First, select a picture that you like to convert. (Thanks to my friend for allowing me to use his picture.) ☺
Crop as desired and remove the background using your favorite selection tools.
Now let’s create the outline. Note that the outline should be in a separate layer. In the Layers Palette, duplicate the layer of the cropped image by dragging the layer to the new layer icon.
To create the outline:
Use the ‘Stamp Filter’ to create the initial outline.
Play with the filter options to get the right thickness of the outline.
Resulting image:
Using this as a guide, create a more defined outline using the brush tool.
Then set the blending options of the layer to “multiply”.
Move the layer containing the original image to the top. Then change the opacity to 40% . We’ll use this layer as reference when coloring our character.
Now, let’s color our character!
Create a new layer, it should be next to the “outline” layer.
Using the selection tools, select the area that you want to color. I usually start with the skin.
Select the foreground color you like, then fill the selected area with your chosen color. Let's call this as the "skin" layer.
Create another layer, this time the layer should be before the “skin” layer. Using the same procedure, color the hair. This becomes the "hair" layer.
Create another layer. This time put the new on top of the “hair” layer. Select a color and color the shirt. This layer becomes the "shirt" layer.
Create another layer before the "shirt" layer and color the teeth. This becomes the "teeth" layer.
Then create another layer before the "teeth" layer. Define the highlights and shadow by coloring the specific areas. This layer is the "highlights" layer.
Finally, I just added a white background to create a higher contrast and removed the original image. You are already done with the cartoon version of yourself. ☺
