Photo to Caricature & 3D: Best Prompts for ChatGPT & Gemini
prompts to create caricature

Photo to Caricature & 3D: Best Prompts for ChatGPT & Gemini

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You’ve seen it, right? Your Instagram feed is flooded with people turning into Disney-style characters or getting those super exaggerated, fun cartoon makeovers. And you’re sitting there wondering, “What app are they using?”

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The honest truth? Often, it’s no app at all. It’s pure prompt engineering on ChatGPT or Gemini.

The problem is staring at that blank text box. It’s intimidating. What do I type? If you just ask for “a drawing,” you get something generic and boring. The secret isn’t the tool, it’s how you ask. AI needs direction, it needs details, it needs a little “spice.”

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So, I decided to open up my toolbox.

Forget complicated tutorials. Below, I’ve prepared a ready-to-use list of commands. Just upload your pic, copy the text I wrote, and paste it. Let’s see how to turn your selfie into art, shall we?

Download the apps

Gemini 

ANDROID
IOS

ChatGPT

ANDROID
IOS

The Basics Before Starting

Just to get us on the same page: both ChatGPT (paid version or with image access) and Gemini (from Google) let you upload a photo directly into the chat.

  1. Click the “paperclip” or “image” icon.
  2. Upload your photo (pick one with good lighting, okay?).
  3. Paste one of the prompts below right after uploading.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff. The menu is served. 👇

1. The Classic: Fun Caricature

You know those street artists who whip up a sketch of you in 5 minutes, exaggerating your nose or smile? This style is unbeatable for breaking the ice or using as a new WhatsApp profile pic.

Copy and Paste this Prompt:

Act as a professional street caricaturist with decades of experience in quick comic art. Analyze the provided image and create a highly stylized and humorous digital caricature.

CRITICAL GUIDELINES:

Background: A simple abstract background with colorful paint splatters that complements the energy of the drawing.

Exaggeration: Identify the most prominent facial features (nose, chin, forehead, ears, or smile) and significantly exaggerate them for comic effect. DO NOT create a realistic portrait.

Line Work Style: Use thick black ink lines and cross-hatching for shading, mimicking the style of artistic markers and ink pens.

Colors: Use a vibrant and saturated color palette. The coloring should look like digital art with visible brushstrokes, not a photo.

Likeness: Despite the extreme exaggeration, the person MUST remain recognizable through their hair, accessories, and general face shape.

Why it works: We ask it to “act” like a caricaturist. This flips a switch in the AI to a mode that is more artistic and less photorealistic.

2. The Fan Favorite: 3D Animation Style (Pixar/Disney Vibe)

This is the absolute champion. Everyone wants to see themselves as a protagonist in a major animated movie. It looks cute, modern, and really grabs attention.

Copy and Paste this Prompt:

Transform the subject of the photo into a high-quality 3D character model, in the style of big-budget animated movies (like modern Pixar, Disney, or Dreamworks).

TECHNICAL RENDER SPECIFICATIONS:

Camera: A portrait with shallow depth of field (heavily blurred background with soft bokeh) to focus entirely on the 3D character’s face.

Model: The character must have “cute” proportions (slightly larger head, very large and extremely expressive eyes with sharp light reflections). The skin must have “subsurface scattering” to look soft and slightly translucent, as in professional animation.

Lighting: Use “Cinematic Lighting.” A soft main light (softbox) from one side, a strong rim light to highlight the silhouette and hair, and volumetric light in the environment.

Texture: Clothes and hair must have visible, stylized textures (e.g., fabric fibers, individual but thick hair strands), not smooth plastic surfaces.

The Secret Sauce: Asking for “soft lighting” and “expressive eyes” is what kills that cold robotic look and brings the character to life.

3. The “Soul Summary”: Your Personality in an Image

Here we’re going to play with the AI’s interpretive skills. Instead of just copying your face, we’ll ask it to capture your aura. It’s an amazing creative exercise.

Copy and Paste this Prompt:

Execute a two-step task to create a conceptual illustration based on the provided image.

STEP 1: SENTIMENT ANALYSIS
Analyze the facial expression, body language, lighting, and environment of the original photo. Determine the dominant “vibe” or apparent personality (e.g., Joyful and chaotic? Serious and introspective? Adventurous and energetic?).

STEP 2: CONCEPTUAL ART GENERATION
Based on your analysis in Step 1, create an artistic illustration that is NOT a photorealistic copy, but a visual representation of the person’s energy.

Goal: The final image should look like the cover of a book about this person’s personality.

Style: Fantastic digital illustration, half-abstract, half-figurative. Use loose and expressive brushstrokes.

Integration: The person’s face must be stylized and integrated with symbolic elements exploding around them. For example, if the vibe is creative, use vivid colors, musical notes, and flowing shapes coming out of the head. If it is calm, use shades of blue, nature elements, and soft organic shapes.

What to expect: Prepare for a trip. Sometimes it puts you in an enchanted forest, sometimes a cyberpunk office. It’s always a surprise based on what the AI “felt” from your photo.

Golden Tips (For When Things Go Wrong)

The AI doesn’t always nail it the first time. And that’s totally fine! If the result looks weird (like, you have three arms or look like your great-uncle), don’t give up. Reply to the chat like this:

  • “Looks cool, but you made me look really old. Rejuvenate the expression.”
  • “I liked it, but remove the glasses, I’m not wearing glasses in the original photo.”
  • “Do the same image, but now in a pencil-drawn style.”

Conversation is key. Treat the chat like a junior designer who just needs a little feedback.

See also

Which Style Suits You Today?

Look, the choice is yours.

If you want a laugh, go with the Caricature. If you want likes, the 3D Style is a sure shot. Now, if you want something conceptual to post on stories with a philosophical quote, the Soul Summary is the way to go.

Test them out and let me know: which one did the AI nail the best? Technology is here for us to play with, anyway. Have fun! 🎨🚀