Tried reaching out to them for the past month after getting a $1500 gift card from Mercedes to get…read morea portrait and now it's almost expired. They expect $300 for a booking appointment in advance but how can I trust a company who never answers their phone or even voicemail replies. Very sketchy company after reading others reviews about them.

TL;DR: Worthless…read moreVoucher: Your "free" voucher only covers a tiny print. Everything else costs a fortune. Hidden Costs: They deliberately hide prices until AFTER your photoshoot, making it awkward to back out. Pressure Sales: Expect intense pressure to upgrade and spend thousands. Inflated Prices: Even a small increase in size or adding a frame will cost you thousands extra. Non-Refundable: Once you sign, you're trapped, even if you change your mind minutes later. Overpriced: The photos are fine, but you can get the same quality elsewhere for a fraction of the price. Shop around! Slow Delivery: Be prepared to wait months for your photos, even though they take your money upfront. (Ours took 7 months!) -------------------------- Here's my story: -------------------------- A Shady Business with Bait-and-Switch Tactics The Bait: - Received a $1500 gift certificate with vague terms and no pricing information on their website. - Required to pay a $300 deposit to book an appointment. The Switch: - After a short photo session, we were informed that the certificate only covered a single 14-inch unframed photo. - We were pressured with aggressive upselling tactics and confusing "discounts" to upgrade to a much larger and more expensive package. - The pricing was exorbitant (e.g., $5,000 for a 24-inch photo) and not disclosed beforehand. - Crucially, the initial price he quoted did NOT include the frame or taxes. These were added later, step-by-step, increasing the cost significantly. The Trap: - Under pressure and with limited time, we agreed to a 24-inch framed photo and two 14-inch unframed photos for what we thought was $2,500. - The final contract price was inflated to over $2,700 with added fees and the deposit deceptively used as a "discount." - When we tried to cancel just 30 minutes after signing, citing the unexpected costs, Marc refused, claiming the contract was non-refundable (who does that??!!!). Instead of a refund, he agreed to remove the two smaller photos and reduce the price slightly, but the cost was still exorbitant for a single 24-inch portrait. The Aftermath: - We were stuck with a bill over $2,000 for a single portrait. The owner, Marc, demonstrated a complete lack of customer service and ethical business practices. - Afterward, I shopped around and realized I could have gotten the same quality portrait for a fifth of the price! Conclusion: Huelar Portraits employs a bait-and-switch business model, luring customers in with gift certificates and then pressuring them into expensive upgrades. Their pricing is outrageous, their contracts are designed to trap customers, and their sales tactics are deceptive. Be warned and stay away from this studio! If you have a voucher, go in with your mind made up to only get what's included. Don't be fooled by their manipulative tactics!

I wanted to get my portrait sketched on an umbrella and I couldn't have asked for a better one…read more Shilpy is awesome! She could translate what I wanted into a beautiful piece of art! I would definitely recommend going to her . She is also open to suggestions and would give you options of what medium will suit your picture the best! Also she is extremely knowledgeable and has a reasonable pricing

Shilphy re-sketch my father's old picture. She sketched it perfectly and the picture looks lively…read moreand better compared to the old Portrait. She is very talented and I highly recommend her .Can't wait for future projects!

Great service. We were walking through and fell in love with a piece that now is beautifully hung…read morein our living room. I highly recommend Mook Art Gallery.

"Beautiful and lovely artwork! Looks great hanging on the wall. It was packaged nicely and hangs…read moreeasily!

Lisa is an extremely talented artist who specializes in acrylic paintings. Her use of the knife is…read moreexquisite and really brings her work to life. I particularly enjoy her many captures of nature and the calming effect of the environment. Lisa, like her art has a radiant personality and is truly a joy to be around.

I only recently met Lisa through my wife Kimmy and I must say Kimmy has very good taste in people…read more My mother was an accomplished artist herself and I think Lisa shows real talent. She uses mainly Acrylic Paint and a knife to paint and has a gift for perspective, color, and balance. I was especially impressed by her subtle use of blue in a small painting of birches, which really pops out at you almost like 3D. I know too how difficult painting water can be and she tackled that nicely in a recent boat painting. Again I was both surprised and pleased by her use of color here. I am getting ready to publish a new book of poetry and hoping that I will be able to talk Lisa into doing some painting that will capture the mood of my work! Keep your eye on this young lady! I know that I am!

We had Sharon at our daughter's sixth birthday party, and everyone was truly impressed with her…read morework. After we inquired, she responded right away with the information we requested. Her responses were prompt and informative. On the day of my daughter's party, she was punctual, professional, and accommodating. The caricatures she provided made our guests so happy and pleased! We received so much positive feedback from everyone who got a caricature. She is extremely talented, and we were so glad that our guests were able to leave with a memorable souvenir. Working with Sharon was a truly wonderful experience, and she is someone we would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in live personalized digital caricatures.

Sharon is a really great artist! Her work is vibrant and full of skill. I love it!…read more Her service is about average when it comes to friendliness, cleanliness, and execution. What I did appreciate is her promptness, easy communication and easy booking process, and her professionalism. Pricing wise, she's a tad bit more affordable than other artists around the area. So, that's helpful! Plus, she was super available during a weekday rush hour! would definitely book her again!

I met Debi through a friend and ended up visiting her art studio in San Francisco. I was…read moreimmediately inspired by her pencil portrait work, so I decided to ask if I could commission a drawing made for my adorable grandparents. I had a nice photo that was taken of them many years ago, and Debi truly brought it to life. I couldn't believe how realistic the portraits were when she was done. It captured them so well, and was more life-like than the original photo. It's so nicely detailed, with a sparkle in their eyes - I absolutely love it. Every time I see this illustration hanging in their den it makes me happy I went to Debi's studio that day, because it inspired a unique gift that surprised my whole family for Christmas and immortalized the people I care about the most.

I commissioned Deb to do a portrait of my and my wife from our wedding for my first year…read moreanniversary, and it is beautiful. My wife absolutely loves it and got tears in her eyes when she first saw it. It was a black and white oil painting, her first of this particular style. Deb is not only excellent at her skill; she is extremely efficient and was a JOY to work with when discussing the commission. This portrait will be something my wife and I will treasure forever. Thank you, Deb!

Beyond impressed with the detail put into the cravings. Great customer service! Junior is really…read morenice and produces art that is soo amazing!!

From the owner: Custom Wood Carvingsread more

I requested Adriana for my son's 7th birthday party at the park last month, and it was a choice I'm…read moreglad I made. She was quick to respond and organized during our initial contact. As the date approaches, she followed up to confirm the date and showed up on time. I loved her flexibility to work with the birthday theme and all the kids loved her art work. It's one of the best I've seen, so please consider her for your next event if you're looking for a face painter!

Chaverri Artistic was the face painter for Berkeley Humane's Bark Around the Block street fare/pet…read moreadoption event. Adriana was friendly, and creative, kids and adults loved it! We loved seeing everyone get colorful! Very professional, great pre event communication and super talented! Highly recommend!

We had t-shirts made several times with New Edge, each time with a different design. They took…read moretheir time with the design and printing so we would get a quality product. Very happy with results.

This is a great company to work with. I run a nonprofit music program and I needed a shirt designed…read moreand printed in a week for our field trip. Helen and Carlos came through for the program!. They designed a shirt that captured the vibe of our program. The kids love the shirt so much that they still wear. Easy to work with and good prices. This company is professional, a pleasure to work with, and a socially responsible community business. I will be using them again.

I love Radhika's work and dedication. The painting she made for me was very close to the photograph…read moreI provided her, yet it looked like a piece of art, with every detail from the original photo being very well represented in the final painting. Her painting style is realistic, but still very artistic and beautiful. Would most definitely recommend her to everyone who would love an amazing painting of them and their family.

Dedicated artist and I love her work. Attached couple of her works which I received from her…read more Definitely a must try :) thanks Radhika!