Half-Body, Thigh-Up or Full-Body? Choose the Right Character Portrait

Every artist names their crops a little differently, so the words on an order page don't tell you much. The question under all of them is simple. Which parts of your character make it into the picture?

A bust focuses on the head and shoulders. Half-body keeps the attention on the face and upper body. Step up to thigh-up and you add the hips and upper legs. Full-body shows everything, boots to horns.

I work on the last three with my team of vetted, paid artists. Half-body is $99, thigh-up is $139 and full-body is $199. My current portrait listing describes half-body as chest-up, so ask about any hand or prop that must stay in the frame.

Start with the details you'd miss

Before you pick a size, write down two or three things that would make the portrait feel wrong if they went missing. Then check that your crop shows them clearly.

• The face. An expression, a scar, or eyes that need to read at a glance.
• Hands and gear. A gesture, an instrument or a holy symbol. Say which part has to show.
• The silhouette. A cape, antlers, wings or a tail, or the shape of the whole outfit.
• A companion. A pet, a familiar or a mount needs its own space in the picture.

You can leave the rest to me. When every buckle is marked urgent, the real priorities get hard to see. The boots have lore, sure. They can still wait their turn.

Then pick the smallest crop that holds everything on your list. The crop decides how big everything gets. In a half-body the face fills most of the canvas, and in a full-body that same face shrinks to make room for the feet.

Half-body

Half-body is the crop for faces. The expression gets the most room. Hands and held props can fit when they come up into the crop, like a card near the chest or a hammer resting on the shoulder.

It's also the crop that holds up best when it's small. On a character sheet or a VTT token, the face stays big enough to read.

One thing to check. A raised hand can fit, but a hand resting on a sword at the hip may fall outside the crop. If that hand matters, ask before choosing half-body or consider thigh-up.

Thigh-up

Thigh-up is the crop for outfits. You get everything half-body gives you, plus the belt and the coat, down to the middle of the thigh.

Pick it when the clothes tell the story. It's also the better choice for a sword belt or a spellbook hanging at the hip, which can sit outside a chest-up crop. Name any hanging weapon or long coat in your order, so we can check it against the lower edge.

Boots and long tails fall below the frame. If those matter, go full-body.

Full-body

Full-body shows the whole character. Pick it when the stance matters, or when the design runs all the way down, like armored boots or a staff taller than its owner.

The trade is size. The whole figure has to fit, so the face gets smaller. That costs you on a phone screen or a token, and it doesn't matter at all on a print across the room.

This is the crop for the boots with lore. It also makes a good reference for a mini or a cosplay, since nothing is cropped away. A sculptor also needs the back and the sides, which one painting can't show.

Match the crop to where it will live

A portrait on your character sheet has a different job from a tiny circle on a battle map. Choose for the place you'll actually look at it.

Where it will live	Best crop
VTT token or Discord avatar	Half-body
Character sheet or campaign journal	Half-body or thigh-up
Framed print on a wall	Thigh-up or full-body
Reference for a mini or a cosplay	Full-body

A token is a small circle, so the face needs to fill it, and half-body gets you there. For a print, think about viewing distance. A full figure looks great from across the room, while the face takes up less of the page.

If you plan to print, tell me the frame size when you order. The shape of the frame decides how much room the composition needs. Every size arrives as a high-resolution file, ready for a print or your VTT.

What changes the price

The crop sets the starting price. Refinement revisions within the original agreed brief and approved concept are unlimited. A different pose or other new scope can need a separate quote under the commission terms.

Confirm the Initial Concept and final-file dates when we agree on the brief. If the concept misses your supplied brief in good faith, a refund request must be received within 72 hours of delivery and before any revisions are requested or begin. The refund policy covers the base commission value plus eligible unused shipping, with exclusions for add-ons, upgrades, rush fees, printing and framing.

A pet or familiar sharing the frame belongs in your order, so I can plan the space for it. Two characters in one portrait means two orders. I paint each character on its own and then bring them together, so everyone also gets their own portrait. If you're planning one for the whole party, read the party portrait guide first.

For what character art costs across the market, see the 2026 pricing guide.

What to put in your order

A few plain sentences are all an order needs. Give me the crop, where the portrait will live and the details you care about.

That's enough to start, and I'll ask about the details you didn't think to mention. If your description keeps turning into a campaign recap, the Character Quest writes a full description with you in about five minutes. The character description template helps too.

Questions people ask

Does half-body include the hands?

They can fit when raised into the crop, but they are not automatic. My listing describes half-body as chest-up. Name the hand or prop that must show, and ask whether it fits before choosing the format.

How is thigh-up different from half-body?

Thigh-up goes further down, through the hips to the middle of the thigh. Choose it when the belt, the coat or anything worn at the hip matters.

Is thigh-up the same as three-quarter?

Close. Some artists call this crop three-quarter, but that phrase also describes a head turned partly away from the viewer. I stick with thigh-up.

Can a full-body portrait work as a VTT token?

It can, if the face stays clear when you crop in. Half-body is the easier choice, because a full figure in a small circle turns into a speck.

Do you paint busts?

No. Half-body is my closest crop, and it gives the same face room for the hands.

Which crop makes the best gift?

The one that keeps what they talk about. Someone who talks about their character's face will love a half-body. If the armor comes up every session, go full-body.

Pick the details first. The crop follows.

Portraits open through a waitlist. Join it on the portrait page and I'll text you when your turn comes.