10+ Memorial Painting Ideas: Honoring Loved Ones Through Art

How do you keep memories of someone you’ve lost? It’s never easy to say a final goodbye to our loved ones. Sometimes, words alone can’t express the depth of love we hold in our hearts. In situations like these, commissioning a memorial painting can be a heartfelt way to preserve the memories and bring their presence into our lives in a beautiful form. 

If you’re looking for ways to capture the depth of love, gratitude, or nostalgia, a memorial painting might be the perfect tribute to your shared moments and unforgettable emotions. Still, sometimes it’s hard to figure out what kind of painting best honors their memory and resonates with your feelings at the same time.

To help you with this process, we’ve gathered 10+ memorial painting ideas to create a lasting tribute to someone or something that meant the world to you in the most meaningful way.

Why Memorial Paintings Are Important?

While custom paintings and photographs often aim to capture a single moment, memorial paintings have a deeper emotional and spiritual representation of a person. If you have never thought about commissioning a memorial painting, you should know that the basic purpose of these types of artworks is far from just remembering loved ones. 

The tradition of creating memorial paintings started over 2000 years ago. Egyptians and Victorians considered art as a means of honoring the deceased. This tradition has evolved but remains significant today. In particular, this custom continued for centuries, and in the 1600-1700s, memorial paintings became common among the European aristocracy. According to Oxford Academic, during the Victorian era, the main function of memorial paintings was to honor people and express memories. 

Not surprisingly, today, tribute artworks continue to hold significance. Modern painters create various types of memorial artwork in different mediums and using various painting styles, such as hyperrealism, impressionism, and abstract forms.

Portrait-Based Memorial Paintings

One of the most personal and intimate ways to remember a loved one is definitely creating a memory portrait from their photo. That’s because portrait-based memorial paintings reflect the details of their expressions, faces, movements, and other unique features that can make you feel like they are vividly present in your life. 

Let’s discuss some ideas for portrait-based memorial artworks that can add a meaningful touch to your space or serve as a heartfelt gift to others.

1. Painting from Photographs

There’s no better way to reflect here-and-now moments than by taking a photograph. Our photographs are a way to preserve expressions, gestures, and memories that would otherwise fade away over time. However, not all the photographs have the same value. In order to give your previous photos a new layer of meaning, turning them into a piece of art is an ideal way to bring those memories to life. 

Consequently, a custom painting based on a photo can become a powerful, lasting tribute that honors your loved one.

2. Individual Memorial Painting

People who want to honor their family members often commission custom individual portraits. Unlike general portraits, individual memorial paintings allow artists to add extra personal touches.

For instance, they can include elements, such as your loved one’s favorite item, meaningful settings, or expressions that capture the essence of the person being remembered. 

3. Couple Remembrance Portraits

However hard it is for us to accept, losing a spouse is one of the deepest sorrows we face. The deep emotions people experience after this event are probably why custom couple paintings are one of the most popular memorial art ideas. This way, you can maintain your connection and capture their tender gestures, frozen in time. 

The same applies to children whose parents have passed away and who are looking for ways to feel their presence again at home. Thanks to a painted tribute, their love story is preserved forever.

4. Compilation Portraits

Sometimes we wish to have a remembrance portrait of our loved ones in a single image but the reality is that they never appeared together in a photograph. In situations like this, creating compilation memorial portraits is the best idea. These types of custom family portraits can bring together different generations and celebrate relationships across time. Note that if you decide to order a compilation portrait, you’ll need a few separate photos that capture details of each person.

5. Historical Memorial Paintings

Artists also enjoy working on tribute paintings that honor individuals or events that had a big impact on society. If you also aim to preserve the essence of important moments, creating historical memorial paintings could be an inspiring idea. For instance, Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People and Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Marat describe the bravery and emotion tied to significant historical events.

Creative Memorial Painting Concepts

Believe it or not, sometimes even most professional artists find it hard to capture emotions and memories through realism alone. This is especially true for memorial paintings that feature abstract and symbolic elements. The reason is that creating an abstract representation of your loved one requires specific symbolism. Since this is deeply personal, our expert artists often turn to a creative style to make tribute art even more special. 

Let’s consider some creative memorial painting concepts that you can commission or work on as an artist.

6. Nature and Landscape Memorials

Memorial paintings don’t only help us remember individuals who passed away. In fact, creating custom landscape paintings can be a great way to preserve a memory of a place that has a special personal significance to us. This could be a specific location associated with the person, like a beloved hometown, a favorite vacation spot, or any place with a deep emotional meaning.

Psychologists believe that landscapes like these evoke a sense of place attachment — a bond with the locations where we had meaningful experiences.

7. Symbolic Memorial Paintings

Do you associate your loved one with a specific symbol? For example, you might think that their favorite color, flower, or even an animal represents them best. These types of symbols can easily evoke memories and create a meaningful way to keep their presence close. That’s why people often choose to create symbolic memorial paintings. Yes, even though the elements of this artwork can be abstract, they can still help you feel a sense of connection with that individual.

8. Abstract Representations

Speaking of symbolic representations, sometimes artists choose to honor people who passed away with abstract remembrance paintings. The main purpose of these memorial painting ideas is to focus less on physical characteristics and pay more attention to emotions and memories. For this, they usually use different types of colors, shapes, and textures. 

Abstract art provides freedom to express things that traditional forms of art might not be able to capture. For this, artists usually use bold brushstrokes, unique textures, or specific color palettes.

Angel & Spiritual Memorials

Anyone who’s aware of art history has probably noticed that spiritual symbolism has always been an integral part of classic art. In general, artists use divine elements to symbolize peace, protection, and hope, especially in times of loss or grief. One great example of this is The Assumption of the Virgin by Titian, which portrays Mary ascending into the heavens, surrounded by angels and divine light. 

If you’re looking for a sense of comfort like this, creating a memorial painting with angels and spiritual themes could be a good idea.

9. Angel Portraits

For many people, angels are associated with pure love and protection. As a result, painters often include angel symbols in memorial paintings. Not only as symbols, sometimes religious people even order full angel portraits in order to maintain a sense of peace and feel that their loved ones are still watching over them.

This is especially common among those who value spiritual connection and find comfort in angelic representations.

10. Religious Symbols

While angels are the most common religious symbols, there are many other memorial painting ideas that help spiritual people feel the presence of their loved ones.

For example, you can ask an artist to include religious symbols, such as crosses, halos, doves, and even specific saints, into the artwork to express your spiritual belief and dedicate this painting to a deceased loved one.

Pet Memorial Painting Ideas

It’s natural to feel empty after losing a beloved pet. After all, pets are our family members who bring joy and comfort to everyday life. If you’re an artist grieving this loss, working on a pet memorial painting can be a thoughtful way to honor your pet’s memory and provide a lasting tribute you can cherish forever. 

In a similar way, you can commission memorial pet portraits based on the following ideas.

11. Pet Portraits from Photos

Creating custom pet portraits from your photos is one of the most heartfelt ways to honor the memory of a beloved pet.

The best part is that instead of having a painting of a random pet, an artist can observe your fluffy friend’s personality traits and expressions and actually bring their character to life. That way, your pet will always feel present around you.

12. Pet Portrait with Owner

If you prefer a memorial painting of your pet, where your bond is evident, you should probably think about getting a pet portrait that features both you and your pet. While custom cat portraits and custom dog portraits on your furry friend alone, your joint portrait will serve as a reminder of the special relationship and shared experiences between you both. And this, in turn, is another way to keep them close to you forever.

Create a Lasting Tribute with a Memorial Portrait

Most artists who have experienced loss or want to honor a loved one would find inspiration in these meaningful memorial painting ideas. 

If you’re ready to create a tribute that captures the essence of your memories, now is the right time to bring these thoughtful ideas to life and start working on a custom memorial painting. But if you think you wouldn’t be able to create it on your own, our professional artists are here to help.

At Photo2Painting, we can transform your cherished memories into personalized works of art that honor the lives of your beloved individuals or pets. Let us work with you to create a memorial portrait from a photo that can serve as a timeless reminder of its impact on your life.

What to Know More About Memorial Paintings?

Even though commissioning memorial paintings is a popular practice these days, this tradition has its roots in classic art. For centuries, painters used specific symbols, settings, or poses, such as lilies to represent purity or candle-lit backgrounds to symbolize the soul’s eternity. These elements reflected the essence of their loved ones and respect towards them. 

Nevertheless, many people still have questions about the process and significance of creating these lasting tributes. That’s why we decided to clarify some common queries and offer helpful insights about memorial paintings. 

What is a memorial painting?

A memorial painting is an artwork created to honor and remember a particular individual who has passed away. Other than individuals, artists also work on memorial portraits of beloved pets or specific events that have significance for those who experience grief. 

Generally, these paintings are based on real photographs and feature symbolic elements that have emotional or spiritual meaning.

How do I choose the right type of memorial painting?

To choose a memorial painting type, consider style, symbols, and materials that resonate with your memories. These ideas will help you identify the right type of content, setting, style, and symbols that resonate with your memories. 

For instance, if your family member passed away before an important event, like a wedding, you can include them in a memorial painting beside you in a wedding setting. This way, even if they couldn’t be there physically, you can still make them a part of those special moments. Such memorial art will become a lasting reminder of their influence on your life.

What materials are typically used in memorial paintings?

Artists usually use oil, acrylic, watercolor, and other high-quality materials for memorial paintings. 

• Oil paint - Offers durability; It’s ideal for long-lasting artwork.
• Acrylic paint - Dries faster; It’s suitable for projects that require quick completion.
• Watercolor paint -  Provides a softer look. Artists often choose it for a lighter, more delicate appearance.

Artists also require specific surfaces for memorial paintings, such as specialized paper or canvas.

Are memorial paintings thoughtful gifts?

Yes, memorial paintings make thoughtful, personal gifts, especially for family members or friends who want a lasting tribute to someone they miss. As a result, people often commission memorial paintings for special occasions, such as anniversaries, birthdays, or holidays, as a way to honor memories.