In this article, we will show you a simple way how to make a cartoon picture from a photo in Photoshop using various filters and blending modes. We do not have to colorize and draw anything, so the result can be saved as an action and used for other frames. Let's get started. Open a snapshot in Adobe Photoshop. Unlike photographs, cartoon drawings have a limited set of colors, are characterized by clear borders and small posterization. To make photos cartoony in Photoshop, we will add effects using filters. First, create a copy of the original layer so that the changes do not affect the original. We use the Layer / Layers ? Dublicate Layer ... command / “Duplicate a layer ...” or simply drag the layer icon onto the icon for creating a new layer in the lower menu of the layer panel. Now we’ll use the filter Filter ? Blur / Blur ? Smart Blur ... / “Smart Blur ...” . Our task is to make the colors in the photo simpler and “flat”, smooth and blur the tonal transitions that are in the original image. We select the blur parameters so that the facial features remain recognizable and fairly clear, and the tonal transitions are smoothed out. As a starting point, you can use the parameters shown in the screenshot. After the image is “smoothed out”, through the Smart Blur / “Smart Blur ...” filter , we will make it even more contrast using the Image / Image ? Adjustments ? Levels / Levels levels . Now create a copy of the layer Layer1 and use the filter Photocopy from the group Filter Gallery / «Filter Gallery" (the menu Filter / «Filter» ? Filter Gallery ... / «Filter Gallery ...") . We need to select the filter parameters in such a way as to highlight the main lines in the photo and make the picture look like a pencil sketch. This is how the image and the layer panel look at this stage: Set the top layer with the outline to Multiply / Blend Mode . the picture begins to resemble a drawing, but we will go further. The following steps will show how in Photoshop to make a cartoon picture out of a photo that will resemble a drawing from a comic book. Click on the Layer 1 layer (it is in the middle of the layers and is a blurred copy of the base one). Apply the Cutout / Application filter from the Filter menu to ? Filter Gallery / Filter Gallery . We select the filter parameters to your taste. It is necessary to reduce the number of tonal transitions and make the borders of the colors in the picture more pronounced, but at the same time maintain the main features and recognition of the photo. Next, apply the Halftone Pattern / Halftone filter from the same filter panel to the same layer . We select the Size and Contrast parameters . Put a layer Layer1 Blend Mode Linear Light / «Linear Light" and adjust its opacity. It turned out like this: So, we managed to make a cartoon picture from a photo in Photoshop in three simple steps. You can experiment with other settings or other filters from the Sketch / Artistic and Artistic sets and create your own recipe for a stylized cartoon photo.
