Making a photograph look like a video game...

[aka23]

I'd like to make a photograph look like a video game/cartoon/CGI image. An example of such an image from RE4 is at http://cubemedia.ign.com/cube/image/article/571/571376/resident-evil-4-20041206035721015.jpg . Does anyone have ideas for photo editing options?

[tim]

For the skin you could try copying the layer, doing a gaussian blur on the new layer, the masking off everything (including lips, hair, eyes) except the skin. That'd give the skin a flatter look. You'd have to play with the blur radius.

[arpi]

if you use windows you could try this (free test) program. I've never used it (and will never) but I saw an example of someone doing cartoons from pictures

http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/

[RAitch]

Look up vector art and learn to use the pen tool.
Also, play with the artistic > cutout filter in photoshop. Use that alone, or use it to build your own pen tool paths and fill with selected colours.

Vector art can take hours... but if you do a good job, you'll drop jaws. Check out the deviantart.com site for some crazy ass pictures.

Google "vector art" and photoshop to get some results... not exactly what you're looking for maybe, but I think this stuff is cool.

[Mernya]

I was at the Corel Draw 7 release and awards (I had won one) back in 1996 when the Hedy Lamarr thing came out (Scroll down on this page - http://www.bluetoothnews.com/hedy_lamarr_story.htm )

That was the first time I had seen a full vector-photo thing done. It can be amazing. After that, everyone started doing them.

[aka23]

if you use windows you could try this (free test) program. I've never used it (and will never) but I saw an example of someone doing cartoons from pictures

http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/

It is an interesting program, but I do not see any easy way of making cartoons from pictures. The vast majority of the related features are also in Photoshop. The program frequently crashed on me due to internal errors. I am not surprised that it was made by Microsoft.

[aka23]

Look up vector art and learn to use the pen tool.
Also, play with the artistic > cutout filter in photoshop. Use that alone, or use it to build your own pen tool paths and fill with selected colours.

Vector art can take hours... but if you do a good job, you'll drop jaws. Check out the deviantart.com site for some crazy ass pictures.

Google "vector art" and photoshop to get some results... not exactly what you're looking for maybe, but I think this stuff is cool.

I'll give that a try tonight. Some of the vector art pictures are similar to my goal.

[Mernya]

I had a copy of Expression when it was by Corel. It was an OK program, but I rarely used it.

[RAitch]

Keep in mind... the better you want it to look... the more time it will take.
Until you get used to using the pen tool for this, it will take a while. I'm still learning myself.

Check this matrix tutorial out.
http://www.pslover.com/click/674
http://www.animangax.com/tuts/vector/matrixfin.jpg