Paint my love: See how weddings are captured live on canvas

It’s hard work completing a painting in real time. But the results cause gasps, laughter, happy tears. See how artists get it done.

(Courtesy Pritesh Rangole)

Artist Pritesh Rangole, 27, usually begins set-up two hours before the bride and groom arrive, reviewing the light and planning which decor elements he wants to incorporate. It is often so busy once the ceremony begins that there is no time for food or even toilet breaks. Rangole says he has worked at 40 weddings since he started offering this service in August, for rates that start at ₹35,000 per event.

A painting by Chetan Advirkar, 30, from Mumbai. The rush and hurry, the interruptions and comments from guests, are par for the course. But wedding season also stretches through the winters, and “my hands become so rigid, it’s sometimes hard to hold the brush,” he says, laughing.

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(Courtesy Noor)

Today, most couples and their families get quite involved in the conceptualising of the wedding art, says lawyer-turned-artist Noor. Some want deceased relatives to be represented. Others want pets woven in. Some submit reference works collected off the internet.

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(Courtesy Keerthana Adepu)

Not all endings are happy. “Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, either the painting isn’t finished on time, or the clients are not happy with it. In such cases, I take their suggestions, go home, make the changes and finish it to their liking. After all, it is their big day and you want to do your best to make them happy,” says Keerthana Adepu, 23, an artist from Hyderabad.