Photoshop Tutorial: How to Make a Comic Book, Pop Art, Cartoon from a Photo

There are many apps that can add a cartoon effect to your images but they may not always offer your desired results! If you want to play around on your own then check this guide on how to make a comic book cartoon from a photo.

Turning a Photo Into a Cartoon

1. Open a photo you’d like to use. It is best to use an image that’s cropped, hence get rid of the background that you do not need.
2. The photo should be of high quality and the right size. You can customize the image and choose the following settings by going to Image in the Menu Bar and choosing Image Size:
   • Fit to: Original Size 
   • Width: Leave it default 
   • Height: 1000 Pixels
   •  Resolution: 150 Pixels/Inch
3. Make two copies of the photo by pressing Ctrl+J or Cmd+J twice. 
4. Rename both the images for easy understanding.
5. Go to Filter in the Menu and choose Filter Gallery. You will not see this option if you have an older version of the software. For older versions, go to Filter, Artistic and Poster Edges.
6. Open the Artistic folder and choose Poster Edges. Next, select these:
   • Edge Thickness: 2 
   • Edge Intensity: 1 
   • Posterization: 2
7. You’re done.

Adding Comic Effects to the Eyes

1. If you want to make it more interesting, you can include additional filters. A good option is to add comic book sized reflections on the pupils to make the eyes stand out.
2. Open the Elliptical Marquee Tool and select it.
3. Go to the center on the pupil and press Shift+alt or Shift+Option (Mac) to make a small circular selection. You can fill this area with a color of your choice.
4. Press Ctrl+Delete or Cmd+Delete to fill the color. Now, deselect the area and repeat the process with the other eye. 

Adding Borders to the Image

1. Double click the thumbnail to open its Layer Style window. 
2. Click Stroke and choose your desired color, which should be white in most cases. 
3. Click Ok.
4. Make these changes on the window:
   • Size: 23 Pixels
   • Position: Inside
5. From the left, select Inner Glow and choose the desired color, which should be black in most cases.
6. Click on.
7. Make these changes on the window:
   • Blend Mode: Normal
   • Opacity: 100% 
   • Noise: 0%
   • Choke: 100% 
   • Size: 25 Pixels
8. You’re done!

You can make some more changes to the image such as changing the color vibrancy. 

Here’s how:

1. Click the Adjustment layer icon and choose Vibrance. 
2. Play with the slider until you find your desired results.
3. Save the image and enjoy.