Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: software to convert photos to anime/manga style images

This is topic software to convert photos to anime/manga style images in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 03-17-2004, 06:19 PM:

Does anyone know of software that converts photos to anime/manga style images?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-17-2004, 07:41 PM:

It's called an "artist". They draw with their own hands![av=n]

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 03-18-2004, 10:25 AM:

Send your photo to Japan. For about $0.12 an hour, a nice little girl will turn it into anime for you. [Smile]

=TMP=

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-18-2004, 11:31 AM:

Actually one shouldn't have to go that far. The various graphic styles that are popular in anime and manga are currently very popular on college campuses all over. Matthew might only need visit a local college art program or anime club (these days virtually every college campus in the US has an anime club) to find young (i.e. inexperienced and therefore inexpensive) but nonetheless talented people that can do this kind of work.

BTW Houston is the home of AD Vision Films, the largest licensor and importer of anime programs in the US. They got their start at a local anime club frequented by the geeks from NASA's Johnson Space Center. Quite a cottage industry has grown up in the Houston area supporting production, post-production, and DVD authoring for anime titles.

Posted by Stewart Anderson (Member # 1809) on 03-18-2004, 11:35 AM:

You should be able find free-ware on the Internet. Look up GIF software on Google or Yahoo. And if you find anything that you need to pay for just download it on KaZaa [Wink]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 03-18-2004, 01:02 PM:

If you have Photoshop you should be able to approximate the look of a cartoon drawing from a photo.

Let's say you posterize the original picture down to about 8 colors then apply a "Median" filter to the image. You'll smooth the color tones down into areas of more or less contiguous color.

Next, you make another layer fromt he background and apply a "Trace Edges" filter. Use "Threshold" to make that layer one color (B/W) and adjust it's complexity. Overlay that on the main image and adjust the transparency till you have what you want.

I'm not the greatest Photoshop artist in the world but I think you get my idea. I'm sure some other people out there can do a better job than I did. At least this will get you in the ballpark.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 10-27-2004, 05:24 PM:

Try here: I Am Anime.com

For a nominal fee their artists will create an anime caricature from your submitted photos.

Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 10-28-2004, 07:18 PM:

(Color to sketch)
Find a picture you would like to make a sketch out of and then open it in photoshop. Now go to Image>Adjustments>Desaturate. Then go to Filter>Stylize>Find Edges. Now press ctrl+L to bring up your levels dialog box and adjust the levels to suit you. (TIP: To give your sketch a lighter apearance adjust the output levels in your levels dialog box). Then I would erase any lines I didn't want.

Also, try the (Filter) >> Artistic >> Cutout, and adjecting it to your liking.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-28-2004, 11:33 PM:

I agree with Joe's judgment. If you want a "manga" or "anime" (or fannie mae or whatever) version of a photo you'll have to draw it yourself or have someone do it for you.

Filters on photos will not produce the desired effect. Why? Check the proportions of anatomy on such cartoon characters. Body shapes and sizes are very exaggerated, moreso than most American drawn comic books. The characters have eyes the size of dinner plates and noses so small you wonder how they can breathe, especially when many of the female characters lack any nostrils. The look is not based on reality. So if you want to copy the look you have to draw it.

There are books out there on the market which actually describe a lot of common steps in making manga characters.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 10-30-2004, 09:33 PM:

How to Draw Manga