How to Create Caricature from a Photo in Paint Shop Pro

Caricatures are fun, and with Paint Shop Pro you can create a caricature from photos fairly easily. All you need is to have a photo saved on your computer and the Paint Shop program. The following steps will show you how to do this.

Step 1: Open a Picture

Any picture can be used to create a caricature, but pictures where the face is clear and forward will work best. Use Paint Shop Pro to open the photo to begin the editing process.

Step 2: Warp the Picture

Find the Warp Brush in the toolbar at the top of the program screen. There are several warp modes you can use. Set your size to 180, the hardness to 0 and the strength to 100. This will give you the warped effect that caricatures have. Start with the corners of the mouth and pull the brush first on the left side of the mouth to the left, and then the right side of the mouth to the right. If you have a photo with a full body, you can warp the feet, the hips, and the shoulders as well. Play with this until you get the desired warp.

Step 3: Use the Contract Tool

Once you have warped the photo you can use the contract brush for the opposite effect. Simply change the tool over to contrast, use the mode with four arrows pointing inward, and change the settings. The size should be 219, the hardness stays at 0, and the strength will stay at 100. The Step should be set at 25. Apply the contract to the forehead. You can also apply this on the belly and other areas that you want to pull in.

Step 4: Duplicate the Background

Under the toolbar, find the layers tab, and scroll down to the duplicate tab. This will clear out the background and prepare the photo for the final cartoon.

Once you have the background layer duplicated you can run the color sketch tool. This will make the background look like a sketch. Even if the background is white go ahead and run the tool. The picture will look better in the end for it.

Step 5: Layering

Hide your background layer and then merge all the visible layers. You can do this under the Layer button, scroll down to Merge, and then Merge Visible.

Now toggle over to the Background visibility again. Change this from Merged to Overlay.

Now your picture should now be the center point of your screen and has become a caricature!