Are paintings and drawings of the prophets and pious people forbidden?

If their faces are veiled is it okay or is it outright forbidden

as-salamu alaikum,

this is from the Sharh al-Azhar:

“And it is obligatory to alter (i.e., change or destroy) a statue or image of a complete, independent living being.”
This refers to, for example, when someone makes out of silver, copper, wood, wax, stone, or clay the image of a horse, a man, or any other animal, in such a way that the figure possesses the full bodily parts (organs) characteristic of a living creature and is capable of standing independently on its own.
The image is considered complete in form except for what is not essential for life such as the loss of one eye, or one finger, or one ear for the absence of such does not remove the prohibition.
The prohibition is lifted only when the image lacks something without which life cannot continue such as the head, or the lower half of the body, or if it is split in two, or similar.

The author said:
Thus, any depiction of that kind a full, independent image as described must be altered in all cases, whether it is in a place of disrespect (such as something walked upon) or not, and whether it is in use or not.
There is no disagreement regarding the obligation to alter anything of this nature.

As for images that are not independent but are woven (manṣūj) as found in certain Roman or Indian carpets, or in decorative fabrics used for horse covers or garments or engraved or embossed in doors, utensils, basins, pitchers, lamps, and the like then if such designs are merely plated or superficial, it is not obligatory to change them.
However, woven or engraved images of that kind must be altered unless they are in a place of humiliation, such as when used as a rug walked upon with the feet, or when they are not in use that is, not eaten upon, not drunk from, not used to hold water or anything else but are simply placed for decoration to please the eye of the onlooker; in such cases, it is not obligatory to change them.

And it is not obligatory to alter printed images those stamped or printed onto cloth or other surfaces at all: whether they are used (such as garments with printed, not woven, designs made with dye or similar methods) or unused, there is no obligation whatsoever to alter any of them.

It has been said: “The same ruling applies to embroidery (taṭrīz).”
(Ḥāshiyat Saḥūlī, verbatim) and (é).
And similar wording appears in al-Bayān.
The mufti said: “I said: this is more akin to what is engraved or inlaid (mulḥam).”
And in Sharḥ al-Āyāt it is stated: “As for embroidery, it has no [actual] substance.”
[End of Quote]

in the Note:
And the sin is upon the maker of such images, because of the prohibition reported regarding it as in al-Bustān:
It is the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Those who make images will be the most severely punished people on the Day of Resurrection.” (Shams al-Akhbār).

This demonstrates that depictions of living beings are considered impermissible, except when the image is incomplete specifically, when it lacks a bodily part essential to life.

wa salam