Have you looked online for a portrait artist?

Maybe you want a portrait artist to draw a favorite photograph of your pet? Draw a pencil portrait of your parents' old wedding photo, or paint a watercolor portrait of your baby from a studio photo? Then you've noticed there are a lot of online artists to choose from!

Here are six tips that will help you pick the best online portrait artist for you.

• Skilled - does the portrait artist capture the subject? Look for an artist whose pencil portraits and watercolor portraits include reference photos so you can compare and gauge the artist's skill at capturing a likeness.
• Appealing - does the portrait artist make a great first impression? Look for an artist whose watercolor portraits and pencil portraits make you smile.
• Consistent - is the portrait artist consistent? Look for an artist with lots of samples. If all the sample pencil and watercolor portraits are good, then yours will be too! BEWARE art companies who sign portraits with a company name—they often hire many artists, meaning samples may not match the artist you get.
• Current - is the portrait artist current? Look for an artist whose pencil and watercolor portraits are dated this year.
• Reasonable - is the portrait artist worth the price? Look for an artist whose price makes you think you would gladly pay it.
• Trustworthy - can you trust the portrait artist? Look for one who has been in business a long while and has good recommendations. BEWARE artists with vague methods—they might "hand make" your portrait using a computer program.