Your First Character Portrait: Why People Wait 7 Years (And Why You Shouldn't)

The truth about getting perfect character art without the ghosting horror stories

Written by Jan

The night everything changed, Sarah shared her new character art with her group.
 

What happened next broke nearly three years of invisibility.

"Wait... she's HALF-drow?!"

 

"Those scimitars... she's not just another dark elf!"
 

"She looks so... tired. Like she's actually lived through everything you've written."
 

"THIS is why you keep saying she's not evil!"

"Is this MOVING?!"


For three years, Sarah had been describing Valerie, her weary half-drow warrior who bore the weight of two worlds. 

 

Every writing session. Every character discussion. Every time someone new read her work.

 

But they never truly saw her. 

 

Not until that portrait.

"Finally," Sarah told me, "my character wasn't just words on a page anymore. She was real."

Last month, I surveyed 127 of my past clients about their character art journey. 

I asked them to be honest about their struggles.

What I discovered should disturb anyone who's ever poured their soul into a character:

The average creator waits 7 years before commissioning art

90% have tried AI generators (mainly ChatGPT) but got soulless results

About 50% use placeholder art thats "close enough" (usually from Pinterest or rough sketches)

1 in 4 say their character feels "invisible" to others

Seven years of your character existing in perfect detail in your mind while everyone else sees a completely different person.
 

Think about what that actually means: 

 

You've spent hundreds, maybe thousands of hours developing this character. 

 

Every scar has a story. Every expression has meaning. Their stance, their clothes, their eyes. Everything chosen deliberately.


But without proper visual representation, all that work stays trapped in your head. It's like writing a symphony that no one can hear. 

 

Your creative effort: all those late nights perfecting their backstory, all that emotional investment, remains unvalidated, unseen, unreal to everyone but you.
 

One writer captured it perfectly:
 

"I have 200 pages about this character. But when readers describe her, they're always wrong. It's like my creation doesn't actually exist."

The 3 Character Killers

Killer #1: The Pinterest Placeholder

You've been here. Scrolling endlessly through Pinterest, ArtStation, DeviantArt. Saving dozens of images that are "kinda close"


This one has the right hair. That one has the right armor. 

 

Another has the right expression.
 

But none of them are YOUR character.

So you cobble together a mood board. 

 

"Imagine these five images combined," 

you tell people. They nod. They sorta get the idea. 

 

But your character remains fragmented, never whole.

Killer #2: ChatGPT

Fine, you think. I'll use ChatGPT. How hard can it be?

 

You spend 45 minutes in an endless loop: 

 

'Fix the hands.' 

 

'Now fix what you broke when you fixed the hands.' 

 

'Now fix the original thing again.' 

 

Twenty iterations later, you realize you're going backwards. 

Your character looks less accurate than when you started.

 

So you save it. "Close enough," you tell yourself. 

 

Close enough for the character who's been your Friday night for two years. 

 

Close enough for the hero you think about during work meetings. 

 

"Close enough" to represent hundreds of hours of your life.

"It looked like my character's soulless twin, Kinda close, but also wrong. When Jan sent the final art, after years of imagining them, FINALLY someone else saw what I saw." -Bryson H.

You finally decide to invest in real art. Post in forums. Message artists. Your inbox floods with replies.

The gambling begins:

Half are using stolen portfolios

Prices mysteriously triple after three emails

Some take your deposit and vanish

Some deliver art that looks nothing like your vision

"I paid $240 and waited four months," 

shared Tom S. from the survey. 

"Before payment: 'Your character is amazing! I can't wait to start!' After payment: Ghost. Four months of chasing him for updates that never came."

Why You're Still Using That Wrong Image

t's not that you don't care. You care too much.


Your character means everything to you. They're not just a fictional person; they're years of creative energy made manifest. 

 

They've lived in your thoughts during commutes, in your dreams at night, in countless notebooks and documents.
 

Getting their portrait wrong would be worse than having no portrait at all.


So you wait. You save more reference images. You tell yourself "someday." You keep describing them with words, hoping someone will finally see what you see.

But here's what that costs you: 

 

Every day without proper art is another day your character exists only in your head.

 

Another day their reality depends entirely on your ability to describe them. 

 

Another day your creative work goes unvalidated, unseen in its true form.
 

You deserve to see your creation exist outside your imagination. 

 

They deserve to be real.

👋 I'm Jan. I create character portraits, but more importantly, I understand what these characters mean to you.

 

For years, I watched fellow creators struggle with invisible characters. 

 

Brilliant, complex beings trapped behind wrong images or vague descriptions. 

 

Stories that couldn't be fully told because no one could see the protagonist.


The breaking point came when a friend tried commissioning her main character. Two artists from reddit ghosted. One delivered after eight months, completely wrong. $400 and nearly a year wasted on someone who'd lived in her head for a decade.


That's when I realized: 

 

The commission system wasn't built for people like us. People who care too much. People who know every detail matters.


So I built something different.

1. A Clear, Straightforward Brief

Here's what most artists don't tell you: 

 

They expect YOU to be the art director.

With no guidance. no structure. 

 

Just "describe your character" and hope you don't forget that crucial scar, that specific way they hold their weapon, or the detail that makes them THEM.

You know your character perfectly. But translating years of mental images into words? That's where things fall apart. 

That's why I created The Ultimate Character Blueprint.

 

Forget confusing briefs. This blueprint, refined through 500+ commissions, asks the questions that actually matter:

What are the 3 MOST CRUCIAL elements to capture?

Where should the artist use creative freedom?

How do you envision the overall mood/atmosphere?

Every question is there for a reason. Every section ensures nothing gets lost between your vision and the final art.

 

It's my gift to help you articulate your character perfectly.

(Grab it free on the next page. Use it to organize your thoughts, even if you commission elsewhere.)

2. Direct Access to Me

No middlemen. No confusion. 

 

I know why the scar placement matters more than the armor color. 

 

Why "tired" and "weary" aren't the same thing. Why that half-smile needs to be exactly half.


Your character isn't just a commission to me. 

 

They're someone's years of creative work finally becoming visible.

3. The Guarantee That Shouldn't Exist

Look, I'll be honest, this isn't common for artists. 

 

Most won't offer a money-back guarantee because commissions are risky. 

 

But I'm willing to take that risk because I believe in this community, and because I want you to feel safe taking the leap. 
 

You get a polished first draft in 2 weeks. 

 

Don't love it? Full refund. No questions.


Plus unlimited revisions until it's perfect. 

 

No hidden charges.

Plus: Living Motion

I spent 3 months developing something that doesn't exist anywhere else.

Living Motion Portraits, exclusive to FondlyFramed.

Every commission this month also includes a Living Motion Upgrade of your finalized portrait:

Subtle breathing animation

Flowing cloaks and hair

Glowing magical effects

Share it anywhere. Social media. Virtual tabletops. Your website.


Watch people stop scrolling and stare.

The Seven-Year Wait Ends Today

I only take 15 commissions monthly.


4 spots remain at the time of me writing this.

Living Motion upgrade: Free this month only. Then back to $50.
 

Every week you wait is another week your character stays trapped in your head. 

 

Another week your creative work goes unvalidated. Another week of "close enough" when you deserve perfect.
 

Your character has lived in your mind long enough.
 

Time to let them out.

What Changes When They Become Real

I could tell you all day about bringing characters to life. But here's what creators who've finally met their heroes face-to-face have to say:

10/10 recommend Jan!

I spent weeks looking on Reddit, getting frustrated by the lack of price disclosure and feeling nervous about getting ghosted. Then I found Jan through a Facebook ad. She brought every detail to life based on written descriptions, scattered references, and a mediocre Hero Forge image. I'm so glad I took the plunge!

-Kaitlyn G.

Verified Customer

She really gets your character

My character had lived in my novel for four years. The moment I saw her portrait, I started writing differently. She wasn't just in my head anymore, she was real. My writing improved because I could finally see who I was writing about.

-Jayce S.

Verified Customer

Jan brought my character to life!

Honestly, I was scared at first, because I'm really picky with art. But Jan managed to gather everything I described into the picture. I nearly heard my character speaking out of it. Her eyes seemed to be alive. It was worth every bit of anxiety and doubt I had going in.

-Luzy L.

Verified Customer

Even better than Hero Forge

The Weaver has been my character for a year and a half, and I could never get them right with Hero Forge or my own drawings. Jan brought this enigmatic courtier to life perfectly. I'll definitely commission again when the campaign wraps to show how the character has changed and evolved.

-Gale S.

Verified Customer

FondlyFramed

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Fantasy Character Portrait

See Your Character in 2 Weeks

Heroic Money-Back Guarantee

Unlimited Revisions

Proven Trust & Experience

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does my order include?

1) A custom hand-painted portrait of your character

 

2) My Heroic Money Back Guarantee

3) Unlimited revisions until it's perfect

 

4) 2-week turnaround on your first concept

 

5) Limited Bonus: Get a Free Living Motion upgrade on your finalized portrait. (Regular Price: $50, Limit 1 per customer)

Not sure where to start or how to describe your character?

No problem at all! I'll guide you through the commission process step-by-step. Many of my clients are first-time commissioners, so you're in good company.

 

If you'd like to be extra prepared, you're welcome to grab a free Character Blueprint and fill that out with as much or as little detail as you feel comfortable with.

 

Otherwise, you can simply make a purchase, and I'll personally walk you through everything from there. My goal is to make this easy and enjoyable for you!

How does the Money‑Back Guarantee work?

After I deliver your polished concept (in around 2 weeks), you will have 3 days to decide if the art feels right. If not, just email me, I'll refund you in full.

Once I start revisions, the guarantee ends. Simple, risk‑free, and there so you can commission with confidence.(See the full Refund Policy for the fine print.)

 

I truly believe everyone deserves to see their hero come to life. This guarantee is just my way of making sure you feel safe jumping in.

 

P.S. — Still nervous? On the next page, you'll find my Character Blueprint free. Use it to finally organize all those details in your head, even if you commission elsewhere. Consider it my gift to fellow creators who know that every detail matters.

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