BY BEN ZSCHUNKE
I really want to make a video showing how to make one. And eventually I will have one for anyone who wants to learn how to do some of the more intense layering techniques.


But here are the basics:


1) Start with a photo of your choice.
2.) Make a new layer called "Lines" as there will be many layers.
3.) Outline the subject with the brush tool holding [shift] so that you don't have to trace. Click, [Shift] + Click.

4.) Once you have all of the elements outlined, make a new layer (under the lines) for the skin.
5.) Pick a skin tone and paint in all the areas where the skin color will go. Don't worry about going over the lines. This makes sure you get every nook and cranny.
6.) Erase areas where the color when over the lines.

7.) Repeat Steps 4 - 6 for each color.


This is more advanced:


8.) Now for Highlighting and Shadowing. Find an area in the original photo that is considerably lighter than the rest. Probably the hair.
9.) Make a new layer under that of the lines but over the hair and lasso the area that needs to be highlighted. Don't forget you can always erase.
10.) Paint that area white.

11.) Make the layer an overlay by going to the blending options.
12.) Change the opacity until it looks good.
13.) repeat for any highlighted area. If shadowed, follow the same proceeder but paint the area black instead of white.


Sunburst Background:


14.) On a new layer, create a background color.
15.) On a seperate layer, create a triangle using the paint brush. (White and black work best, but experiment with other colors.)
16.) Position the triangle behind the subject.

17.) Stretch the triangle until it looks right.
18.) Duplicate the triangle layer.
19.) With the new triangle, rotate it 20˚ - 30˚

20.) Repeat steps 18 and 19 until you have enough triangles.
21.) Merge all the triangle layers.
22.) Set as an overlay.


23.) Create a new layer and call it "Glow"
24.) Select the feathered edge brush and with the same color, paint the middle of the sunburst, giving the subject a glowing edge. It's ok to over do it. If you do, change the opacity.


Tips:

- Your picture is different from the photo therefore, choose a color pallette that works for you. Complimentary colors. Primaries. Cools. Warms. It's your call.
- Don't get too detailed with the outline.
- Put layers from the cartoon subject in a folder. This will avoid confusion later on.
- Sometimes the cartoon doesn't look quite right. Leave elements out or modify a shape of an ear or mouth to give the right idea.
- When using photos from Facebook, a 3 pixel brush should do good for the outline.

Courtesy Ben Zschunke.




His tips are good. I have one to add.

When adding the highlights layer a simple trick to do is take the are of your face that is just skin and select it all. The easiest layer to select it in is probably "lines".

1) select your face with skin
2) go to the original picture layer, but don't unselect
3) copy it (CTRL+C)
4) paste it as a new layer (CTRL+V)
5) turn the opacity down
6) add a gaussian blur as desired

It's a pretty simple trick if you get lazy. It's way cool to just add the lighting in on your own though.


Please note as well that these are mostly all tips....guidlines directing you towards the outcome. Photoshop is such a huge program that there are many ways of coming up with the same thing. I've seen an effect like this happen by just making tons of layers and adding some weird filters on it.
Make it your own.