Choose an anime direction for your portrait

What changes across the three directions?

The illustrative board holds the fictional character’s hairstyle, glasses and clothing similar while changing line, color and shading. It is a visual explanation, not evidence of identity preservation or converter performance.

Clean cel anime

Defined outlines, flat color areas and distinct shadow shapes emphasize the silhouette. This can be useful when a portrait must stay readable at small size. Check that dark glasses, eyebrows and hair still separate from one another.

Watercolor illustration

Soft pigment edges and gentle tonal transitions create a looser portrait. Decide whether recognizable accessories or a softer atmosphere matter more, because small rims, earrings and hair strands may be less sharply defined.

Monochrome manga

Black linework, white space and gray tones carry the image without color. Look for separation between hair, clothing and background. A blue cardigan that was distinct in the source may need a different tone to remain readable in black and white.

Choose for the place the image will appear

For a small profile image, prioritize a strong facial outline and a simple background. Try viewing it at the actual avatar size before deciding. For a gift portrait or story character reference, a larger composition can leave room for clothing, gesture and setting. For a group, start with a restrained direction so every face has a similar level of detail.

A style name alone is an incomplete brief. State the line quality, shading, color palette, background and features to preserve. Avoid changing all five between attempts: if you want to compare shading, keep the crop and color direction as similar as possible.

Three creative briefs you can adapt

Use these as descriptions for planning an illustration. Check the current tool interface for available style controls and whether custom text is supported; these briefs are not documented preset names.

Readable avatar

Clean anime linework, two or three clear shading tones, a calm warm background and a centered head-and-shoulders crop. Preserve the hairstyle silhouette, round glasses and relaxed mouth shape. Check the eyes and frames at small size.

Soft portrait

A watercolor-inspired portrait with gentle color transitions and a quiet background. Keep the face and glasses more defined than the background. Preserve the expression and clothing color while allowing a softer edge around hair and shoulders.

Manga character study

Monochrome portrait with confident outlines, limited gray tones and a plain background. Keep light separation around dark hair and glasses. Preserve facial expression and clothing shape without relying on the original colors.

Review a style change with consistent criteria

Place each result beside the same reference. First compare identity cues, then readability, then visual preference. A more detailed background can make an image feel richer while making a tiny avatar harder to read. Decide which outcome matters for the intended use.

If a style changes the face too much, reduce the number of requested changes or choose a simpler direction. If the result looks flat, first check whether the subject and background have enough tonal separation. If the image is blurry, return to the reference-quality guide before assuming another style will restore missing detail.

Keep the original file and note which direction you chose. Before publishing or selling the result, check consent, the rights to the source photo and LlamaGen’s current terms. A particular visual style does not by itself establish permission to use a person’s likeness or someone else’s photograph.