Anime / Retro-Anime (Cel-Shaded)

Vibrant anime colors and crisp linework transform a familiar photograph into a polished cel-shaded illustration. The subjects retain their recognizable features, enhanced by expressive eyes and a dynamic background that complements their pose and expressions.

prompt

Transform the uploaded photograph into a CEL-SHADED ANIME illustration — redraw the entire image as a polished anime key-frame.

SUBJECT: the person/people in the uploaded photograph.

LIKENESS THROUGH STYLE (mandatory):
- A STYLE TRANSFORMATION: redraw the WHOLE image in anime style, but the subject(s) stay RECOGNISABLE — keep face shape, features, expression, hairstyle, pose, and framing. "That's [them] as an anime character."
- Apply the anime style UNIFORMLY across subject and background — one coherent illustration.
- Preserve identity cues — face shape, true skin tone in an anime palette, the real hairstyle and colour, distinguishing features. For couples/groups keep each person DISTINCT; never blend faces.

Anime style spec:
- Crisp clean INK LINEWORK; flat colour with hard-edged CEL SHADING (two-to-three tone shadows), bright specular highlights.
- Eyes: expressive anime eyes with detailed irises and bright highlights — but sized with restraint and keeping the person's real eye colour and basic shape (recognisable, not generic).
- Hair: stylised clumped strands with glossy highlight bands, the person's real hairstyle/colour.
- Skin: smooth flat anime skin with simple cel shadows and a hint of cheek blush; true complexion in the anime range.
- Background: a dramatic anime background — a vivid gradient sky with lens-flare, soft bokeh, speed-lines, or a detailed illustrated setting matching the original.
- Colour: vibrant, saturated, high-contrast anime colour.

Preserve from the original: number of people, pose and relative positions, composition/crop, key props, each person's likeness.

Output: a single clean anime illustration, no text, no border, no watermark. Aspect ratio matching the upload (or 4:5).

This image was generated with AI.

About this look

The artwork showcases a vivid palette, with bright, saturated colors that breathe life into the characters. Strong contrasts accentuate the clean ink linework, while the use of cel shading provides a polished finish that enhances depth. Each subject is carefully rendered with distinct hairstyles and facial features, ensuring they remain recognizable as their real-life selves. The background features a dramatic gradient sky and soft bokeh effects, adding a cinematic flair that aligns perfectly with the characters' dynamic poses.

How to use this prompt

To achieve the best results, upload a clear photograph of the subjects, ensuring their faces are visible. The prompt will preserve their likeness while transforming the entire image into an anime style. Make sure to choose a photo with a good balance of light and color for vibrancy. If the features appear too generic, adjust the reference faces and ensure that the original expressions and poses are clear in the upload.

Tips to customize it

Choose a photograph with bright, even lighting for a vibrant outcome.
Select an image where the subjects have distinct hairstyles to preserve uniqueness.
Consider a background that complements the subjects' clothing colors for harmony.
For best results, use a 4:5 aspect ratio to match the prompt's requirements.