art paper to achieve this level of hyper-realism.8
A commissioned portrait of the lovely Varnika. 💛 For this piece, I used acrylics on canvas to create a warm, painterly style that focuses on her sweet personality. It's a joy to preserve such cherished memories.
Here I was experimenting with a digital oil pastel brush on my iPad. I love exploring new textures and pushing my style, and this technique creates a wonderfully expressive and modern portrait.
A classic graphite pencil portrait of Barbara Palvin. Working in monochrome allows me to focus purely on light, shadow, and form to create a timeless and elegant piece of art.

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Sushant SraneBook online; Ships across India
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A quick, expressive sketch of a 'chetta' (older brother) from my Thrissur sketch stories. I love doing these character studies.
A sketch of an elephant from the Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur. While not a person, capturing the spirit of this gentle giant felt like a portrait.

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BasitShips from Bengaluru to across India
This is the kind of portrait I love to create. Using graphite and charcoal, I work to capture not just a likeness, but a feeling. This was a commissioned piece, and my goal was to bring a sense of calm and warmth to the paper.8
I also work with color to capture special moments. This A4 size couple portrait was made using Maped color pencils on ivory paper, turning a cherished photo overlooking the mountains into a piece of lasting art.
This piece is personal. It took me 10 months, not because it was complex, but because of my own procrastination. It’s a hyperrealistic pencil sketch of Zakir Khan, whose work helped me a lot. It’s proof that with patience, we can create something we're proud of.

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Tarun KumarShips across India
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This is a time-lapse of a portrait I painted using only coffee. The natural sepia tones of the coffee create a unique warmth and depth, making it a perfect medium for a personalized commission.
A collection of some of my portrait sketches. I enjoy exploring different faces and expressions, often using simple tools like charcoal or pencil on post-it notes to capture a fleeting moment.
A collection of some of my portrait sketches. I enjoy exploring different faces and expressions, often using simple tools like charcoal or pencil on post-it notes to capture a fleeting moment.

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Madhuri UmashankarDelivers across Bengaluru; Ships across India

More from Custom Portraits by Varun N Rao

Color Pencil PortraitsDigital Caricatures & PortraitsAcrylic & Canvas PaintingsUnique Keepsakes: Portraits on Ceramic PlatesPen & Ink CaricaturesTribute ArtMy Journey as an Artist

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Digital Art & IllustrationCustom Paintings
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