Before cameras were invented, portraits still existed. In the west, the most common medium for portraits were paints on canvas. From oil paint, to acrylic paint, to water colours. Depending on the medium the artist had chosen, the time it takes to finish the portrait may take more than a day. For example, the oil painting above titled "Eleanor of Toledo and her son" by Giovanni Bronzio may have taken the artist up to five months. However, there is one similarity among most western portrait painting, it's that they are usually very detailed. Some Western societies truly appreciated the human form. An example of that would be Da Vinci's drawings of the human body. Of course, these portraits were not cheap. Those who could afford to have their portrait painted were usually wealthy.