How to Turn Yourself Into a Watercolor Painting
Painting watercolor portraits isn’t easy – in fact, it requires years of practice and skill. Watercolor bleeds easily and requires many layers of paint to achieve specific colors, making it difficult to depict facial details and skin tones with precision. Even an artist who paints watercolor landscapes regularly may find portraits in the medium difficult! But what if you could turn your own portrait into watercolor art with a single click, no matter how skilled of a painter you are? Good news: With BeFunky’s AI photo to watercolor effects, you can.
These stunning Artsy effects can be used to turn any photo into full-fledged watercolor painting, complete with vibrant colors, layered textures, and realistic paint strokes. They work on any kind of portrait, from mobile selfies to professional snapshots. Watercolor styles vary greatly between artists, and the same goes for these online painting effects. Choose from over a dozen different aesthetics and then customize to your taste.
Watercolor portraits are fun to create, but they’re also a practical way to elevate creative projects. Add a unique touch to profile pictures, travel posts, and other social media. Create depth in photo-based designs like greeting cards and event flyers. Or, use it to create personal wall art for your own home decor or as a gift for somebody else. The possibilities are endless and the process is simple. In this tutorial, we’ll show you just how easy it is to turn a photo portrait into a watercolor painting and take a look at some examples to help you get inspired!
Choosing the Right Portrait
First, let’s talk about what kind of photo you should use for the best results. BeFunky’s AI watercolor effects are optimized for close-up portraits that clearly show the subject’s facial features. For the most accurate watercolor portrait, use a high-resolution photo taken from at least the waist up, with the subject facing the camera. Try to avoid photos with very high contrast and portraits taken at a significant distance.
When in doubt, test a few different watercolor effects on your portrait and see how they turn out!
How to Go From Photo to Watercolor
Ready to transform a simple portrait photo into a brilliant watercolor painting? Let’s get started.
Step 1: Upload Your Portrait
First, head over to the Watercolor category of the Photo Editor and upload your photo. If you already have an image open in the Editor, you’ll find the watercolor effects under the Artsy tab.
Here, you can browse over a dozen different styles of watercolor filters. Click on any one of them to instantly preview the effect. In this case, we’re going to use Watercolor Drawing GFX+. This effect is stylized but still captures all the details of the original photo, making it a great choice for realistic portraits.
Step 2: Customize and Apply
If you're completely satisfied with the results of your chosen watercolor effect, simply click the checkmark icon to apply changes. If you’d like to customize the effect a little further, click on the adjustment slider icon to expand the Settings menu.
Here you’ll be able to adjust different sliders depending on the effect. In this case, we can change the Fidelity, which is how close the artwork resembles the original image, and the Variation, which provides slightly different versions of the effect. Tweak the settings until you’re happy with the results, then click Apply.
Step 3: Save Your Watercolor Portrait
Finally, click on the Save button located at the top of your canvas and select your desired save location. Your new watercolor artwork is now complete!
Photo to Watercolor Final Results
In just a few minutes, we’ve recreated the soft colors and fluid brushstrokes of a real watercolor painting with impressive accuracy. Now we have a beautiful watercolor portrait that can be shared digitally, printed at home, or used in future design projects!
Watercolor Portrait Inspiration
A watercolor portrait is the perfect way to take your creative projects to the next level. It can add tons of color, texture, and depth in a single click. Here are just a few ideas on how to use your new watercolor artwork!
Cards and Invitations
Turn any greeting card or paper invite into a frame-worthy piece of art. Try a dreamy and romantic effect like Watercolor Faded GFX+ for a wedding thank you card, or something stylized and colorful like Watercolor GFX 1 for a birthday card. Artsy effects are perfect for turning any old photo into a stunning holiday card, too!
Posters and Wall Art
Custom wall art, when done right, looks stylish and expensive. With watercolor effects, you can create that high-end look at a low price. BeFunky allows you to send designs straight to Zazzle and print them as posters, framed prints, or even canvas artwork. Try adding some text to a Watercolor Splash GFX+ portrait to make it look like a hand-painted magazine cover. Or, create a watercolor collage by combining multiple different photos and effects.
Social Media Profiles
Most of us spend a ton of time online, but don’t have much chance to inject creativity and personality into our social media profiles. Luckily, a watercolor effect adds a unique creative touch to any profile picture in just a few clicks. The examples below use Watercolor GFX 3, Watercolor Splash GFX+, and Line and Wash GFX+.
Create a Custom Watercolor Portrait Instantly
Watercolor is one of the most versatile and flattering mediums for a portrait. With plenty of different styles and color palettes to choose from, BeFunky’s watercolor effects allow you to turn any photo into the painted portrait of your dreams. Use your artwork as is or turn it into a full-fledged design with the Photo Editor’s tools. Try it for yourself and create a custom watercolor portrait today!
