Turning yourself into a cartoon with ChatGPT (April 2025)

The GPT-4o model inside ChatGPT now has built-in image generation that makes its predecessor DALL-E look completely outdated. Cartoon avatars have become its viral killer app for good reason - they actually look right! You've probably noticed many Ghibli-style portraits flooding your social feeds lately—all created using this technology.

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Cartoon style guide

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I've tested ChatGPT's new image generation on the most common cartoon styles, and put it all into the table below so you can easily steal my prompts. Enjoy!

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Style	Example	Prompt to Use with ChatGPT
Original Photo		Reference photo used for all cartoon style transformations (hey, it's me!)
Disney/Pixar		Example prompt Transform this photo into a modern 3D animated character. Use signature wide eyes, smooth textures, and expressive features typical of contemporary family-friendly animation.
Studio Ghibli		Example prompt Convert this photo into a Japanese watercolor animation character. Use soft watercolor-like backgrounds, gentle lines, and characteristic facial features with simple, expressive eyes typical of traditional Japanese animated films.
The Simpsons		Example prompt Turn this photo into a yellow-skinned cartoon character. Use an overbite, large circular eyes, and minimal details with bold outlines typical of long-running American animated sitcoms.
South Park		Example prompt Transform this photo into a paper cutout style cartoon character. Use a construction paper appearance, simple shapes, small bodies with large heads, and minimalist facial features typical of satirical adult animation.
Anime/Manga		Example prompt Convert this photo into a Japanese animation character. Use large expressive eyes, small nose, defined jawline, and stylized colorful hair typical of contemporary anime art styles.
Marvel Comic		Example prompt Transform this photo into a superhero comic book character. Use bold lines, dramatic shading, heroic proportions, and vibrant colors typical of mainstream American superhero comics.
Adventure Time		Example prompt Convert this photo into a fantasy cartoon character with a modern quirky style. Use simple shapes, thin limbs, and minimalist features with small dots for eyes typical of surrealist adventure cartoons.
Looney Tunes		Example prompt Create a classic American cartoon character based on this photo. Use a vintage 1940s-1950s animation style with exaggerated expressions, bold black outlines, and classic cartoon physics. Make ONLY the cartoon version, no side-by-side comparison or original photo. Just one standalone cartoon character.
Steven Universe		Example prompt Convert this photo into a character from a modern inclusive cartoon with a pastel color palette. Use simple geometric shapes, rounded features, and a gem-themed magical aesthetic.
Rick and Morty		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in an adult sci-fi animation style. Use uneven pupils, thin wavering outlines, and slightly grotesque details. Add drool or spittle accents and a multiverse-inspired color palette with glowing elements.
Futurama		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in a retro-futuristic animation style from the early 2000s. Use bright solid colors, slightly bulging eyes, simple outlines, and an overbite. Include yellow skin tone and exaggerated proportions with a distinct 31st century sci-fi aesthetic.
Arcane		Example prompt Create a single portrait in a modern animated series style featuring dramatic lighting and textured details. Use a distinctive painterly aesthetic with a signature blend of 2D and 3D techniques that give characters depth and emotion. Add steampunk-inspired elements and vibrant color accents.
Peanuts		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in the style of classic American newspaper comics from the 1950s-60s. Use minimal line work, a round head, small features, and a gentle watercolor aesthetic with simple expressions typical of beloved children's comics.
Family Guy		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in a contemporary adult animated sitcom style. Use a round face, prominent chin, oval eyes, and clean, simple color blocks with bold outlines typical of 2000s American animated comedy.
Avatar: Last Airbender		Example prompt Create a single portrait in an East Asian-influenced animated fantasy style. Use distinctive eyes, clean lines, and an earthy color palette with elemental motifs. Create a character design that blends anime aesthetics with American animation sensibilities.
SpongeBob SquarePants		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in a vibrant underwater animation style. Use bright colors, exaggerated expressions, and slightly wobbly outlines. Add painterly background bubbles and underwater elements typical of popular marine-themed cartoons.
Powerpuff Girls		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in a 1990s superhero kindergartner style. Use large oval eyes, minimal face details, simple body shapes, and bold outlines with flat vibrant colors typical of late 90s action cartoons for younger audiences.
Archer		Example prompt Create a single portrait in a sleek modern adult animated style. Use minimal shadows, flat color blocks, thin clean lines, and realistic proportions with simplified features. Add a sophisticated visual aesthetic typical of contemporary animated spy comedies.
Gravity Falls		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in a mysterious forest adventure style. Use slightly rounded features, simple line work, and a characteristic cute-but-slightly-eerie animation aesthetic typical of supernatural-themed cartoons for tweens.
Scooby-Doo		Example prompt Create a single portrait in a classic mystery-solving cartoon style from the late 1960s. Use slightly lanky proportions, simple features, thin outlines, and a vintage animation aesthetic with flat colors and minimal background details.
Wallace and Gromit		Example prompt Create a single claymation portrait in the style of British stop-motion animation. Use distinctive plasticine texture with fingerprint details, wide expressive mouth, and slightly bulging eyes with prominent eyebrows typical of award-winning clay animation.
Gorillaz		Example prompt Create a single portrait in a gritty music-related animation style. Use a stylized aesthetic with bold outlines, slightly eerie eyes, and a moody color palette with strong contrasts and angular features typical of alternative music-inspired artwork.
Bob's Burgers		Example prompt Create a single cartoon portrait in a modern family restaurant sitcom style. Use distinctive flat character design with small eyes, prominent upper body, and simple line work with minimal shading typical of contemporary animated comedies.
Minecraft		Example prompt Create a single pixelated portrait in a popular block-building game style. Use a blocky 3D aesthetic with strict square geometry, limited color palette, and a voxel-based appearance with no smooth curves typical of sandbox construction games.

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The cartoon revolution has arrived

Forget everything you knew about transforming photos of yourself into cartoons—ChatGPT's new GPT-4o image generator has completely democratized cartoon transformations. We've gone from "barely possible without graphic design skills" to "my grandma just turned herself into a Simpsons character" virtually overnight.

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Why GPT-4o's image generator is a game-changer

• Zero barrier to entry: Previous cartoon transformations required either professional skills or settling for those janky filter apps. Now anyone with a ChatGPT account can create legitimately good cartoon versions of themselves in seconds.
• You can do any style: Unlike using DALL-E or one of those old single-style custom GPTs (Pixar style OR anime OR Disney), GPT-4o lets you pick any animation styles with just a prompt change—and the result is typically much better than any of the old methods.
• The devil is in the details: This generator somehow manages to preserve your facial expressions, clothing elements, and that special something that makes you you across wildly different cartoon universes. it's not very good for replicating yourself in a realistic shot (easily messes up facial features etc, but for cartoons—it's ideal).
• Colors that pop: Unlike earlier methods with questionable colour palette choices, GPT-4o is great at nailing the vibe of each cartoon style while still keeping you recognizable.

Beyond just looking cool on social media

These cartoon avatars aren't just for flexing on social—you can use them to:

• Cartoon up your profile pic on any platform
• Create custom gaming avatars without needing a designer
• Design personalized content
• Explore your multiverse self just because you can

Get results that'll make people do a double-take

For cartoon transformations that'll make your friends say "wait, how?":

1. Use the prompts above as starting points (then tweak to your heart's content)
2. Add creative details that matter to you (specific clothing, backgrounds, props)
3. Try different expressions in your reference photos
4. Experiment with style fusions right from the beginning (why not be a Studio Ghibli character with Simpsons coloring?)

The tech isn't perfect—some styles don't work that well and some renderings are very much "meh"—but we're light-years ahead of where we were just months ago. GPT-4o has basically kicked the door open on cartoon transformations for everyone, not just the artistically inclined.

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Now, go ahead and have some fun. Your cartoon multiverse awaits.