The Dreamy Anime Portrait Trend — How to Try It for Free
One of the most-shared AI photo trends of the last year turns an ordinary photo into a soft, hand-painted illustrated portrait — warm colours, gentle lighting, and a storybook feel. Online, it's often nicknamed after a famous animation studio's look, though the style itself — soft watercolour-style shading, warm natural light, whimsical backgrounds — can be recreated without copying any specific studio or artist. You can try it on PixForge for free using the Edit Photo mode.
How to try it on PixForge
- Go to PixForge and select the Edit Photo tab.
- Upload a clear, well-lit photo of yourself, a pet, or a scene.
- Enter a prompt describing the illustrated look you want (see below).
- Download your result.
Example prompt to try
Variations worth trying:
- Nature backdrop: "...place me in a lush, overgrown garden with soft afternoon light filtering through leaves."
- Cozy interior: "...set the scene in a warm, cluttered cottage room with soft window light."
- Pet portrait: works especially well on pets — try it with a photo of your dog or cat for a softer, storybook version.
Tips for a more convincing result
- Describe the lighting and shading explicitly — "soft," "warm," "painterly" do more work than naming a specific artist or studio.
- Simple, uncluttered original photos tend to translate best — busy backgrounds can confuse the illustration style.
- If your face changes too much, re-run with "keep my face and features exactly recognisable" stated clearly at the start.
Is it free?
Yes. Your first generation each day is free on PixForge, with more available via a short ad or a small one-off credit pack — no signup required to try it.
Why this trend caught on
A lot of the appeal is the contrast with a straight photo filter — instead of just shifting colours or adding a texture overlay, the AI genuinely reinterprets the scene in a painted, illustrated style while keeping the subject recognisable. That combination — a real stylistic transformation that still clearly looks like you (or your pet) — is a bigger visual payoff than most people expect from a quick edit, which is a large part of why examples spread so widely once people started sharing their results.
Frequently asked questions
Does this only work on portraits of people?
No — it works well on pets and on wider scenes too. Pet photos in particular tend to produce especially soft, storybook-style results.
How do I avoid it looking too generic?
Add a specific setting or detail to the prompt — a particular backdrop, a certain time of day, a specific mood — rather than relying on the base style prompt alone. The variations above are a good starting point for this.