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Medieval portrait maker

You, painted by a 14th-century monk: flat tempera colours, solemn almond eyes and burnished gold leaf that catches the light, on a page of vellum that has waited seven hundred years for you.

Make yours free See examples

From a selfie or a sentence, in about ten seconds. No card needed.

Manuscript examples

Each of these was drawn from one line of text, shown under it. Type your own, or add a selfie instead.

Medieval illuminated manuscript portrait of a young woman with a copper-red bob and round glasses
Made from “19-year-old woman with a messy copper-red bob, round tortoiseshell glasses, chunky green cardigan, curious look”
Medieval illuminated manuscript portrait of a young man with spiky brown hair in a basketball jersey
Made from “21-year-old man with a spiky mop of brown hair, oversized blue basketball jersey with no lettering over a white tee, cheeky grin”
Medieval illuminated manuscript portrait of a golden retriever in a red bandana
Made from “a golden retriever with a realistic, naturally proportioned head turned slightly to one side, long wavy golden fur, mouth open in a happy pant, wearing a red bandana”

What makes it Manuscript

Real paint, real gold

Thick tempera with fine cracks and raised gold leaf, photographed close up like a page in a museum case.

Medieval faces

Simple, flat and a little solemn, with large almond eyes: the charm of the originals, not a modern painting.

Jewel colours

Lapis blue, vermilion and malachite green against warm cream parchment.

Borders and patterns

A plain vellum ground, or thorny vine borders, chequered patterns, gothic arches and painted clouds.

How to make one

  1. Pick Manuscript. The button on this page opens minipic.me with Manuscript already chosen.
  2. Add a selfie or a sentence. One face in good light, looking at the camera, works best. Or describe anyone (or anything) in a few words.
  3. Keep it. Download PNG or WebP from 64 to 1024 pixels, with the background kept or cut out to transparent, or tweak it ("add a red scarf").

Great for

  • Profile pictures that make people laugh, then look closer
  • History, book and museum lovers
  • Tabletop and fantasy campaign characters
  • Wedding, birthday and anniversary cards
  • Prints for the wall

Questions

Will it still look like me?

It keeps your hair, glasses, outfit colours and features, drawn the way a medieval illuminator would have: flatter and more stylised than a photo, which is the point.

Can I pick the border?

Yes. Choose a plain parchment ground or one of the medieval settings (vine borders, patterned grounds, a gothic arch, painted clouds) when you draw.

Is it free?

Your first two avatars are free, no card needed. After that, your first pack is $5 for 12 avatars, then packs start at $9 for 20, and credits never expire.

Do you keep my photo?

A photo you add to draw once is used for that drawing and not kept. Photos you save in People are kept privately until you delete them or your account.

More styles

Stained GlassBacklit leaded glass window Fantasy80s fantasy paperback cover painting InkMinimal black ink-wash portrait

See all styles

Two avatars on us.

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