How to Turn Photos into Illustrations with AI (Best Prompts Inside)
With modern AI image tools, you can apply over 100 illustration styles to a single photo. In this guide, you’ll learn how to convert photos into illustrations step by step and use creative prompts to customize your results. We’ll also cover the best online photo-to-illustration converters and answer common questions to help you achieve consistent, high-quality outputs.
- Step-by-Step: How to Turn Photos into Illustrations
- 9 Creative Photo to Illustration Prompt Ideas
- Best Photo to Illustration Online Converter
- Photo to Illustration FAQ
Step-by-Step: How to Turn Photos into Illustrations
You can easily transform your photos using two methods: applying ready-made templates or creating unique styles with text prompts. Here is how to do it with MyEdit.
Option 1: Apply Templates in Just 1 Click
- Go to MyEdit and select "AI Art."
- Upload your image and select your preferred filter.
- Tap “Generate” to see your result!
Option 2: Generate Custom Styles via Text Prompts
- Go to MyEdit and select "AI Art."
- Upload your reference photo.
- Choose Custom mode.
Enter your prompt: Try specifying a style.
See examples for inspiration!
- Click Generate.
9 Creative Photo to Illustration Prompt Ideas
- Neo-Pop Childhood Art
- Classic Editorial Illustration
- Big Tech Art
- Soft Cyberpunk Illustration
- Retro Superhero Comic Art
- Mid-Century Americana
- Dark Fantasy Anime
- Naive Crayon Art
- Vintage Ink Sketch
1. Neo-Pop Childhood Art
Prompt sample:
"Turn this photo into a Neo-Pop illustration. Big-headed character, cynical expression, pastel colors, hand-drawn aesthetic, starry eyes, dreamlike background."
2. Classic Editorial Illustration
Prompt sample:
"A modern editorial illustration in the distinct style of a The New Yorker magazine cover. Use clean, precise black outlines, flat saturated colors, and sharp, stylized shading. The scene should be densely detailed with a clear narrative."
3. Big Tech Art
Prompt sample:
"Corporate Memphis style illustration, flat vector art, joyful characters with exaggerated limbs, vibrant pastel colors, tech startup aesthetic, minimal background, working in office scene."
4. Soft Cyberpunk Illustration
Prompt sample:
"Cyberpunk anime-style illustration of this person, nighttime Japanese cityscape, soft neon lights, muted colors, low saturation, pastel cyberpunk color palette, rainy atmosphere with subtle reflections, cinematic lighting, soft glow, high-detail digital illustration, concept art style."
5. Retro Superhero Comic
Prompt sample:
"Turn this photo into a vintage American comic book illustration, 1950s–1960s superhero style, bold black ink outlines, exaggerated heroic anatomy, strong muscles and confident pose, flat high-contrast colors, classic halftone print texture, retro comic cover style, dramatic lighting, clean line art, hand-drawn comic illustration stylized illustration, not photorealistic, no modern digital painting, no anime style, pure comic book line art."
6. Mid-Century Americana
Prompt sample:
"Turn this photo into a vintage mid-20th century magazine illustration, in the style of Constantin Alajálov or The Saturday Evening Post. The art style should be a gouache and watercolor painting with a humorous, satirical storytelling vibe. Use expressive, slightly stylized characters, vibrant vintage colors (warm yellows, festive reds, and deep blues), and a busy, lively composition typical of 1950s Americana cover art."
7. Dark Fantasy Anime
Prompt sample:
"Attack on Titan anime style, WIT Studio style, thick bold outlines, intense dramatic lighting, high contrast, gritty atmosphere, serious expression, detailed eyes, cinematic composition, anime screencap."
8. Naive Crayon Art
Prompt sample:
"Turn this photo into a quirky, hand-drawn illustration in a naive crayon and charcoal style. Use thick, rough, scribbly black outlines and messy, textured pastel coloring on grainy paper. The final image should look like a page from an indie zine or a children's book with a rough circular background element."
9. Vintage Ink Sketch
Prompt sample:
"Turn this photo into a pen and ink illustration style . Use intricate cross-hatching for shading and texture. The style should be monochrome (black and white) with a gothic, Victorian surrealist vibe. The lines should be fine and scratchy, creating a mysterious and slightly macabre atmosphere."
Best Photo to Illustration Online Converter
MyEdit is the top choice if you want to transform photos into illustrations. Powered by advanced AI models like Nano Banana Pro and Flux, it offers over 150 filters and unique editing capabilities, allowing you to not only apply styles but also modify specific details of your image using simple text prompts.
- Diverse Art Styles: Access over 150 AI filters including trending styles like Anime, 3D Cartoon, Clay, Pixel Art, and Toy Figure to instantly change the look of your photos.
- Text Prompt Editing (AI Replace): Beyond simple filters, you can use the "AI Replace" feature to modify specific parts of your photo. Simply brush over an area and type a text prompt to instantly change it.
- Easy 3-Step Process: The interface is intuitive—just "Upload Photo -> Choose Style/Enter Prompt -> Generate" to create high-quality art in seconds.
- Feature Preservation: Built with cutting-edge AI, it preserves your original facial features and expressions even when applying heavy artistic transformations.
- No Installation & Secure: Runs entirely in your web browser with no app installation required, making it a safe and convenient option for creative projects.
Photo to Illustration FAQ
Option 1: Apply Templates in Just 1 Click
- Go to MyEdit and select "AI Art."
- Upload your image and select your preferred filter.
- Tap "Generate" to see your result!
Option 2: Generate Custom Styles via Text Prompts
- Go to MyEdit and select "AI Art."
- Upload your reference photos.
- Choose Custom mode.
- Enter your prompt to create a unique look.
Open a photo-to-illustration converter like MyEdit, upload your image, and select the "Cine Anime" filter.
Open a photo-to-illustration converter like MyEdit. It features built-in Japanese, Korean, and American anime styles all on one platform.
Open a photo-to-illustration converter like MyEdit, upload your image, and select the filter like “Mono” or “Linecut”.
Open a photo-to-illustration converter like MyEdit, upload your image, and select the filter like “Fairy Classic” or “Dream Doll”.
Open a photo-to-illustration converter like MyEdit. It features built-in cartoon filters including Snoopy, South Park, The Simpsons, Crayon Shin-chan, Rick and Morty, and more.
The Cyberlink Editorial Team creates in-depth articles on video editing, multimedia innovation, and AI-powered creative tools. Our mission is to provide practical, easy-to-follow tutorials across video and photo editing, while showcasing AI features, product insights, and industry trends that empower creators around the world.
